Gutenberg and the Internet

From the time Gutenberg invented the movable type press and revolutionized information technology to the time Internet has connected people all across the globe and made information easily accessible, Man has strived to improve the way he shares and receives information. Because of this, it is quite inevitable that Man will marry both printing and Internet. Thus, we have the web-to-print industry.
Web-to-print is a process that allows a printer, a client and a graphic designer to create, edit and approve computer-based online templates during the pre-press phase. With web-to-print services, printers enable clients to place orders online, print proofs on their own printer, and specify delivery details – all from the convenience of their own desktop.
The web-to-print industry is starting to boom in the US and the business possibilities of the technology makes it a fruit ripe for the picking for Filipinos in the printing business. Web-to-print will help broaden Filipino printers’ customer base by offering the service to corporate businesses as some sort of print department in their offices; as they can easily access materials and edit them from their own page using only the internet; not to mention, Filipino printers’ can now start accepting orders from abroad.
As of now, I know of one Filipino-owned printing company in the industry, this is “Fax Parcel ‘N Print”, a shop for communication, business and printing needs. They use the Fuji Xerox DocuColor 5000 Digital Press, a printer equipped with web capabilities.
“Since we are already on the Internet age, it’s time we establish a web presence for Filipino printers,” explained Rosemarie Ngo, managing director of the company. Likewise, Fax Parcel ‘N Print expects a smoother, faster and more convenient transmittal of draft materials between clients and artists or among their branches with their Machine.
I’m actually thinking of the possibility of the technology being used to print materials coming from abroad, which will cut drastically the cost of shipping. Hardbound books just like as published abroad (not the e-book type) then will be available for a fraction of the price.