Halldór Ólafsson, co-owner of Pixel, discusses the printing industry and the development of digital printing in the latest episode of Augnablik í iðnaði.
“Much more is printed today, but in smaller print runs,” says Halldór Ólafsson, co-owner of the digital printing company Pixel, about the development in the industry. Previously, it was considered cost-effective to use offset printing for 1,000 copies, but that threshold is constantly rising. Now it's at 3,000-5,000 copies and will move much higher in the future. Halldór Ólafsson is Grímur Kolbeinsson's guest on the podcast Augnablik í iðnaði (A Moment in Industry).
Halldór worked as a foreman in the film department at Oddi in the early 1990s when, in 1997, he was offered a job at a small British printing company that was taking its first steps in digital printing. “At that time, the development was incredibly fast; you don't feel the same pace of development today,” says Halldór. Back then, offset printing reigned supreme and print runs were typically huge. Now the gap is narrowing, and the time from when a print job arrives at the facility to when it reaches the customer is constantly getting shorter. “We used to have the phrase, 'in today, out tomorrow.' But now we say: 'In today and out tonight!'”
Halldór mentions that there is exciting equipment available abroad that can handle large print runs. However, these machines are expensive, and the investment is unlikely to pay off due to the small size of the Icelandic market. The Icelandic printing industry has shrunk considerably in recent years, and he became so pessimistic about the industry's future that he advised his children against pursuing an education in the field. However, the changes have brought countless opportunities, and the industry's outlook is brighter. With further technological development, there will also be a great increase in creativity, and the products are more numerous and diverse than before. There is more specialized material available that appeals to each individual. “There will be more creation, more printing, but in smaller runs, and that's where digital printing is, of course, incredibly strong.”
Another strength of digital printing is at the forefront of Halldór's mind. “With digital printing, waste is reduced; it's environmentally friendly.”