Significance of Print Quality in Variable Data Printing

Print quality and variable data printing are two important topics when discussing digital printing and its ability to be a commercially successful printing technology. The aim of this paper is to determine the significance of print quality when using variable data printing to customize printed matters. In this study three levels of print quality and three levels of personalization; entirely static, personalized with name, and personalized with name, text and image, were established. Sample material was obtained by creating fictitious advertisements in the personalization levels, which were then printed at the print quality levels. A panel of respondents was asked to arrange the fictitious advertisements in order of preference. At all print quality levels, personalizing with only name led to a rather small increase in respondent preference compared to the static advertisements. However, personalizing with name, text and image led to a significant increase in preference compared to a static or name personalized advertisements. Hence, to attract the respondents a higher level of personalization should be used. The respondents were more forgiving towards low print quality when the advertising information was personalized. Furthermore, personalization contributes more at lower print quality levels, indicating that print quality is more significant in static printed matters or printed matters with a low level of personalization.