AI IN PRINT
Intelligent design Artificial intelligence is changing office technology in many ways, from generating reports to personalised assistants and print is no exception – and its influence is only going to grow in the coming months and years.
It was back in 2021 that Jenson Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, said of artificial intelligence (AI): “AI will be the most transformative technology of the 21st century.” Since then, AI has started to live up to this billing – and its practical applications are now being realised. It is impacting the office technology space, and print is no exception, as Stuart Brookes, EMEA head of sales & channel at PaperCut, notes: “AI has the capacity to improve every stage of the device lifecycle; from the design to the construction, manufacture, distribution, sales, support and maintenance of print devices,” he says. “Additionally, cloud-based print – optimised by AI – could play an interesting role in driving print innovation, improving workflow process efficiencies and helping organisations make better informed, data-driven, print decisions. “We anticipate that AI will also be instrumental in content capture from physical documents, simplifying the conversion of those documents into a more usable and manageable electronic format to streamline digital document workflow processes.” Helen Starling, CEO at Paragon Workplace Solutions, agrees: “AI is currently revolutionising the print sector by offering bespoke, data-driven services,” she says. “Specifically, managed print services (MPS) providers can now leverage machine learning and AI to effortlessly streamline print processes and workflows. From pinpointing the most cost- effective devices for each print job to devising layouts that minimise waste, AI is quietly enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.” Mandy Watson, director of Ambitions Personnel, adds that AI is capable of reducing setup time with cutting-edge tools such as automatic calibration, immediate colour correction and error detection. “It paves the way for reduced costs, reduced lead times and enhanced quality of the final product,” she says. “Couple these with real-time analytics,
where the data gathered can be used to make critical decisions quicker and for the benefit of customers and suppliers alike. AI technology is proving to be a real game changer for the industry and an invaluable sales tool when pitching for business, offering a staggering return on investment for those willing to take the plunge. It can also go as far as damage limitation, offering a preventative maintenance schedule using predictive detection methods to identify the problem before it occurs. In short, it allows everyone in the process, from pre-press to post-press, to be leaner with their time.” Transforming professional print AI is already transforming the professional print sector, according to Rowan Jeffreys- Hoar, director, Partner Channel at Ricoh UK. “This is through streamlining workflow automation, design and enabling smoother production processes,” he says. “For example, some commercial printers, particularly for large-scale image generation, are harnessing AI’s capabilities for marketing campaigns – creating content in a matter of hours rather than weeks, reducing production costs and, in turn, positively impacting revenue. Intelligent
Stuart Brooks head of sales and channel
papercut.com
AI has the capacity to improve every stage of the device lifecycle; from the design to the construction, manufacture, distribution, sales, support and maintenance of print devices. “
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