Booklets, instruction manuals, programs and similar print products, requiring multiple pages, have their roots in conventional printing. Until now, the quality attainable by digital press did not meet the expectations of customers. Therefore, even when quantities were small, customers were forced to pay the high fixed setup costs associated with conventional print to obtain the quality desired.

The HP Indigo 3050 has changed the mindset of commercial print customers with its ability to print high quality in short runs, eliminating the fixed costs associated with conventional print.

In this example, a software company needed a high profile, professionally printed instruction manual for their software package. With needs for a print quantity of less than 500, the HP Indigo 3050 printed only the appropriate quantity, without a high setup cost. The pages were then folded, stapled and trimmed with conventional bindery equipment and delivered to the customer.

It is costly for a firm to print thousands of booklets, just to get a low per unit cost on a conventional printing press. These firms only end up disposing of copies that are outdated, due to software changes or version upgrades. With digital printing, the customer has the ability to print the quantity desired and then reprint when the instructions change due to improvements or enhancements in the software.

Ultimately, the total cost of acquisition is lower with digital printing and the content is always up to date.