Economy and quality are going to be the buzz-words of 2010. We have endured a financial rollercoaster in 2009 and are now starting to pick ourselves up and look for growth opportunities in a strengthening economy. Product professional, LFP, for Canon UK, Shane Burchett, said: “The impact of the recession has been significant. Print businesses have had to rethink their strategies and to take advantage, they have to keep a tight rein on their overheads and costs.

It’s always difficult when the economy hits a low, but as far as POP is concerned it’s not all bad. POP is one of the only means of advertising that drives an immediate response and therefore budgets have suffered less than in outdoor and magazine advertising.

Like most industries, people become comfortable with what they are used to and despite the benefits of switching to more environmentally friendly inks, there is still some reluctance to make the change. With more and more of the big ink manufacturers producing an alternative however, it looks like it could be time to make the switch.

As one of the fastest growing areas of the digital print industry, the flatbed market has seen some excellent machines emerge over recent years which have more than met requirements for dependability. However, with an influx of new machines and upgrades to existing favourites, these are exciting times. Here we look at today's market and some developments we can expect over coming months.

Advertising and fashion photographer, Miquel González, believes in using the right proofing equipment, as he demonstrated in a recent job when he shot a series of 11 photographs for a fashion publication. After the shoot, Miquel retouched the images digitally, accentuating the lighting before producing proof prints to show his client.

Pop-up displays are certainly not a new phenomenon and have had their place in the industry for many years mostly as a temporary solution seen widely at exhibitions. New digital technology means they are becoming increasingly sophisticated and able to cater for a variety of installations.

Photographer, Tim Flach, is a great fan of Epson equipment. Renowned for his stylized animal portraits, Tim has produced a book, Equus, in an exclusive collectors carbro edition featuring a fine leather case designed and made by Asprey.

From books and leaflets to large format graphics, there are literally hundreds of applications for finishing equipment. Whatever the requirement, there is a technology to meet that need and because businesses each have their own needs when it comes to finishing, Canon offers a range of in-line and off-line solutions.

Neschen is one company which has worked hard to ensure its substrate range keeps up with customers' green requirements. Head of marketing and communications, Frank Seemann, says the company consistently uses green production processes and materials as the Pro Nature product line demonstrates.

The argument for and against using third party inks in wide format inkjet printers is not a new one. But, with inks being so crucial to output quality and durability and the lifecycle of machinery, it's an important topic.

THE CURRENT economic climate is having a huge impact on print buying, particularly in the retail environment and, with run lengths reducing and printers needing to be more responsive, digital print is becoming a competitive solution in the marketplace. Companies looking to respond both during and after the recession are turning to digital to provide the flexibility they need.

ONE OF the most common forms of outdoor advertising is the billboard: a concept which remains a popular way of attracting attention. However, it is people with ever more ingenious ideas who stand to gain the most from the superwide format market.

ALTHOUGH RETAILERS are tightening their belts, it is still in their interests to entice customers to spend what spare money they have: which is good news for the point of sale (POS) market.

To people outside the printing industry, digital print is usually associated with toner-based systems such as Xerox. However, inkjet technology has had an equally large impact on the way printed materials are produced. Early commercial inkjet pioneers, such as Sun Chemical, realised digital's potential to offer higher speed, lower costs and greater flexibility than traditional printing methods and although early inkjet industrial applications included printing of number codes and markings, it didn't truly take off for graphic applications until the introduction of piezo print head technology in the 1990s.

One of the most talked about companies in the digital flatbed market is Inca Digital, a company that has led the way with machines such as the Eagle, Columbia and Spyder. The introduction of their latest machine last year, the Inca Onset, proves that once again Inca know what they are doing when it comes to new technology.

A few minutes spent on any motorway or suburban road now guarantees that you will see giant advertisements attached to trucks or trailers. Not the advertisements you might expect for cars and petrol, but eye catching raunchy adverts for underwear. Adverts for radio stations, train travel, holidays, fashion, health foods, films, record releases, video games and new technology to name just a few.

Big has had its day. From cars, to computers, to mobile phones, the message is that good things really do come in small packages. Being compact is a desirable commodity as technology enables us to produce an ever greater output, with minimal input.

There was a time when point-of-sale materials were only considered for impulse purchases like perfumes, cosmetics and chocolate etc. The cost of personalising this material was prohibitive, so each campaign was rolled out across the country without regional variation.

The large format print market has opened up massive opportunities for printers in terms of increased applications, production and profit. But that isn't all, it has also opened up opportunities for other professions who are using new technology to produce better results and retain business.

It's no surprise we are seeing an increase in new equipment to keep pace with trends. One company at the forefront of developments is Seal Graphics whose new range of products is designed to provide a more efficient way to do business.

There is an increasing number of companies in the market. One of the best known is Robert Horne Sign & Display, offering customers a comprehensive range of digital substrates from a single supplier. Perhaps even more important than the product range itself, the company's staff can provide in-depth advice on the suitability of individual substrates, thus ensuring customers can confidently select the optimum product regarding practical, aesthetic and budgetary considerations.

In the past, the printing industry was one area where waste was deemed acceptable. For example, the ‘industry' would think nothing of printing vast quantities of point-of-sale boards which are changed a week later. This has been seen as progress because now print jobs can be customised, customers can promote products more effectively and more often.

A familiar name which remains synonymous with flatbed printers is Inca, who launched the first flatbed inkjet printer, the Eagle 44, in January 2001. The range evolved rapidly and today includes the top of the range Onset (rated as the world's fastest, fully automated digital UV flatbed printer), high speed Turbo Plus, and larger Columbia Turbo 220. Spyder models include the 150, larger 320 (which includes the low cost Spyder 320-e) a model that prints white, six and eight colour models, plus the  high quality 320Q.

With more people taking the digital route, plus growth of the outdoor advertising market, superwide format digital printers are increasingly becoming a strategic investment. Regional sales manager, Europe North EFI Vutek, Emmanuel Swolfs, said: "We believe the future for superwide format, throughout 2008 and beyond, looks positive for the UK market. Healthy growth is being fuelled by the ever-rapid transition to digital. No longer viewed a risky market, more and more people are entering this mature marketplace, particularly as we see costs per square metre decreasing as a result of dropping ink prices and ever-increasing production speeds.

The large format print (LFP) market is growing, with demand driven by accessibility and availability. From photographers to copy shops the market offers something for everyone. So what changes can we expect over coming months?