In the early 2000s, with the widespread use of digital tools in offices around the world, it was thought that the use of printed paper in the workplace would be reduced to a minimum or even disappear. The impression was in check. Almost 20 years later, this is not only not the case, but the sector is in good health and widely implemented in our country.

According to the consumption statistics made by the Spanish Association of Pulp, Paper and Cardboard Manufacturers (ASPAPEL), paper consumption in Spain was, in 2016, more than 6.6 million tons, 5.6% more with respect to the previous exercise. The historical record of 2006 was 7.9 million tons. And there are professional environments in which, no matter how much technology advances, users will still need paper, says Temel, a leading company in document printing and management in Spain. In fact, the same association indicates that 22% of the paper consumed in our country is destined to graphic activities (editing, writing, reprography, etc.). If we add to this the need to digitize information, the result is that photocopiers will continue to occupy a central place in the life of companies. And also in other environments.

It is the case of the students. There are many researches that confirm that reading on paper, in front of the electronic format, favors the memory of the read and also the concentration. According to the work of a researcher at the American University in Washington, 92% of the students consulted indicated that they concentrated better when they studied in printed texts. This is directly related to the work of the neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf, which indicates that performance improves with reading on paper, since the brain obtains a context that is very useful to fix the information read: the touch of paper, the way physical of what is read (book, notes, hard cover, soft, etc.), the number of pages read and read … But, in addition to printing, students also digitize their writings and work to share them.

The Public Administrations are other actors for whom the role remains fundamental, although in recent times many procedures are performed digitally. Many of the processes that are carried out in the Administration, such as the inscriptions in the Civil Registry, procedures in the municipal register, requests for subsidies or the registration of properties, are recorded in physical files in paper format. Not to mention the courts, where, on the one hand, plans are being implemented to digitize the administration of justice, but while the process is being perfected, they continue to consume paper in large quantities to be able to face all the paperwork they must cover. This is the case, for example, of the Judicial, Criminal, Instance, Commercial, Contentious-administrative and Social Units of A Coruña, where, since 2013, paper consumption has grown by 266%.

Another inseparable sector of documentary printing works is that of graphic design agencies. Although for years, practically all the design work has been done with computer programs, there are still processes that, due to the greater reliability of the paper when reproducing colors, are developed “in the old way”. This is the case of product-to-customer presentations, where high quality printers are needed to fine-tune the details and colors; printing tests of various materials (from books to billboards), last step before entering the press and used for the approval of the client; or product models, which reproduce the designs in three dimensions to facilitate correction and improvement work. In addition, there are still professionals, of a more artistic nature, who continue to design their sketches in a traditional way in their studios, which implies a need for high-quality digitalization after design work.

Source: industriagraficaonline.com