Why Automation Is Essential in the Print Industry

The Challenges Facing Printers Today

The print industry faces major challenges: intense price pressure, rising customer demands, shorter turnaround times, and increasing demand for personalization. At the same time, margins are often tight, meaning every unnecessary manual task threatens profitability.

The answer is automation. The goal is to handle as many processes as possible — from order entry and file checks to invoicing — without human intervention. The result is a scalable infrastructure that can process more orders without needing to scale staff numbers at the same rate.

Modern Web to Print software is the driving force behind this development. It connects online ordering, design, and production in one system, ensuring that processes flow seamlessly from start to finish.

From Manual Processes to Automated Workflows

Many print providers still rely on a patchwork of email orders, manual file preparation, and handwritten approvals. This costs time, creates errors, and leads to frustrating corrections.

An automated workflow looks very different:

1. The customer designs a product online or uploads print-ready files.
2. The system automatically checks whether the files meet print requirements (resolution, bleed, color profile).
3. Print-ready PDFs are generated and sent directly to production.
4. Invoices, delivery notes, and shipping labels are created automatically.
5. The job is printed — without manual intervention.

The result: faster turnaround, fewer errors, and lower costs.

Key Areas of Automation with Web to Print

Preflight & Print File Preparation

• Automated file checks for resolution, color mode, bleed, and fonts.
• Error corrections such as CMYK conversion or missing font embedding.
• Automatic PDF generation, sent directly to the press.

Routine Jobs & Lights-Out Production

• Repeat orders (e.g., business cards, flyers) run automatically.
• Customers choose a template or reorder a saved job.
• The system generates files and routes them to production.
• Delivery is completed without staff involvement.

This principle is known as lights-out production: the process continues as if the “lights were out” — because no one needs to be there.

Invoicing & Payments

• Automatic invoice and credit note generation.
• Integrated payment processing within the online shop.
• Automated reminders for outstanding payments.

Shipping & Tracking

• Automated label creation.
• Real-time tracking updates sent to customers.
• Integration with carriers ensures seamless logistics.

How printQ Transforms Workflows

printQ goes beyond the basics and delivers true end-to-end automation:

• Online editor with templates: Customers design products themselves — CI-compliant and error-free.
• Automatic preflight: Print data is validated and optimized instantly.
• Production integration: Jobs are routed directly to presses or workflow systems.
• Magento e-commerce engine: Shopping carts, vouchers, customer accounts, payments.
• Open APIs: Integration with ERP, MIS, and CRM systems.

From the first click in the storefront to the finished product, the process is fully automated.

Real-World Examples of Automation with printQ

• Druckhäusle (Germany): Adopted printQ to launch its online shop. Within months, routine jobs were fully automated, freeing staff for new business development.
• SAXOPRINT (Europe): One of the largest online printers in Europe uses printQ to manage a complex product portfolio. Automation enables them to process massive volumes quickly while maintaining quality.
• Velocity Graphics (USA): Developed a B2B portal for a restaurant chain with 100+ locations. Branch managers updated menu boards and POS materials themselves, with the entire ordering and production process automated — saving time and costs while ensuring brand consistency.

Benefits of Automation

For Print Providers:

• Lower costs by reducing manual work
• Higher productivity with the same staff
• Fewer errors thanks to standardized processes
• Stronger customer retention through digital services

For Customers:

• Faster orders and shorter delivery times
• Self-service design and ordering
• Transparent pricing with real-time calculations
• Consistent branding across all print products

The Future: AI, Predictive Analytics & Sustainable Automation

The next stage of automation will bring even more innovation:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Automated layout suggestions, image optimization, and text generation.
• Predictive Analytics: Forecasting demand to optimize production and inventory.
• Sustainability: Smart systems select the most resource-efficient production method (paper use, printing process).

This points toward a fully digitalized, sustainable print supply chain — with Web to Print software like printQ at its core.

Automation Is the Key to the Future

Manual processes belong to the past. Printers that cling to inefficient workflows risk losing competitiveness.

With printQ, the entire process — from order capture and file checks to production and shipping — is automated. For print providers, this means higher productivity and lower costs. For customers, it delivers faster, simpler, and error-free ordering.

The message is clear: automation through Web to Print is no longer a luxury, but the foundation for sustainable success in the print industry.