The top planned investment for companies in the printing industry is Mac workstations, according to an Electronic Publishing article. Approximately 56 percent of the print and prepress firms included in a recent survey by TrendWatch Graphic Arts plan such a purchase, compared to 18 percent in spring 2003.
Such a high increase in the annual top investment is evidence that printers are starting to invest again, Electronic Publishing says. What’s more, according to the report, 39 percent of all print and prepress firms expect “excellent” conditions in 2004. That’s up from 13 percent in spring of 2003.
“But many printers are still linking their fortunes to the national economy,” Electronic Publishing reports. “According to TWGA, the top challenge for printers remains ‘economic conditions,’ (82 percent), up 25 percent from Spring 2003, which is by far the highest ever charted.”