Article

Big demand for on-demand printing kiosks

From receipts and gift lists, to maps and photos, on-demand printing kiosks are giving consumers what they want, when they want it, and often, how they want it. As a result, printers have become the workhorses of many kiosks.

November 29, 2004

Industry experts from Apunix, Lexmark and HP offered their views on the ins and outs of on-demand printing. Another company, ImageXpres, is taking on-demand printing to a new level in healthcare with diagnostic imagery.

What exactly is an on-demand printing kiosk? Sylvia Berens, Ph.D., vice president of Apunix, explained it this way, "These are kiosks that are able to provide high-quality output that replaces the traditional send-it-to-you-in-the-mail literature."

The key advantage here is that the literature (or map or directions, etc.) can be customized for the kiosk user. For example, Apunix is piloting a project for a major car manufacturer to print brochures for its cars. Only the features that match customer interest are printed on the brochure.

Berens summed up the importance of addressing maintenance issues. "For this (the kiosk) to be successful, it must produce the document 99.9% of the time. That means that the supplies need to be maintained, the printer monitored, and be deployed on a robust and reliable platform."

On-demand printing is popular where forms are commonly used, as in government and HR applications. Karie Lester is Lexmark's industry consultant for kiosks. She said there is "definitely a growing market" for on-demand printing across the public sector.

Lester explained that kiosks used in government applications typically use laser printing on standard size (8 ½ inches by 11 inches) paper. The key question to ask when evaluating laser printers is "When will you get what you are printing?" noted Lester, referring to the speed of "time to first page" in mm/sec.

As opposed to thermal printing, often found on simple receipts, laser printing offers a more permanent record. Does this matter in a kiosk solution? Absolutely, according to Lester, as kiosks move further into banking and government applications. Kiosks that offer self-service stock transfers, for example, must produce a permanent record. "The government requires a record of that (stock transfer)," Lester stated. Online credit applications, which also require permanent records, are gaining popularity and have become a "sweet spot" for Lexmark. Laser printers also fit the bill for kiosk applications that incorporate labels or stickers, such as in states' Department of Motor Vehicles.

"One of the advantages of laser technology in kiosks is duplex printing," said Lester. This essentially doubles the amount of usable paper inside the kiosk. By printing on both sides of 500 sheets of paper, the kiosk holds the equivalent of 1,000 sheets of paper.

Printing on standard size paper, versus rolled paper as in thermal printing, makes for a more "manageable stack," Lester pointed out. Having a manageable stack is important for gift registry use. Instead of having a four-foot list to carry, customers carry four or five sheets of "normal-size" paper while shopping. Standard-size paper easily accommodates Web-ready data printed from public access Internet kiosks, such as maps and online ordering information.

Maintenance issues for on-demand printing kiosks using laser technology are fairly simple. "The printer requires a 2-inch clearance around it and is in the same category for PCs as far as operating temperature," explained Lester. Laser printers are seldom used in outdoor kiosks, since the enclosures would need to be hermetically sealed, Lester cautioned.

Laser printers, because they have on-board processors, function as mini-computers. As a result, the printer can be programmed with alerts for toner and paper filling and ordering. The printer becomes its own "virtual attendant."

With the right printer, kiosks are producing large-size artwork and posters on demand. NetShift and HP teamed up with the National Gallery to bring on-demand printing to the museum. HP supplied a similar solution with Artful Technologies for the Smithsonian Art Museum. In both museum settings, customers choose and print art reproductions on the spot.

Beyond customer convenience, these kiosks help museums revive "dead art" by getting it into consumers' hands inexpensively, according to Todd Davidson, large format specialist for HP. The kiosks hold a database of artwork to choose from, eliminating thousands of dollars of museum inventory. Davidson has seen a steady rise in the demand for large format printing kiosks in the museum market.

Retailers are also looking at large format printing kiosks to generate new revenue. "Large format is profitable," said Davidson, especially in photo areas. "All photo departments are doing 4 inches x 6 inches and 8 inches x 10 inches. Everyone is using digital."

Large format can incorporate print on demand with variable data, with customizable templates for posters and banners. To compete with companies such as FedEx Kinko's, which caters to corporate clientele, retailers are targeted the "soccer moms," Davidson explained. These are the people who need posters and signs for Cub Scouts, schools and sports. Instead of paying $10 to $12 a square foot at a copy shop, they print at a self-service kiosk for roughly $7 a square foot, according to Davidson.

"One of the biggest obstacles retailers have is high-turnover, low-skilled labor," said Davidson. "When you are talking about graphic-type work, you need an expert. Kiosks give users a nice base to work with. The retailer does not need high-tech help."

Grocery stores, office supply stores and hobby shops are ideal markets for large format kiosks. Davidson noted that he has seen more retail pilot projects for large format kiosks this year than in the last three years.

Space is an issue with large format printing kiosks. A kiosk capable of printing on paper up to 60 inches wide will take up a great deal of floor space. Davidson noted that these kiosks are generally placed in out of the way corners or in the back of the store. The more popular large format printing kiosk prints on paper up to 24 inches wide and sits on 10 square feet of space.

Large format kiosks, while they do take up space, serve double-duty after store hours. Davidson points out that many retailers use the kiosks to print signs and posters for their stores.

Large format printers use ink jet technology, and of course, large paper. Changing the ink jet cartridge is similar to changing the cartridge in an at-home printer, said Davidson. "Loading paper looks more intimidating than it is." To keep the printers up and running, his company offers a DVD training video for basic kiosk maintenance as well as a toll-free service number. Davidson recommends having a store "champion" on hand who is well-versed in basic printer maintenance. HP, and other companies that sell printers, commonly offer contracts for the service and supplies.

Marketing the large format printing kiosk is vital to its success, stressed Davidson. Consumers generally don't use them on-the-fly. They come to the kiosk with a plan to print something for a specific event, such as a banner for birthday party. "People won't use it unless they know about it," Davidson said. A typical promotion includes targeted mailers such as to schools during prom time.

Davidson offered some advice for retailers considering a large format printing kiosk. First, consider your goals as at store. Does adding a photo or art printing kiosk make sense? Second, consider your store's infrastructure. Will you need to add a telephone line or a high-speed access point within the store? Adding to the infrastructure will add to your kiosk costs. And third, do you own the content of what will be printed? This is especially true of museum stores where copyrighted artworks are reproduced. The museum must have rights to the material being copied.

On-demand printing is moving into healthcare, with ImageXpres' iPrint kiosk, an interactive digital imaging/print platform. It provides a range of output print options for physicians, hospital staff, patients and consumers. According to a recent news release, the on-demand print capability of the ImageXpres Medical iPrint Kiosk includes high-quality paper prints of medical diagnostic and referral imagery, as well as full-color poster-size prints up to 24 by 36 inch size.

A spokesperson for the company said the ImageXpres' iPrint kiosks are more commonly used in retail. Customers can copy a favorite image or photograph onto custom-made window treatments. Similar kiosks are used in home décor stores to print custom wall art.