Office Document Strategies Blog

One of the processes that is commonly used in the assembly and production of court ready documents is called Bates Stamping or Bates Numbering.

I recently was dealing with a reservation for parking at the airport for a trip and I was offered two options for capturing my confirmation; printing it out or storing electronically on my phone or computer.  This is a pretty common occurrence these days in all forms of consumer transactions.  "Do you want an emailed receipt' shows up at the cash register at Home Depot every time.  Other interactions like banking, ticket purchases and airplane boarding passes all offer an electronic option instead of printing out a copy. 

When we hear about the Internet of Things we usually think about video doorbells, electronic locks, Alexa, Google Home, automated lighting, connected appliances and the many other ways that the world wide web has impacted consumer life styles. 

We all know that traditional retail industries have changed significantly due to the digitization of commerce.  While there are still more dollars changing hands in physical stores than online the volume of digital transactions have mushroomed exponentially and the interaction at physical stores has changed as well.

There are many tools which are used in an office which become part of the underlying work flow without anyone really being aware.  In many cases these are software tools which have become inherently integrated into the daily work of many employees.  

If you think of the basic categories of software tools there are some which can be kind of generic, like your office suite for example, and some which become very industry and company specific. 

We have covered some of the ways that creative people have applied the technologies which have grown out of the early ventures in 3D printing in a number of articles over the past few years.  The concept continues to grow as more and more ways are found to apply the concept using different types of mediums as well as different kinds of tools to create the printed items.

When most of us think about printing we think of the process that started with Gutenberg and which has been refined over the centuries to permit fast, efficient and colourful information transfer.  Traditional printing ranges from a simple monochrome sheet to full feature coloured products including art work and magazines. 

Of course over the years it has been refined into wondrous advertising pieces with the processes using other substrates besides paper.  Vinyl, cloth, metal, wood, glass and many more surfaces have been used to receive the printed message and images.

In office environments we have seen the development of super fast, highly capability multifunction printers (MFP) which permit the rapid production and assembly of all kinds of printed documents and materials.  Wide format printers come in massive widths and permit the production of advertising materials which have radically changed the way that images and other information have been displayed and used.  Vehicle wraps are now common with every urban street experiencing all sorts of vehicles, especially transit buses, which showcase local and national brands and personalities.

3D Printing Adds More Dimension

Ever since Gutenberg created the first printing press, printing has been largely a two dimensional process.

With the advances of 3D printing a whole new range of possibilities have emerged which are radically impacting many industries and most notably differing elements of manufacturing.

A recent CNN Money article showcases how manufacturing has changed from the traditional industry we think of as a result of the introduction of 3D printing capabilities.  
While the article centres upon US experience similar experiences are occurring throughout the industrialized world including Canada.

The CNN article describes the experience of a new type of manufacturing worker:

"Andrew Rosa doesn't do back breaking work. His hands aren't swollen, blistered or greasy. He doesn't operate loud machines. He isn't in a labor union."  It describes how he works as part of a team which sets up, programs and manages 3D printed manufacturing which produces products faster, more efficiently and with less risk to workers than would have been possible in the past.

The company highlighted in this article is simply one of thousands which have adopted the capabilities of 3D production and who are revolutionizing industries.

The interesting part of 3D printing is how the processes used really do mimic traditional printing processes, where a product grouping, toner or ink usually, are layered upon a substrate to create an image of a message.

In 3D printing the same process is used only it is layered in multiple super think layers to create an eventual 3D product.  Of course where the real changes are occurring is in the printing "inks" that are being layered.  In early instances there were various forms of plastics which could be melted and extruded to create the layers needed.  

The CES show in Vegas is the annual event which sees much of the showcase for current and future trends in technology.  As its name implies (Consumer Electronics Show) the focus is at first on consumers but much of what appears here has implications for the commercial and business market as well.