Web-to-print systems support creativity and promote standardization

Web-to-print systems offer a simple and cost-effective way to create, customize and personalize print products such as business cards, flyers or brochures to a very high degree for specific target groups or even individual customers. However, there are often concerns that these systems restrict creative freedom, as the print products are based on standardized, web-based templates. Creativity and standardization do not have to be at odds with each other. Instead, they can complement each other and lead to sustainable success. Standardized solutions can support creative ideas by enabling efficient and repeatable processes.

Web-to-print systems also enable collaboration across different areas of the company, allowing key aspects from different perspectives to flow into the development and provision of the desired templates. They therefore support the creation, editing and distribution of creative print products for numerous communication tasks in different areas of the company. And thanks to the “digitalized” collaboration between all parties involved, web-to-print systems help to reduce paper consumption for interim coordination and final checks, for example, in the interests of sustainability.

Web-to-print systems must be designed to be user-friendly in two respects so that they can also be used efficiently and effectively by users without specialist knowledge. On the one hand, the developers of such systems should ensure that the graphical user interfaces are suitable for use, e.g. through visual editors (WYSIWYG) and interactive help functions, and on the other hand, the designers should reduce the complexity of the required print templates as much as possible or structure and document the templates in a comprehensible way for all users and use cases.

Web-to-print systems use advanced technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence to provide advanced functions such as automated design adjustments and integrated workflows. Especially in the area of automated design adaptations, templates for different, media-specific formats can be produced more cost-efficiently; in this respect, the term web-to-print, with its obvious focus on print products, was extended some time ago with the term web-to-publish to make it clear that such systems can also serve screen and online media.

Web-to-print systems can be integrated to a high degree into existing IT landscapes and systems. Interfaces to extensive enterprise content management systems and specific product information systems are now standard and enable seamless collaboration and further automation of processes.