The State of the Printing Industry: What Exactly is Going On?

It’s no secret that the after effects of the pandemic have hit manufacturers hard. In 2021, material and labor shortages made it difficult for print industries to see real growth. This is expected to continue through 2022 due to inflation, which has led consumers to put limits on their spending and companies increasing costs.

Materials are in shorter supply, leading to price increases or temporary pauses in production. This has led companies to remove print options temporarily or increase their pricing. We’re still not sure how persistent inflation will affect the printing industry for the rest of 2022, but printing companies have had to brainstorm alternative strategies for growth – mainly focusing on increased productivity, alternative resources, and an introduction of new equipment and products.

One of these strategies has been increasing pricing across the board. This isn’t unexpected since inflation has touched almost every market. Materials are more expensive to print or are in shorter supply. According to the Printing United Alliance/NAPCO Research State of the Industry Series, its first quarter survey of 2022 showed that 88.2% of the print industry expects operating costs to increase, with inflation not slowing down any time soon.

What does this mean for you as a consumer?

You’ve probably already witnessed the effects of inflation in your day-to-day lives, and the printing industry is no different. It is essentially unavoidable. If you are preparing to self-publish your book in 2022, it’s important to plan more ahead of time than you’re maybe used to. Preparing early can help you avoid any unexpected delays or material shortages.

48 Hour Books has been able to continue business throughout the pandemic without any slowing of production or shipping. We continue to prioritize efficiency and delivering a quality product. We’ve also made updates to machines to ensure we’re keeping up with the latest technology and providing a high-quality product, consistently. You may notice that certain special print options may be out of stock temporarily, mainly paper options. There is a global paper shortage, so if we are out of a particular stock of paper, we will alert customers via our online cost calculator/ order form.

We’re Here to Help

If you have any questions or concerns before printing your book, please reach out to us. We’re ready to help you every step of the way. If you have a strict need-by date, let us know ahead of time so we can make sure you hit your deadline. We still print paperback books in just 2 business days, so you can feel confident we will continue to deliver a high-quality product, on-schedule. Contact us today inquire about printing your book!