And with vinyl records comes jackets and record sleeves – a foreign concept to many of today’s music fans but an opportunity for Print companies in America, as they watch the trend crossing the pond, to be a part of the nostalgia.
"Record companies are looking at how they can increase value to compensate for falling sales and they have found they can do that through vinyl – through the Packaging and what they include in the products, they can charge more," explained Neil Gibbons of Key Production, a recording industry print brokerage.
Florence print companies read with interest an article recently in Print Week in which UK print company Senol Printing was featured. Senol, which has been around for 50 years, is optimistic because the music market now demands high-end products with custom finishes and superior quality print – areas where the margins are.
"Everyone is constantly looking for an angle to make them unique," spokesperson Jacqui Gunn explained to Print Week. "This tends to mean die-cutting, foil-blocking and other techniques aimed at really pushing the boundaries and creating a high-end product."
Gunn said her company produces the album sleeves on litho machines. However, last year Senol moved into digital print with a Konica Minolta C550.
"Traditionally, we are litho printers, but with the runs getting smaller and smaller it made sense to move into digital for the seven-inch market, where we can produce short runs more cost effectively yet to the same quality," she said.
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