The Print Publishing Renaissance: Why Print Books Are Making a Comeback

Print media was the first form of communication used as mass media for disseminating information. Print media offers a platform for advertising and promotion of various products. 

Print media is beneficial to impact the minds of the readers with more comprehensive reporting and analysis. Since the contrivance of the Gutenberg printing press in 1440, the printed word has endured for a long time. It has lived on as a communications medium through the blossoming of newspapers, radio, TV, mobile, the web, and social media.

Although print is undoubtedly declining in some areas – such as print advertising and newspaper publishing – the desire of people for tangible results in the comeback of traditional media. It is becoming increasingly noticeable that print has something of a twenty-first-century Renaissance.

Print media, especially printed books, have been expanding, and this trend will endure into the future. Credibility, durability, and tangibility offered by print media to form an emotional connection cannot be replicated by a screen.

Table of Contents: 

• Why Return to the Traditional Media?
• Delving Deep Into the Primary Reasons for the Want of In-Hand Books
   1. Procurement 
   2. Emotional Connectivity 
   3. Tangibility 
   4. Better Learning
• Conclusion

Why Return to the Traditional Media? 

Significantly, large amounts of books are printed each year by traditional publishers and distributed further. Experts study this figure to be between 500,000 to 1 million every twelve months.

However, these are just industry publishers. If we expand the reach to self-published titles, the figure would rise to around 4 million, a noticeable figure even when considering the boost in the sales of Books during the Covid-19 time period. 

During lockdown and social curbs, the requirements for tangible book publications led to increased comparison to eBook publishing services. Furthermore, based on a research study, only 6% of the adults in the U.S.A. read eBooks, whereas a whopping 38% read printed books.

Thus, this serves as sufficient proof that print media has not lost its significance to eBook publishing services. It is slowly evolving, gaining steady popularity each day, and is even better than any digital content. 

Also Read: The Emotional Connection with Print: How Books Impact Readers’ Experience?

Delving Deep into the Primary Reasons for the Want of In-Hand Books

No matter how much ease digital communication and media provide, it can never outdo the comfort of printed books. An eBook can never match the uniqueness of ink on paper. Let us see how:

1. Procurement

While reading printed books, there is the highest range of engagement with fuller attention and fewer distractions. It also helps us disconnect for a while from the forever-active social world.

Studies have proven that our brain retains more information in enhanced format when reading from ink on paper than from eBooks, especially during skim reading. It is so because this deep reading enables more comprehensive thinking.

Moreover, used books retain their worth, which allows readers to recover some of the expenses by reselling them once they have completed them, which is not the case for digital media. 

2. Emotional Connectivity

Readers tend to trust the printed page over anything else. Moreover, a targeted and significant print can have power and impart eminence. Online media is more invasive than print. We perceive it as more trustworthy, especially in the climate of fake news.

The printed page, a communication medium, builds an emotional connection not possible with a screen. There are fewer chances of distraction since reading via print books causes no interruptions. The chances of such distractions increase manifold when consuming eBooks or while tablet browsing.

Also, saving electricity is an added benefit since print books do not require batteries, chargers, or even the internet. Print books are everything one needs when searching for peace and solitude. 

3. Tangibility

Instead of staring at a device, most collegegoers still prefer to get the feel of a book in their hands. In surveys, they often report how they enjoy the smell of books, turning the pages, and even scribbling notes in the margins – which is not at all possible with an eBook.

Few think that a large book collection signifies intelligent individuals. Owning a dedicated book stack reminds serious learners or lifelong students of the bulk of their accomplishments. While learning, many readers write in the margins of their books. This kind of notation is not as successful on eBooks.

4. Better Learning 

Absorbing information via books is always easier for readers than from digital media. The pandemic resulted in a surge in video call usage, increasing the screen time for people, be it adults or students. However, as stated earlier, research proves better learning and information retention with tangible books than from a digitized source like computers or tablets.

Readers naturally feel they have progressed better when reading from printed media, as they can gauge their progress by viewing the read portion. Moreover, the level of satisfaction that they achieve is not comparable to eBooks.

Additionally, the blue light emitted from the screens of devices adds to the stress and weakens the eyesight of the readers, which causes adverse health issues like fatigue and headaches. 

Also Read: How to Design Eye-Catching Book Covers for Print Publishing in 2024!

Conclusion

It is not a mere accident that print media is seen as an authentic, trustworthy, and reliable source of information when data available on digital platforms have their credibility questioned.

Paper-based and physical marketing material, journalism, and information are necessary for every communications and marketing strategy. It is no coincidence that online information, despite being powerful and engaging channels, printed media is progressively seen by the public as more original and stable.

New trends are adopted, creating more opportunities for printers and permitting them to meet all the different demands of readers and publishers. Let us witness the comeback of print media with Hurix Digital, where we provide top-notch print-on-demand services and also help you with a range of publishing solutions.

So what are you waiting for? Contact us today!