It’s a common belief that digital is going to completely replace the analogic, in any field possible: analogue cameras are difficult to find, streaming movies and TV series are winning against DVDs and more and more people are adopting the ebook reading, abandoning the printed books.
I personally think that we live in a revolutionary world, where the newest model of the latest technologic innovation hasn’t even settled its place in daily human use, when, before we even realise it, it is replaced by an even better version.
If print was invented tomorrow, it would be the death of digital.
Vaughan Oliver
I think this brilliant quote from the British graphic designer is simply expressing the truth. I have many reasons to believe that paper is still a solid, valid element that is going to stick with our lives for many, many centuries.
1. It’s better for your eyes
Let’s be honest: despite all the great inventions to make the kindles less harmful for your eyes, reading from paper will always be a healthier behaviour. Always.
Yes, of course the ebooks are now extremely comfortable for your eyes. But never enough. Never as much as real paper.
2. It’s easier to give away
Pamphlets, flyers, invites or brochures, giving them away to passer-bys will always be faster than sending the digital version to them, mainly for the simple reason that you need to ask them for a mail contact. And not everyone is willing to give their email address to a random stranger.
3. It’s child friendly
I think we can all agree about the fact that giving a tablet to a toddler is not always ideal: it’s bad for their eyes and we get them immeditely used to this self-hypnotising magic that we dive into everyday. Printed books specifically designed for children are colorful, fun to read and most importantly to browse through.
4. It’s most likely to be kept
How many pictures, emails and messages are you recieving each day? How far away do you have to browse through your phone gallery to find an image that was sent to you just three days ago? If you gave the standard answer to these questions you’ll quickly realise that the invite you sent two weeks ago is probably already lost in your recipient’s gallery. If you are giving them a printed flyer, instead, they’ll probably keep it on their table, in their wallet or hanged on their fridge, havingi it constantly under their eyes. Accordingly, they’ll remember what you are advertising.
5. You can play with it
Have you ever read those peculiar books with transparent pages, holes between them or made of different materials? If you did, you will surely remember, because that’s a wonderful way to take advantage of this wonderful, versatile material that is paper.
These are the main 5 reasons why I still believe in printed paper, but I can assure you that I would have so many more to write down.
I mainly work in printed graphic design, such as books and magazines layout, brochures and catalogues, busines cards and flyers, first of all because it still is a strong communication tool, but most importantly because it’s my favourite thing to do!
Ginevra Scialpi 