51 March / April 2025 - Issue 353 www.printmonthly.co.uk AI IN PRINT to be tested and adopted. “The widespread discussion around AI often leads to unrealistic expectations regarding its capabilities and potential labour savings”, they say. “While both generative AI and machine learning offer significant opportunities, expectations need to be managed realistically.” The Keypoint team also highlight reliability as another concern with the current capabilities of AI technology, saying: “Developing AI-driven proof-of-concept projects can be quick and impressive, but ensuring consistent, reliable performance in production environments is far more complex. Print production demands consistent quality, which can pose challenges for AI-driven solutions.” The major point that the organisation stresses is allowing time for these technologies to be developed, refined, and adopted by the wider industry. “Adopting AI requires a cultural shift”, they assert. “The printing industry has historically been slow to change, and integrating AI will impact job roles and how software is used. “Unlike traditional systems, AI-driven solutions are more about management than direct operation, requiring time for adaptation. Ensuring data accuracy and quality is another challenge, as AI systems depend on structured and reliable data inputs. Over-reliance on AI could also reduce human oversight, increasing the risk of undetected errors.” Keypoint stress that further investment is needed to ensure the continued refinement of the technology. “The rapid evolution of AI technologies and vendors demands ongoing investment in updates and staff training to keep pace with advancements and evolving business requirements”, they comment. However, unlike Ben-Dor’s opinion that there is an ongoing hesitance of print companies to adopt AI technologies, Keypoint is optimistic, highlighting the speed at which it is being utilised in comparison to previous technological innovations. A research project from Keypoint, which asked industry professionals to answer questions about their adoption of the technology, found that nearly all respondents indicated some level of AI adoption within their operations. The most common applications were in graphic design, with over 30% of respondents already using AI in their operations and over 40% saying they would adopt it within two years. “One of the most notable findings is the enthusiasm print service providers have for adopting AI”, the organisation says. “The print industry has traditionally been slow to embrace change, with the transition from offset to digital, including true personalisation using variable data, taking decades. “Even the shift to colour printing required extensive marketing efforts emphasising its impact on attention, retention, learning, and response. Despite this history, printers are now showing strong interest in AI technology while it remains in its early stages of development.” In Keypoint’s opinion, this interest indicates that print companies recognise AI’s potential to enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve customer engagement. “The industry's positive outlook on AI suggests a continued upward trajectory in adoption”, they say, “with vendors likely to develop more AI-driven solutions to meet evolving demands.” Giving an insight into the further development to expect in AI in the coming years, Keypoint highlights a wide range of likely advancements. “Future growth areas include customer service, operational analytics, job scheduling, business development, sales, and variable data printing (VDP) campaigns.” So, while AI may already feel like an embedded part of modern print advancements, it would seem that many more innovations are on the way. Room to Build and to Grow Software companies such as Antigro Designer have been utilising generative AI tools as part of their products for some time. For Bobby Grauf, head of business development (EMEA) at Antigro Designer, there are many notable uses of the technology. “AI enables automation, cost savings, improvements in quality, and most importantly for us at Antigro Designer, innovative personalisation and customisation,” he says. Antigro uses AI to enhance the design features of a range of its software tools. This includes the generation of sticker designs in its Sticker Builder technology, smart-cropping and image placement in its photobooks customisation tool, and generating custom-shaped pillows in its strategic Try&Buy initiative designed for businesses entering the personalisation sector. Grauf continues: “For us, it’s all about creating tools that let consumers focus on creativity while AI takes care of the technical details.” The company have made generative AI technology a particular focus, utilising it to add to its arsenal of customisation tools designed for ease-of-use by print customers. Grauf explains: “Most important for us at Antigro Designer are the capabilities of generative AI, a form of artificial intelligence that can create text, images, and other content based on the data it is trained on. “This is really powerful in customisation applications, enabling faster innovation in design, increasing customisability, enhancing the value of print, and ultimately boosting profitability and revenue for print service providers.” There may be a hesitance from some to rely upon AI-generated images for printable designs. Many will point to the flaws, artefacts, and other bugs of generated media, although these issues seem to be reducing over time. However, a recent blind test conducted by Astral Star Codex asked 11,000 participants to compare artworks, a number of which were AI-generated. The survey found that those taking part incorrectly distinguished between AI images and human art 40% of the time. Most interestingly, the blind survey found that participants slightly preferred The size of the AI market is expected to reach £20.68bn in 2030, rising from £4.63bn in 2024, according to data from Statista £20.68bn ▲ Bobby Grauf, head of business development (EMEA) at Antigro Designer
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