Technology now allows paper- based
communications to be interactive.
Stephen Palmer, head of production printing, Ricoh UK and IrelandRicoh Clickable Paper has been awarded Best Valuable Innovation by the European Digital Press Association (EDP). It was voted for by the 20 member magazines which represent more than one million readers interested in digital printing trends in EMEA.
The technology makes paper- based communications interactive due to its ability to provide immediate one-touch access to up to six different online resources such as video/multimedia, web sites, e-commerce portals and social networks by providing easy access to digital rich media via a smartphone or tablet.
In essence, it allows publishers and advertisers to incorporate interactive ‘hot spots’ on to a printed page in order to drive readers to seek additional information about any type of product or service.
Although the Clickable Paper logo can be printed on any printed page to inform the reader that the images are hot spots for more interaction, the technology doesn’t require visible marks of any kind on printed materials, so there is no need to design around a barcode that can detract from a document’s appearance.
Stephen Palmer, head of production printing, Ricoh UK and Ireland, said, “Clickable Paper’s ability to provide immediate one-touch access to multiple online resources such as photos, video/multimedia, web sites, e-commerce portals and social networks makes it hugely attractive for businesses looking for ways to add value to the printed page. We are delighted that the EDP recognises the added value Clickable Paper brings to professional print operations, providing their clients with more creative ways to increase the effectiveness of print.”
Ricoh maintain that Clickable Paper is a powerful, interactive print solution that bridges the online and offline worlds and is available for print services providers, agencies, publishers, brand owners and other organisations to make paper-based communications interactive. With its ability to give direct access to up to six different online resources, it can deliver additional value to readers by providing easy access to digital rich media via a smartphone or tablet. This functionality can be critical when it comes to developing an effective interactive print campaign that drives readers to take action or seek additional information. It also provides tracking of these activities to publishers and advertisers.
Clickable Paper is based on Ricoh Visual Search image recognition technology, one of a number of innovative technologies that Ricoh continues to develop and bring to market. The company pointed out that Clickable Paper is more secure than QR codes, and permits the repurposing of already printed materials without marking, editing or reformatting the source documents. Hotspots are used to link to rich media from related authored content, user contributed social information or calls to action such as tweets, maps, calls and emails.
The accolade follows two other high profile awards presented to Clickable Paper recently. It won the 2013 Graph Expo Must See ‘ems Award in the U.S. and the French Xplor Grand Jury Award for Innovation. The Xplor jury selected Clickable Paper based on how Ricoh and the luxury watch manufacturer, Bell and Ross, created a customised app to add impact to the launch of a new ceramic watch.
For further information, please visit www.ricoh.ie
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