Why Print Matters in a Digital Age

In our digital age, you really don’t have to use print or pen and paper for anything. You can send out invitations online, you can friend someone on social media instead of handing them a business card, and you can even manage your whole schedule and your to-do list online.

For some people running every aspect of their lives online works, but for many of us, the digital versions of these essential print products lose something significant in the translation. Even with the hundreds of productivity apps available, the trend for bullet journals and printed planners is bigger than ever, a business card often works better than a LinkedIn connection, and wedding guests will gush about the physical wedding invitations they received.

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Here are 5 reasons why, even in a digital age, print matters more than ever before.  

1. Print Shows You Care

When you decide to have something printed to send out to friends and family or clients, it shows them that you’ve put time and thought into what you’re sending them. The immediacy of email means it is worth less to us – when we receive mail (especially mail we can tell isn’t a bill!) we have to pause to open it, see what it is, and we know that someone took the time to design and print it long before it makes its way to you.

2. Print is Exciting

If physical mail isn’t a bill, it is exciting. We’re used to ordering everything online, but that also means that we’re accustomed to waiting eagerly for our purchases to arrive on our doorstep. Unexpected mail is always a great surprise and makes the person receiving it feel special. We all know that emails can be carelessly sent out to the masses (hence why our spam folders are always full) but print can’t. If someone is going to spend the time and money designing, printing, and sending something out, it’s got to be worth something.

3. Print Can't Be Missed

How often do you check and clear out your email inbox? If you’re lucky you might be able to clear it, but for those of us who have multiple email addresses for work, side projects, and personal, it is a lot to keep on top of. If an email title doesn’t grab us or stand out as being something special, our eyes may simply scan over it or automatically delete it without a second thought. An email invitation can be missed but a physical invitation in our mailbox can’t.

4. Print Evokes Emotion

Receiving something in the mail awakens that childlike excitement of getting something sent to you in the mail and immediately evokes an emotional response. A thank you email may let someone know that you’re grateful, but a thank you card in the mail plucks at the heartstrings. It shows you haven’t just remembered to send a thank you, but that you are genuinely thankful and moved by what that person did for you.

5. Print is Best for Branding and Themes

Whether you’re planning a business event or a wedding, you likely have a brand or theme you are creating or using for your event. While there is a lot you can do for a business’s brand online, print is where you can really ensure your brand stays front and center in your customers’ and clients’ mind. Provide business cards for interested people at events or on the counter at your store, and wear branded clothing items to help potential and current clients better remember who you are and what you do. For weddings, your invitation is your first chance to show your guests what aesthetic you have chosen for your wedding and set the tone for the whole event.

Print isn’t just surviving in a digital age – it’s thriving. If you’re ready to design a business card, send a heartfelt thank you note, or design your wedding invitations, we’d love to help. You can contact us here - Contact