Transactional printing is generally defined as the production of documents necessary for the ordinary transaction of business. Very few of these documents are alike. In fact, there is a wide range of diversity of transactional print applications.

At the low end of this range is a category called 'Informational' transactional documents. These printed pieces include correspondence, contracts, privacy statements, proposals, receipts, healthcare benefits, and insurance policies. Because cost efficiency and turnaround are critical here, Informational documents are often printed on laser printer or monochrome (black and white) copiers.

Next up in this range is a category called 'Critical' transactional documents. Here, the applications include checks, credit card statements, government correspondence, insurance bills, telecom statements, utility bills, and other invoices. These materials are primarily printed in monochrome, but some color is added where technologies and economies of scale permit.

Finally, at the far end of the scale is a group called 'Added Value' transactional documents. These include coupons, financial portfolio reports, investment statements, loyalty program materials, and retirement plan statements. These documents tend to be more color intensive and therefore are expensive to produce.

Looking at the three segments above, you might see the color seems to play an increasing role when cost efficiency is less important then communications effectiveness/impact, client value, and promotional/marketing messaging.

New technological breakthroughs in high-speed cut-sheet inkjet printing now allow users to add full color to critical and informational documents for about the same cost as what conventional monochrome printers cost. For information on this new technology, visit www.newinkjet.com