Writing A New-quality 'seal' Power, High-quality Development Of Beijing's Printing Industry

From the ink fragrance of millennium-old woodblock prints to the dazzling flow of intelligent production lines; from the tempering of 'lead and fire' to the integration of 'numbers and intelligence.' Printing, this ancient yet ever-renewing craft, is now radiating unprecedented vitality. Facing a new wave of industrial transformation, Beijing's printing industry is using 'digital intelligence empowerment' as its engine and 'green printing for the future' as its base color, accelerating the cultivation of new productive forces, and composing a new chapter of high-quality development in the journey of serving and safeguarding the core functions of the capital.

Digital intelligence creates a new industrial ecosystem

"People often understand printing as mass replication, large-scale industrial production, but our printing service model is personalized and customized, starting from just one copy, flexible production," said a representative from Beijing Jiexun Jiacai Printing Co., Ltd.

'Starting from one copy' is more than a slogan; it is a complete service system. From a designer's independent portfolio to a newlywed couple's wedding album; from fifty product manuals urgently needed by a startup to artistically crafted print reproductions - these 'small orders,' which were difficult to find printers for in the past, have now become Jiexun Jiacai's main battlefield.

'Minimum order quantity' was once a high wall between small and medium clients and personalized demands. Printing thresholds ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands made it difficult to meet small batch demands like personal albums, corporate customized manuals, or product packaging. Clients were either rejected due to insufficient print volume or forced to bear printing costs far exceeding their actual needs. But Jiexun Jiacai, by integrating digital printing technology with intelligent production processes, controls the cost of single-piece printing within a range acceptable to clients, achieving 'customized on-demand, instant response.'

Beijing's printing companies are now taking digitalization as a core element to reconstruct the entire chain of production processes, service models, and industrial ecosystem.

Digital Printing Workshop of Beijing Jianhong Printing Co., Ltd. Photo: Keyin Media

Beijing Jianhong Printing Co., Ltd. began a comprehensive digital transformation in 2012, evolving from a traditional factory into a full-process digital enterprise. The company independently developed a complete system, integrating technologies such as the internet and cloud computing, connecting data channels with publishers and e-commerce platforms, enabling non-standard book production with the concept of "printing from a single copy, each copy different." This allows new retail models of books, such as print-on-demand and selling before printing, to be realized. "We cater to users' small-batch and customized needs. A single newspaper can be printed in dozens of copies, and books can be printed starting from one copy; books coming off the production line can each be different," said Wang Zhiqiang, Deputy General Manager of Jianhong Printing.

Green and Low-Carbon Transform the Industry

Green development has become the foundation for the high-quality growth of Beijing's printing industry. In recent years, the printing industry in Beijing has continuously improved its green development policy system, collaboratively promoting carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth. The Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee has specifically set up the "Beijing Publishing and Printing Enterprises Green Development Incentive Fund," focusing on supporting the green and intensive development of Beijing's publishing and printing enterprises.

Xu Xianshun, General Manager of Beijing Lianxing Shengye Printing Co., Ltd., stated that the green and environmentally-friendly practices of Beijing's printing industry have been systematically promoted for more than a decade. Today, it has not only become an industry norm but also a deeply ingrained conscious pursuit. "The environmental standards we implement are even stricter than international standards," Xu Xianshun said.

Distributed photovoltaic power station built by Beijing Topstar Century Printing Co., Ltd. Photo: Koyin Media

Since 2016, Beijing Topstar Century Printing Co., Ltd. has constructed a distributed photovoltaic power generation system in three phases, achieving an annual electricity generation of about 2 million kWh and an annual carbon reduction of over a thousand tons. Currently, the company continues to invest tens of millions of yuan every year in green technology upgrades. By fully adopting LED lighting, implementing centralized ink, gas, and humidification management, as well as measures such as recycling plate-making solutions and ink rollers for cooling, the company has effectively gained "green profits."

After more than a decade of exploration, Beijing Hualian Printing Co., Ltd. has established a full-chain green management model of "source reduction, process control, end-of-pipe treatment, and inspection & testing." During the product development phase, the company focuses on carbon reduction, creating green products through low-ink design, reducing plastic use, and adopting simple binding methods. Since the establishment of its energy performance assessment system in 2015, the company has built an energy management platform to achieve digital energy management, continuously improving its ESG capabilities.