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The role of commercial printing is ever present in this day and age of business in terms of how and how well it is able to work for the good and added benefits of business. Commercial printers continue to expand their role as print service providers to no end of businesses and in fact businesses large and small in terms of size. The printing industry includes establishments primarily engaged in printing text and images on to paper, metal, glass, and some apparel and other materials. Printing can be divided into three distinct stages: prepress, the preparation of materials for printing; press or output, the actual printing process; and postpress or finishing, the folding, binding, and trimming of printed sheets into their final form. Companies that provide all three services first prepare the material for printing in the prepress printing department, then produce the pages on the pressroom floor, and finally trim, bind, or otherwise ready the material for distribution in the postpress department. Increasingly, printers also are providing database management, mailing, or distribution services to meet customer needs. A wide range of products are produced in the printing industry. In addition to magazines, books, and some small newspapers, other examples of printed products include direct mail, labels, manuals, and marketing material. Less obvious printed goods include memo pads, business order forms, checks, maps, T-shirts, and packaging. The industry also includes establishments that provide quick printing of documents for the consumer or support services, such as prepress, embossing, binding, print finishing, and mailing. Quick printing is the industry's third largest segment in terms of the number of jobs and is the industry's second largest segment in terms of number of establishments. Used mostly by small businesses and households, quick printing establishments use a variety of printing and copying methods for projects that have short runs and require quick turnaround. Many of these establishments have expanded into other office-related services, such as offering shipping and selling office supplies to satisfy the small business user.
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