Click here for photos from the event.
Romano gave a presentation on the future of the printed product and print production to about 100 industry figures at the Fuji Xerox epicentre in Sydney on 14 February.
He said that while customers no longer saw value in printed sheets alone, they were prepared to pay a premium for quality finishing or pre-press services.
According to US data, revenue from pre-press and post-press services more than quadrupled between 1997 and 2008.
"People sense value in the finished product but they don't see value in print."
He half-joked that printers were to blame for lowering the perceived value of quality printing by giving plant tours and showing customers how automated the process had become. "Make it look hard," he said.
The ProPrint columnist said it was time printers started educating clients on how long it took to amend flawed submissions from designers – and then charge accordingly.
Larger established printers were typically slow to take advantage of the opportunities of new technology, he said – a trend that was currently being repeated in the packaging sector.
"The flexo guys will put off getting into digital in the same way that commercial printers put off getting into digital and let the quick printers and copy shops get in there."
The key for printing guaranteeing a prosperous future is in "finding a place where there's no other competitor", Romano said.
He predicted magazines and newspapers would continue losing market share to online rivals, while books would increasingly be replaced by e-books.
However, packaging would remain strong as it had no natural competitor.
He also said he had "high hopes for the catalogue market" as the only way in which marketing could be targeted to every resident in a particular area was through a printed product rather than email.
Romano, who doesn't like to fly, is in Australia as he slowly travels by cruise ship to Germany, where he will attend his 10th Drupa.
He is due to speak in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne during his Australian stay.
There are a few places left for the Melbourne presentation on 5 March. Email Kirsty.Sinclair@aus.fujixerox.com for more details.
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