Ricoh demonstrates clickable paper at Drupa 2012

For this, the company has teamed up with a leading web-to-print service provider PTI Marketing Technologies.

Clickable Paper technology is applicable to any kind of printed media such as newspapers, magazines, direct mail, books, brochures and posters. All types of digital information or services can be linked including multi-media content, web sites, e-commerce services and social networks.

This technology is relevant to commercial printers, in-plant users and publishers, as it has the potential to empower them to provide rich cross-media content to their customers. Consumers will be able to instantly recognise a clickable page with an easily identifiable logo.

The Clickable Paper demonstration includes a mobile app and authoring process that links on-line content to any segment or hotspot of the printed media. The smartphone is pointed at an area of interest within a printed medium, the captured image is recognised, the hotspot is identified and the relevant content is presented to the user.

"Clickable Paper is an exciting new development in cross-media services," commented Coleman Kane, CEO of PTI. “Integrating the authoring process into our MarcomCentral platform will provide customers with a simple and elegant means of adding value to their printed media."

Clickable Paper will be demonstrated at Drupa on a variety of printed media, including a preview version of the new book, PrecisionMarketing, authored by Ricoh's Sandra Zoratti, which examines real-world implementations and benefits of precision marketing. The clickable hotspots will take readers to related videos, experts’ blogposts, and industry reports that provide greater in-depth informationfor the reader

"We are delighted to demonstrate this exciting new cross-media technology at Drupa," said Sam Hosoe, executive vice president, production print marketing centre, Ricoh. "Clickable Paper exemplifies Ricoh's theme of Print And Beyond, an innovative technology providing a tremendous opportunity to build new services and added value to ourcustomers."

The underlying technology of Clickable Paper is Ricoh Visual Search developed at Ricoh Innovations, (RII), a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary of Ricoh Company, which develops innovative technologies and new business opportunities for Ricoh.

"Ricoh Visual Search is based on many years of research and covered by more than 50 patents granted or pending," added Dr Nikhil Balram, president and CEO of RII. "This is an industry-leading technology and we are pleased to support its use in the Clickable Paper service."