Using Animation to Expand Web-to-Print into Digital Displays

Tessa du Plooy

Web-to-print is evolving beyond physical output. Many print products now form part of wider campaigns that include digital touchpoints such as in-store screens, advertising boards, menu displays, and promotional signage. As this shift continues, buyers expect their designs to work consistently across both print and digital environments.

Animation makes this possible without changing how print products are created, previewed, or approved. It adds a new output channel that builds on existing designs rather than replacing them. A static print layout can be reused as animated content for a digital display, allowing messages to rotate, highlight offers, or draw attention in ways that print alone cannot achieve.

This is particularly relevant for marketing portals. These platforms are designed to help teams order approved materials quickly and correctly. When animation is available as an additional output, the same portal can support printed posters, digital signage, and in-store screens from a single source. Brand rules remain enforced. Visual consistency is maintained. Teams do not need to request separate marketing assets or involve additional design teams for digital adaptations.

Animation also fits naturally into environments where content needs to change frequently. Retail screens, menu boards, and promotional displays often require regular updates. Using the same design logic for both print and digital reduces duplication and speeds up execution. Updates happen once and apply across channels.

With Printess, animation is treated as a supplementary output to compliment the print product. Accuracy stays central to the workflow. Animation simply allows approved designs to be rendered in motion-based formats where movement adds value.

For print providers, this opens up new commercial opportunities. For marketing agencies, multi-location retailers or franchises, this creates one system to control & order all marketing collateral. Digital displays become part of the web-to-print offering rather than a separate service. For buyers, it reduces effort and improves consistency across campaigns.

Animation does not change what web-to-print is good at. It expands where and how those designs can be used.