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Printed books remain in high demand, study shows

Research on American readers has shown that, despite the emergence of e-books, bookworms prefer to bury themselves in the traditional printed form.



According to the Pew Research Center, statistics for 2012 show that 60% of Americans read printed books, compared to just 23% reading e-books. While some people have turned completely to reading electronically, they are also a healthy number swearing that they will never give the conventional ink and paper book.



The researchers also found that more Americans aged under 30 read at least one printed book a year than those over 30, suggesting that younger readers are still more accustomed to the classic format.



With environmental matters being a heavy focus of the industry, recent green measures have shown the industry to be highly adaptable. Many books are printed on demand, thus avoiding a backlog of unsold books and the waste of materials resulting from it. Print on demand does not cost the consumer any more money and can be sent to the purchaser within days.



Other ways in which book printing has become more environmentally sensitive include the printing on recycled paper and reusing any scrap paper, using paper created from alternative or more easily replenished sources, integrating digital printing presses with chemical free toners, cutting down on the number of colors or fonts used, and disposing of any solvents in a responsible way.



Most printing companies have either created their own standards for becoming more environmentally sustainable, or follow ones set up by the industry as a whole.