SGIA released the 2010 Market Trends Survey Report for the specialty imaging community.

“The survey shows strong evidence that specialty imagers are exploring new markets and opportunities as a way to bolster their businesses,” said Dan Marx, SGIA vice president of markets and technologies.

According to the U.S. report, about 71 percent of imagers agree that referrals are an effective way to attract new customers, while only about 3 percent rely on online directory listings for new business. To increase their competitive advantage in production, 37.6 percent of all imagers are adding finishing capabilities to their businesses—up from 29.1 percent in 2009.

The survey concludes that retail (direct and indirect through ad agencies) continues to be the leading market for graphic imagers (75.7 percent).