Print may not be dead, but it has certainly been crippled by the advent of technology. The print industry has been struggling to keep up with the pace of technology, but it has proven difficult to keep up with a media that is undergoing constant change. Technology may not be the outright enemy of the print industry, however, as it can be used to breathe new life into books. Augmented reality can accomplish this feat and as the print industry grows more comfortable with using the technology it understands the merits of combining both mediums.
Between Page and Screen is the latest example of cooperation between print and technology. The book is a collection of poems from Amaranth Borsuk, a poet and scholar based in Massachusetts. Brad Bouse, a technology developer, helped construct the book’s augmented reality features. Within the book are not words but simple, blocky images that, when seen through the camera of a smart phone or other such device, brings the pages to life. Readers experience each poem as a virtual display rather than simple words etched on a page.
Augmented reality holds a great deal of potential for various industries. For the print industry, however, it may mean the difference between longevity and obsolescence. As more publishers grow aware of the technology, they will likely incorporate augmented reality into their business plans for the future.
