This paper is intended to provide an experience-based, real world guideline for anyone intending to define and develop digital printer products. Digital printers are complex systems, and it is well known that the development of these products requires a complete range of skills encompassing the technical disciplines of hardware design, software, process physics, materials engineering etc. These skills and disciplines are formally taught to engineers and technologists. However, the process used to develop the printer product, which can significantly affect the time to market and the market acceptance of the product, is less well known, and cannot be legislated or prescribed with certainty. Many of the key elements of a good development process have been learned by experience and trial and error. There is no single process that is right for all products, companies or situations, but all effective product development processes share some common principles. This presentation defines the significant key principles that are necessary to successfully implement a complex digital printer product development process. Success is defined as meeting or exceeding the priorities of product cost, schedule and performance (quality).