Market research from Smithers Pira estimates that digital print’s share of the total market output has grown from 13.5% in 2014 to 17.4% in 2019 and will account for 21.1% in 2024, taking work from litho and other analogue technologies.
The report, The Future of Digital vs Offset Printing to 2024, suggests that global output, measured in terms of billions of A4 prints , will remain static over the period but that value will grow at a compound rate of 1.3% to reach US $862.7 billion. Digital print, and particularly inkjet, is said to be ‘an increasingly important and valuable part of the overall print market’ and that the further growth from this year will be driven by technical innovations and shifts in market demands. These will see digital print move into new sectors such as packaging and increase competitiveness on longer runs with via new generations of high throughput presses, while also offering new revenue streams for print service providers.
The report acknowledges that both analogue and digital print production are becoming more efficient, which drives down unit costs, while short-run print and associated finishing/converting processes improve supply chain efficiency. Key drivers that affect the demand for offset litho and digital print include rising global consumption thanks to population growth, urbanisation and the rise of a global middle class with discretionary spending power. Other factors include the effect of the internet on how people communicate and access information, and expectations in terms of speed of delivery, relevance and interactivity.
Sustainability and environmental impact are also growing concerns, while technology trends such as the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 are expected to enhance the productivity of print processes.
The Future of Digital vs Offset Printing to 2024 compares digital and offset litho printing over the period 2014–24 in publication, graphic and packaging applications. It looks at trends affecting the demand side of print and printed packaging over the decade, and reviews how print production and technology supply chains are responding. It is available now; Digital Printer readers may take advantage of a 10% discount by quoting the code DP19 and ordering by 30 September 2019.
