The Future of Digital vs Offset Printing to 2027

Table of Contents Key Facts and Figures

In 2017 the analogue print industry was worth $734.5 billion; by 2027 this market is expected to be worth $721.4 billion. Digital print in 2017 was worth $122.9 billion, and is expected to reach $189.8 billion by 2027. Between 2022 and 2027 the analogue printing industry is expected to witness a growth rate of 0.8%. The digital printing industry is expected to witness a growth rate of 5.7%.

This report examines how competing printing techniques contend for market share. While printing shorter runs is cheaper for digital printers, longer runs are more economical for offset presses; turnaround time is quicker for digital printing, while offset presses take much longer to complete jobs. Colour quality and consistency for offset is perfect each time, whereas for digital there is always a chance there will be a glitch in the toner cartridge. This report looks at trends affecting the demand side of print and printed packaging over this five-year period, and reviews how print production and technology supply chains are responding to these trends.

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Analysis of the main drivers behind changes in the demand profiles in the market over time
The key technology advances in both analogue and digital printing technology – covering hardware, consumables and software
An in-depth investigation into how different printing techniques are affecting 11 different printed products.

What will you discover?

How the offset and digital markets interact with each other; the report provides an in-depth investigation into the relationship between digital and offset printing
Analysis of the differing print techniques and how they are ebbing and flowing in use throughout the industry
The issues and trends the print market is facing, and the subsequent impact upon print techniques.

The Smithers methodology
This report is based on extensive primary and secondary research. Primary research consisted of targeted interviews with material suppliers, converters and experts drawn from key markets. This was supported by secondary research in the form of extensive literature analysis of published data, official government statistics, domestic and international trade organisation data, company websites, industry reports, trade press articles, presentations, and attendance at trade events.

Who should buy this report?

Raw material producers
Inks and consumable producers
Print converters
Print equipment producers
Independent consultants and analysts

About the author
Jon Harper Smith has close to 40 years’ experience in the printing industry through his time working with Fujifilm and has extensive experience of industrial and package printing businesses with particular focus on industrial inkjet and flexo processes. He has a proven ability to develop complex cross border businesses involving the provision of highly technical products that meet strict end-user specifications.

Name The Future of Digital vs Offset Printing to 2027

Date 31/07/2022

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Executive summary

Introduction and methodology

Report scope
Report objectives
Methodology
Scope and definitions
- List of definitions
- Abbreviations and glossary of terms
Exchange rates

Key drivers and trends

Overview
Print process prospects
End-market applications
Regional print trends
Developments in printing technologies

The top line

Overview
- Demand for print
- Print product categories
  - Publication print
  - Graphic print
  - Packaging & label print
Selling prices of digital and analogue print
Digital is different
The press is not enough

Cutting-edge technology developments

Overview
Print quality
Enabling technologies
- Workflow
Digital printing
- Electrophotography
- Inkjet
  - Inkjet head developments
  - Inkjet ink and fluid developments
  - High-speed inkjet presses
  - Narrow-web inkjet
  - Wide-format inkjet printing
  - High-speed flatbed printers
  - Sheetfed inkjet presses
Offset lithography
- Heatset web offset
- Coldset web offset
- Printing plates
Flexography
- Flexo prepress and plates
  - Flexo proofing
  - Flexo plate technology
- Plate mounting
- Anilox roller
- Flexo inks
- Flexo presses
Gravure printing

Run length and print cost developments

Overview
Print cost trends
- Web to print, printer automation and other efficiencies
- Consumables
- Hybrid printing
- Print company effects

Analogue vs digital print market data

Print process trends
- Analogue print
  - Sheetfed litho
  - Heatset web offset
  - Coldset
  - Flexography
  - Gravure
  - Other analogue print processes
- Digital print
  - Electrophotography
  - Inkjet
Product printing trends
- Books
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Catalogues
- Directories
- Advertising print
- Commercial print
- Transactional print
- Security print
- Labels
- Packaging

Opportunities and future outlook

Overview
Cost reduction/adding value
How printers choose processes
Hybridisation
Industry structure
- Ink model
- Analogue-digital technology collaboration
SWOT and PESTER analyses of print industry
- SWOT analysis
- PESTER analysis
  - Political
  - Economic
  - Social
  - Technological
  - Environmental
  - Regulatory/legal

Tables

Timeline for developments in printing
Exchange rates to the US dollar, 2021
Global printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion, billion A4 prints)
Global print market shares by print process, 2017–27 (% share by value, % share by volume, A4 prints)
Global publication printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion, billion A4 prints)
Global graphic printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion, billion A4 prints)
Global package & label printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion, billion A4 prints)
Average global prices per thousand A4 prints by print process, 2017–27 ($)
The evolution of (industrial) revolutions
Long-term prospects for electrophotography printing, 2021–27
High-performance inkjet printheads in 2021
High-speed continuous-feed singlepass inkjet presses
Narrow-web inkjet presses
Sheetfed inkjet presses
Technology prospects for inkjet printing, 2022–27
Summary timeline of litho print developments, 2022–27
Summary timeline of flexo developments, 2022–27
Global printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion, billion A4 prints)
Top-line global printing market shares by print process, 2017–27 (% share by value, % share by volume, A4 prints)
Global printing output shares by print process, 2017–27 (% share by value, % share by volume, A4 prints)
Global analogue printing output by region, 2017–27 ($ billion, billion A4 prints)
Global digital printing output by region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Analogue print: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Sheetfed litho: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Heatset web offset: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Coldset: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Flexography: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Gravure: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Other analogue print processes: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Global digital printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Electrophotography: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Inkjet: global printing output by product type and region, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints) For each product type:
Global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Shares of global printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Western European printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
North American printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Asian printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints) List of product types:
Books
Magazines
Newspapers
Catalogues
Directories
Advertising print
Commercial print
Transactional print
Security print
Labels
Packaging
SWOT analysis for the digital print supply chain
SWOT analysis for the analogue print supply chain

Figures

Litho, other analogue and digital print market development 2017–27, in value and volume terms (% share by value, % share by volume, A4 prints)
Global digital printing penetration by product category, 2017–27, in value and volume terms (% share by value, % share by volume, A4 prints)
Global printing output by product category, 2017–27 (% share by value)
Global printing output by product category, 2017–27 (% share by volume, A4 prints)
Global printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Global printing output by print process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Digital penetration into print applications by category, 2017–27 (% share by value)
Digital penetration into print applications by category, 2017–27 (% share by volume, A4 prints)
Global publication printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Global publication printing output by print process, 2017–27 (trillion A4 prints)
Global graphic printing output by print process, 2017-2027 ($ billion)
Global graphic printing output by print process, 2017-2027 (trillion A4 prints)
Global package & label printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Global package & label printing output by print process, 2017–27 (trillion A4 prints)
Average global prices per thousand A4 prints by print process, 2017–27 ($)
Integrated end-to-end print workflow in 2021
Development trends in inkjet printhead development ADD “High fluid laydown heads” to the green underlying technology box
Average global prices per thousand A4 prints by print process, 2017–27 ($)
Global printing output by print process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Global printing output by print process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Books: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Books: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Magazines: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Magazines: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Newspapers: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ million, million A4 prints)
Newspapers: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Catalogues: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Catalogues: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Directories: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Directories: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Advertising print: global printing output by process, 2017–27($ billion)
Advertising print: global printing output by process, 2017–27(billion A4 prints)
Commercial print: global printing output by process, 2017–27($ billion)
Commercial print: global printing output by process, 2017–27(billion A4 prints)
Transactional print: global printing output by process, 2017–27($ billion)
Transactional print: global printing output by process, 2017–27(billion A4 prints)
Security print: global printing output by process, 2017–27($ billion)
Security print: global printing output by process, 2017–27(billion A4 prints)
Labels: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Labels: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Packaging: global printing output by process, 2017–27 ($ billion)
Packaging: global printing output by process, 2017–27 (billion A4 prints)
Traditional press OEMs – strategic options
PESTER analysis for the printing industry

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Table of Contents

Key Facts and Figures

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