Digital press market set for big growth

The digital press market is set for substantial growth up to 2017 driven by next-generation models and brand owner trends, according to a new study by InfoTrends.

Label and packaging converters worldwide spent US$201 million on new color digital label and packaging (CDLP) printing presses in 2012, according to InfoTrends’ CDLP Press Market Forecast: 2012-2017. This will precede strong growth in the market, with a 17.7 percent compound annual growth rate in digital press revenues expected between 2012 and 2017.

InfoTrends’ CDLP Press Market Forecast: 2012-2017 estimates and forecasts the regional and world markets for CDLP presses based on electrophotographic and single-pass inkjet print technology for the years 2012 through 2017.

The market is based on the success of narrow web color electrophotographic and color inkjet presses for printing product labels, and folding cartons and flexible packaging. A key feature of the forecast is the arrival of a new generation of much higher-capacity color digital label and packaging presses, starting in late 2013. These will include B2 format presses with a much wider web width than current color digital presses, and models specifically designed to print packaging rather than just labels.

HP Indigo has recently commercially launched its new 20000 and 30000 models for flexible packaging and folding carton printing, while Screen Europe first introduced the Truepress JetSX at Drupa 2012. Landa’s nanographic printing presses will also arrive on the market during the period under review by InfoTrends, with wide format folding carton models a central part of its press line-up.

‘Thanks to new equipment by HP Indigo, Fuji, Konica Minolta, Screen, Xeikon and others, color digital printing is about to become a more common tool for converting folding cartons and even flexible packaging,’ said Bob Leahey, associate director of InfoTrends’ color digital label and packaging service.

Amongst brand owners, Leahey identifies three megatrends that will support the growth of the color digital labels and packaging press market. Target marketing, lean manufacturing and sustainability will all contribute towards a growth in the use of digital printing in the packaging and label markets.

‘All together these influences make brand owners order packaging and labels more frequently and in smaller amounts,’ said Leahey.

Read more about digital press technology here