The market-research firm Smithers has published a new report: The Future of Digital vs Offset Printing to 2029. It examines how offset and digital printing technologies are competing for market shares and tracks the revenue and technology outlooks for both sectors from 2024 to 2029.
Offset Printing
Smithers forecasts that demand for offset litho printing will fall from $354.4 billion in value in 2019 to about $307.9 billion in 2029.
Some of the decline will be slowed by the growth of sheetfed offset printing for package printing. Sheetfed litho volumes will grow marginally at an 0.3% compound annual growth rate. Value will increase from $183.3 billion in 2024 to $194.5 billion in 2029.
Offset litho continues to be the most widely used analog print process. But offset print volumes are being affected by factors such as: (1) the ongoing transition from printed publications to online information sources and (2) increasing competition from digital presses (inkjet and electrophotography)
In the packaging market, offset printing competes with two analog printing processes (flexography and gravure) for high-volume work.
Offset press manufacturers are increasing the top speed of their flagship models to 20,000 sheets per hour or more. They are also adding more automation to each press to address the shortage of skilled labor and be more efficient and productive on shorter run lengths.
Digital Printing
Digital printing has grown in value by 3.4% CAGR to $165.5 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow by a further 4.8% from 2024-2029. Sales of output from digital presses are projected to reach $175.2 billion in 2025 and $209.1 billion in 2029.
Digital is directly displacing offset printing in applications such as print-on-demand books, advertising, and transactional print.
Inkjet developers are improving the speed, resolution, and print quality of their machines and including more automation. New machines being developed in the packaging segment will leverage the experience gained from developing for narrow-web label printing into improved digital presses for corrugated board, folding cartons, and flexible packaging.
About the Report
Written by independent printing consultant Jon Harper Smith, the report includes an overview of the demand for print in three categories: publication print, graphic print, and packaging and label print. It quantifies the market by print process, end-use application, and region.
It also describes enabling technologies in workflow automation as well as cutting-edge technology developments in digital printing, including electrophotography, sheetfed inkjet, wide-format inkjet, and high-speed flatbed printers. The report also covers technology improvements in analog print methods: offset lithography, flexography, and gravure.
To download a brochure the outlines the full content of the report, visit: https://www.smithers.com/services/market-reports/printing/the-future-of-digital-vs-offset-printing-to-2029
Other Recent Reports from Smithers
Smithers is an independent research, testing, and consulting firm for clients in 15 industries, including packaging. Their mission is to help clients innovate with confidence as they develop, produce, and launch new products and materials.
Here are two other recent reports from Smithers:
The Future of Package Printing to 2029
The Future of Sustainable Packaging: Long-Term Strategic Forecasts to 2034