Which printing technology is best suited for your business? What’s the distinction between digital and offset printing? Let’s take you through the printing industry trends and help you choose the best Printing Technology.

The role of print is changing, with the main dynamic being the impact of the Internet and mobile connectivity on the way both businesses and individuals communicate and access information. Many factors are shaping demand across the print industry and print supply chain participants have a variety of options to draw on when determining how best to meet changing demand patterns.

According to Smithers Pira’s latest market report, ‘The Future of Digital vs Offset Printing to 2024’, The global print market is shrinking in volume but growing in value over the period 2014-24. Digital print, and especially inkjet, is an increasingly important and valuable part of the overall print market. Accounting for 13.5% of total market output in 2014, this has risen to 17.4% in 2019. As it has done so it has displaced and taken work from offset litho and other existing analog print processes. Technical innovations and shift in market demands will further support this trend through to 2024, pushing digital’s share to 21.1%.

The total market for analog and digital printing combined will grow at a CAGR of 1.3%, reaching $862 billion by 2024.

Also, the report suggests that web offset printing will decline; however, there is strong growth in inkjet printing and modest growth elsewhere, which results in overall market growth. Inkjet technology is being driven by the adoption of very high productivity presses, particularly in the corrugated printing sector; the ongoing improvement of both continuous and sheetfed inkjet printers; and the expansion of the addressable market into other areas.

Asia region to grow the most in Digital & Analogue printing by $ 43 Billion between 2019-24.

Print output expected to grow by 1.8% CAGR BY 2024.

Today, with the dynamic demand, clients need printers to be able to produce cost-effective, high-quality, short-run color printing in the fastest possible time frame. Digital printing offers many more features than other forms of Printing like offset, in terms of choices, features and flexibility.

Major Benefits include:

High Quality: Digital Printer offers impressive quality and consistency over the other options. The colors show up perfectly on the prints and there are no issues with harsh lines. With digital printing, the quality of the last card, brochure or flyer in a batch is the same as that of the first.

Timeliness: Digital printing eliminates many of the mechanical steps required for conventional printing, such as making films and color proofs, manually stripping the pieces together, and making plates. As there are fewer steps in the printing process, and as a result, the final product can be delivered quicker.

Cost-effective: Since digital printing does not use plates, no setup fees are involved, and you pay a flat price per piece.

Lower Minimum Quantities: Digital printing is the ideal method of producing short to medium print runs compared to traditional methods. Print only the amount you need, when you need it. Print as low as 1, 20 or 100 pieces.

Variable Data Capability: Names, addresses, codes or numbering can be done easily.

Many different factors are shaping demand across the print industry and print supply chain participants have a variety of options to draw on when determining how best to meet changing demand patterns.