Wide-format market trends
Perspectives from the manufacturers
Cover story
decades as it ’ s still used to lay down very heavy ink coverage much more cheaply than inkjet .”
The emergence of electronic displays based on flexible electronics is , potentially , one of the most significant threats to the wide-format printing industry , according to Smithers- Pira . “ It ’ s true to say that electronic signage has been considered a potential threat for some time , without taking significant market share . There have been some recent experiments that haven ' t progressed , such as the Tesco in-store TV . However , flexible electronics will be better suited to meet the needs of signage applications , enabling them to take a greater market share . After years of converting to digital , it ’ s somewhat ironic that digital print may ultimately see itself being replaced by yet another form of digital technology in the form of electronic displays . Roll-toroll manufacturing will be essential in order to create flexible , low-weight displays that can compete with printed displays from a cost point of view .”
Wide-format market trends
Mark Hanley is president of IT Strategies , a renowned Boston-based consultancy and an acknowledged industry expert in digital print technologies and more . “ We ’ re in the final stages of analyzing our data gathered around sales into each sector of the digital wide-format print markets globally , and
Mark Hanley , president , IT Strategies we cannot deny that this is , as a whole , a market that ’ s maturing now , from a vendor perspective at least . Above that level after over 25 years , the market yields over $ 45 billion to print providers , converters and service companies . But for vendors , it ’ s been very competitive and has seen enormous increases in productivity at lower and lower cost . That ’ s how it is supposed to be . The market is largely based on small , local providers that have lent the market , at their level , a certain stability and an ethic of fully localized customization .
“ There ’ s still growth in certain newer sectors such as UV systems below $ 100,000 , now including plotter / cutters as well . At the high end , super-high-throughput flatbed UV printers have also shown healthy growth and have begun to trend into industrial and even packaging sampling markets . Almost every print provider now wants to have soft signage capabilities by being able to print onto fabrics . Other more purely industrial markets , like architectural surface and decorative print ( leveraging technologies like latex and printing of manufactured 3D objects with UV inkjet ), have also grown in many cases out of wide-format technology and its vendor community . Taking some of these newer sectors into account and looking at the market from a provider perspective , we can say that in terms of output and value , the wide-format market is currently growing between 3 % and 6 % per year . Part of that is not just about print . With print as a base , most providers these days in the wide-format market have become ‘ geniuses ’ in adding super-converted value to their products ,” Hanley concluded .
Perspectives from the manufacturers
It ’ s safe to say that the ongoing improvements to inks and media , including the release of some amazing new printing equipment , reflects both the growth of this market and where individual vendors are headed when it comes to innovation and investments . Here are comments from some major players in this segment .
Agfa Graphics Deborah Hutcheson is the director of marketing for Agfa Graphics , North America . How does she see the future of wideformat developing ? “ These customers require faster job turnarounds , just-in-time delivery , delivery to the point of need , versioning and personalization ,” Hutcheson said . “ To satisfy their requirements , printers then drive efficiency and quality improvements from software
Deborah Hutcheson , director of marketing , Agfa Graphics , North America
and hardware manufacturers . These expectations result in the print business becoming a customer-service-driven business . Print buyers ’ demands are driving steady progress in printhead development , UV ink-curing technology , image processing techniques and media transport ( i . e . width , automation ) with the ultimate goal of faster and more efficient production . Much of this growth is driven by the conversion of traditional analogue printing to digital printing and new applications enabled by advancements in ink and media .
“ Each advance has resulted in improved print results at a lower total cost for each customer . Printheads with more nozzles and smaller drop sizes produce better quality prints faster and use less ink in the process . LED curing systems are much easier for an operator to use , decrease operating costs , and offer expanded media scope ( heat-sensitive and thin substrates ). And automation options allow for improved productivity and reduced labour costs . These overall market and business trends are driving product developments that lead to the adoption of digital processes – including inkjet systems , workflow , automation and web-to-print . Print service providers are more focused on strategies that help them reduce their operating costs , offer additional services , and become a one-stop-shop for their clients . They ’ re adding new product lines to expand their revenue streams and
16 | May 2018 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE graphicartsmag . com