Digital printing to make its mark in 2015

FESPA Digital 2014 (Messe Munich, 20 to 23 May 2014) could mark a tipping point for the wide format graphics sector, with a survey of the FESPA printing community forecasting the prevalence of digital by 2015. Over half of the 250 printers surveyed by Infotrends on behalf of FESPA in Summer 2013 reported that wide format digital now represents more than a third of their revenue. In two years time, 72 per cent of respondents expect this to be the case, with 54 per cent forecasting half their business to come from digital, and almost a third anticipating that digital will make up one third of their income. The respondents to the survey spanned 53 countries.

Solvent and aqueous inkjet continue to dominate the installed base among those surveyed, with 48 per cent and 43 per cent of printers respectively reporting ownership of these technologies. However, eco-solvent, UV curable and latex printing are gaining ground. The proportion of work produced using UV curable inkjet is forecast by the community to grow from 13.6 per cent now to 21 per cent by 2015, contrasted with a drop from 18 to 13 per cent for solvent UV.

This focus on digital is creating a positive mood towards technology investment. Buying intentions are stronger than at any time since 2007, with 51 per cent of respondents planning to purchase a new digital wide format printer in the next year, up from 37 per cent in 2010. Evolving technologies are stimulating demand, with almost a third planning to invest in UV inkjet, 16 per cent in eco-solvent and 13 per cent in latex.

More than half of those planning to invest are doing so to achieve faster output, proving that productivity is still a key factor for printers. This reflects the fact that faster turnaround and just-in-time delivery remain the two dominant trends among customer demands. More than two-thirds of printers say these trends prevail among their customers.

Other notable buyer trends are that 57 per cent of printers now say their customers are demanding delivery to the point of need, while 48 per cent report more complex logistics requirements. These responses potentially point to an opportunity for printers to extend their service proposition and offer a more complete print-to-installation service.

Banners (71%), posters (55%) and signs (53%) remain the top three applications being produced. However, textiles, POP, wallpaper/interiors, building wraps and industrial applications are the fastest growing. 81% of printers report handling more textile work, followed by 71% for POP, 69% for wallpaper, 68% for building wraps, and 67% for industrial print.

FESPA CEO Neil Felton comments: "Feedback from our community affirms that the transition to digital continues to shape the wide format signage and graphics sector, while digital technology also motivates printers to diversify into creative applications for customers from many different verticals.

"Whats exciting for us is that the responses indicate a level of optimism unprecedented since 2007, a year before the global economic crisis. Its clear that innovation and the pursuit of new application opportunities are giving entrepreneurs increased confidence in the performance of their own businesses – which promises to give FESPA Digital 2014 in Munich a positive and forward-thinking vibe."