The march of digital printing is unstoppable. Studies show that this technology is becoming a growth driver as analogue printing becomes more and more obsolete. As we approach Drupa 2024, a year in which digital printing technology is booming compared to other printing methods, we remain very optimistic for the future, not least because experts such as Smithers say that sales of digital printing equipment are expected to overtake analogue for the first time in less than three years.

While digital printing accelerated dramatically with the pandemic, the technology continues to advance, becoming an added value for companies that adopt the technology in the future.

The advance of digital printing will be unstoppable
We are convinced that, although experts predict a relatively small decline in total sales of printing equipment over the next five years, the advance of digital printing will continue unabated. According to Smithers, the global printing equipment market (worth $16.8 billion in 2022) will show a very small decline to $16.4 billion in 2028.

While the installed base of analogue equipment is shrinking (flexo will be the only analogue printing process to increase equipment sales in the next five years), the number of digital presses will grow overall, according to Smithers. His analysis of a 10-year period from 2018 shows that digital equipment sales are on track to overtake analogue by 2026. Sales of inkjet and toner equipment will increase, with inkjet accounting for most of the increase. Smithers points to improvements in speed and quality, as well as high demand from printers due to more customised jobs and shorter print runs. These factors will drive jobs increasingly away from analogue printing.

Growth will occur despite the uncertainty, as the perception of an overall decline in overall print production is part of the equation. It is encouraging to see the commercial print, label, packaging and finishing sectors benefiting from the continued advances in digital printing.

The value of digital printing equipment will steadily grow
Digital printing is spreading to most commercial print, label and packaging applications. According to Smithers analysts, the value of digital printing equipment is expected to grow steadily between 2023 and 2028.

In 2022, digital presses accounted for almost a third of the total value of printing equipment, with a value of $5.5 billion. By 2028, digital press sales will reach $5.9 billion.

Digital presses are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with high levels of automation and improved productivity offered by virtually all manufacturers, says Smithers, adding that “digital printing is highly favoured, and inkjet is doing very well in comparison. There are pressures as some end-use sectors are experiencing a decline, regardless of the decoration process. However, the two key digital processes can open up new opportunities with their ability to print on demand, which is creating some new markets.

End ecosystems in focus
We see a future where more automation will be needed, in innovative ecosystems will continue to be a priority and a key driver for customers, as well as brands and suppliers.

Reducing manual processes and automating production steps, on the one hand, takes frustration and worry away from organisations. On the other hand, it helps to reduce material and waste. Against the background of Konica Minolta’s long-term plan towards a sustainable future – the EcoVision 2050 – we are also aware of our responsibility to preserve our planet’s resources.

One area that we are convinced will be much talked about in 2024 will be the possible consequences of the EU’s deforestation-free regulation. This is part of a broader plan of actions to tackle deforestation and forest degradation first outlined in the Commission’s 2019 Communication on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world’s forests.

The new regulation on deforestation-free products is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce biodiversity loss. It is part of a wider plan of measures to tackle deforestation and forest degradation, and also covers wood and paper made from wood.

New regulation will boost sales of digital equipment
The regulation was introduced at the end of June 2023 and operators/dealers have 18 months to comply. Surprisingly, given that it will come into force at the end of 2023, operators/dealers have 18 months to implement it. That it will come into force at the end of 2024 is not an issue that has been thoroughly analysed so far in all the studies we have seen. While we accept that it could further drive the adoption of digital publishing and digital signage, our firm belief is that it will also drive more sales of digital equipment and accelerate digital transformation (DX). This is due to the advantages of digital print: print on demand, no waste and no need for large stock levels.

Analyst IDC points out that print providers’ approach to the problem of deforestation is often a commitment to plant replacement trees, depending on the volume of paper used, or pages printed. However, the new legislation looks more closely at the status of afforestation on a country-by-country basis, for example by protecting old-growth forests. One of its predictions for 2024 is that by 2026, 60% of all companies will have print-related carbon offset targets.

Rethinking possibilities in a world of new opportunities
These changes, we believe, will also help commercial printers focus on environmentally friendly production workflows while rethinking the possibilities in a world of new opportunities. Workflow, software and process automation, along with cloud solutions, are also key drivers of efficiency as part of the journey towards the ‘smart industry’. All contribute to helping operators maximise the uptime of their presses, resolve faults more quickly and optimise performance on press.

A significant theme gaining importance is “programmatic printing”. This is a process that involves the integration of software, hardware and data to streamline and optimise printing processes. It has the potential to transform the print industry by providing a measurable element of the marketing mix with a proven ROI. Programmatic print is already gaining traction as a concept that offers the emotional impact of one-to-one print with the immediacy of digital marketing.

As the European market leader in A36 colour production printing for more than a decade, we are proud to have made great strides in digital printing with both our toner and inkjet technologies, but at the same time we are also aware of the significant challenges that our customers, of which 15,000 are commercial and industrial customers in Europe, will face in the coming year. However, we are confident that the problems faced by some, such as the supply of raw materials, will ease.

Commitment to active training programmes
In addition to supply and demand issues, all our customers – printers, converters, CRDs and corporates – are not immune to other indirect effects of global events. The pandemic and the lockout meant that a significant number of experienced employees retired early, adding to the shortage of skilled labour, and there is an increasing trend towards working from home.

However, we believe that our customers will seek to allocate more funds to attractive training programmes, continuous staff development and work-life balance. The fact that our products are easy to use for our customers makes the jobs for the talents they are looking for more attractive.

In the future, Industry 5.0, the emerging phase of industrialisation in which humans work together with advanced technology and artificially intelligent robots to improve processes in the workplace, will become increasingly important. This will return Industry 4.0 to its human-centred character, as well as greater resilience combined with a greater focus on sustainability.