INKJET TO SURGE: SMITHERS

The volume of commercial inkjet print and the market value will grow by 50 per cent over the next five years, according to industry research analyst Smithers.

Smithers says the upcoming drupa expo, which kicks off in Dusseldorf at the end of the month, will turbocharge the uptake of commercial inkjet into broader adoption.

According to Smithers growth in inkjet will see revenue rise form what it says will be US$117.7bn this year up to US$162.1bn in five years’ time, representing an compound annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent.

It says this will be achieved by a dramatic leap in the volume of publications, graphic media, packaging and labels printed on inkjet, which Smithers forecasts will jump from 1.61 trillion A4 equivalents to 2.29 trillion.

Smithers also says the value of inkjet print will be way ahead of other print, and will outweigh its volumes by some distance, making it an attractive proposition for print businesses.

Smithers says the growth in inkjet will be driven by an on-demand market, shortening run lengths, and inkjet’s integration with web-to-print at the front end, and converting systems at the back.