10.02.09
New Study Predicts Strong Color Laser Printing Growth
According to Graphic Arts Information Network (GAIN), a recently published study predicted the markets for color laser printing (hardware, media and chemistry revenue at retail) would reach $74 billion by 2005. The study, which was performed by Boston, MA-based digital print research consultancy I.T. Strategies, declared the predicted market size to represent a compounded annual growth rate of 27 percent. According to I.T. Strategies, themajority of this growth will be driven by developing specialty markets where digital printing is performed for non-office applications. Included among these are point-of-purchase sales pieces, retail signage, photographic processing, packaging, labels, textiles and wall coverings.
According to the study, access to these developing markets is being sought by color laser printing manufacturers who are seeking to broaden the scope of their business. “It’s the manufacturers targeting vertical markets with horizontal solutions that are moving out of the office market,” said Liz Ziepniewski, associate consultant, I.T. Strategies. “Xerox, Xeikon, Indigo and others have recently launched printers targeted at the photoprocessing market.”
GAIN Survey Cites Declining Publisher Confidence
According to GAIN, an increasing number of U.S. publishers, specifically magazine publishers, have been decrying hard times of late.
According to TrendWatch survey data, last summer 47 percent of publishers reported excellent business conditions. This winter, however, that number dropped by 11 percent. In addition, over that same period of time, the number of publishers reporting bad conditions rose 3 percent from 8 percent to 11 percent and the number of publishers reporting conditions they termed very bad rose from 1 to 2 percent.
The data does not relate the same printers’ opinions on what business conditions they expect in coming months.