Dave Savastano, Editor03.23.15
Like any industry, the printing industry is facing growing pains as technologies change. Today, inkjet, UV and packaging are expanding. A decade or two ago, offset printing for publication and commercial projects held the largest share of the printing market. Seventy-five years ago, letterpress was dominant.
The question for printers and their suppliers, in particular the ink industry, is what printing technology or technologies will become the new leader in the future?
You’ll get a look into the future in The North American Top 20 Report, which starts on page 31. There is an interesting mix of companies that populate the Top 20 North American ink list. There are digital ink specialists (EFI, DuPont, Fujifilm and Sensient); packaging ink suppliers (Siegwerk CUSA, American Inks & Coatings); publication ink companies (CR/T, Central Ink); as well as companies whose products range across the gamut of inks. Many of these companies have added new product lines in recent years, and are looking at further expansions.
The field of flexible and conductive inks is an area where changes are occurring. As I report in “The Conductive Ink Market,” which starts on page 58, IDTechEx, a leading consultant group in the printed electronics field, places the conductive ink and paste market at $2.3 billion and growing, with the segment estimated to expand to $3.2 billion by 2025. While photovoltaics remain the largest piece of the conductive ink business, sensors, smart packaging, medical devices and other new applications are also good opportunities.
This is not to say that new technologies are the only potential avenues for growth. In “Intriguing New Press Technologies of 2014,” my review of award-winning press equipment from the past year, there is a nice mix of digital, digital UV LED, offset and hybrid technologies, in which flexo stations can be added to a digital printer.
As these articles show, there are growth segments, and there are new presses that can offer additional capabilities for printers that are willing to expand their businesses. The ink manufacturers who are right there with their printer customers and adapt to the changing marketplace will be the companies that succeed in the coming decades.
The question for printers and their suppliers, in particular the ink industry, is what printing technology or technologies will become the new leader in the future?
You’ll get a look into the future in The North American Top 20 Report, which starts on page 31. There is an interesting mix of companies that populate the Top 20 North American ink list. There are digital ink specialists (EFI, DuPont, Fujifilm and Sensient); packaging ink suppliers (Siegwerk CUSA, American Inks & Coatings); publication ink companies (CR/T, Central Ink); as well as companies whose products range across the gamut of inks. Many of these companies have added new product lines in recent years, and are looking at further expansions.
The field of flexible and conductive inks is an area where changes are occurring. As I report in “The Conductive Ink Market,” which starts on page 58, IDTechEx, a leading consultant group in the printed electronics field, places the conductive ink and paste market at $2.3 billion and growing, with the segment estimated to expand to $3.2 billion by 2025. While photovoltaics remain the largest piece of the conductive ink business, sensors, smart packaging, medical devices and other new applications are also good opportunities.
This is not to say that new technologies are the only potential avenues for growth. In “Intriguing New Press Technologies of 2014,” my review of award-winning press equipment from the past year, there is a nice mix of digital, digital UV LED, offset and hybrid technologies, in which flexo stations can be added to a digital printer.
As these articles show, there are growth segments, and there are new presses that can offer additional capabilities for printers that are willing to expand their businesses. The ink manufacturers who are right there with their printer customers and adapt to the changing marketplace will be the companies that succeed in the coming decades.