Offset Printing Facing Changes: Smithers

In print, inkjet and electrophotography (toner) print continue to threaten to displace offset litho in multiple applications as the market space adjusts to an increasingly digital future. The Future of Digital versus Offset Printing to 2027 tracks the dynamics of this competition across the next five years, profiling how the latest technology developments will redefine the sector.

Offset litho (sheetfed, heatset web, coldset web) remains central to global print technology. In 2022, a total of 27.69 billion A4 prints will be produced on offset litho presses – almost exactly two-thirds of total print output – worth $326.8 billion. In contrast, digital printers will only output 1.67 trillion A4 print equivalents this year. The total value of this work will be $144.1 billion however, highlighting the value-adding potential of switching work to digital print.

Heatset and coldset litho represent the majority of output. These processes are used mainly for magazines and catalogs, and newspaper print, respectively, all of which have suffered major losses over the past two years as COVID-19 has helped accelerate many readers towards electronic media.

Demand for sheetfed litho has been more robust, but is increasingly reacting to the challenge of inkjet in several core segments. Other analog process, led by flexo, will be more resilient to this trend, mostly due to expanding demand for labels and packaging print.

Advertising and commercial print are the major applications for sheetfed litho, both of which suffered severely during the pandemic. The primary advantages digital offers in these applications are faster turnaround, low-cost customization, and better cost profiles on shorter print runs. As higher productivity machines are introduced the cost of printing on inkjet continues downwards.

Print buying is moving towards shorter commissions as well, and budgets have been revised to target higher returns. In response press sheet-fed OEMs are working to develop more efficient presses, minimizing downtime and other operating efficiencies.

A further challenge is that the print quality achievable on digital has improved significantly, with some now indistinguishable from offset litho production. Within digital, the latest generation of B2 and B1 format inkjet presses is also eroding the demand for electrophotography, with much mono continuous commercial work migrating onto high-speed inkjet machines.

Over the forecast period, advertising applications will account for the highest absolute volume increases for inkjet. Packaging, particularly corrugated and flexibles, commercial print and books are also growing strongly. Toner print will see some moderate growth in commercial and graphics applications, including specialty products, like photobooks.

Adoption of digital has been led by North America and Western Europe. Neither of these is saturated however, and all regions will see wider adoption of the technology – Asia in particular.