Digital printing and digitization of media: The market for printing inks is affected by disruptive changes but also offers new opportunities. “Even in countries where the total demand for printing inks is stagnating or declining, there are certain growth segments,” reports Oliver Kutsch, CEO of Ceresana. The market research company already examined the global printing inks market for the third time: the different application areas and printing processes as well as the individual printing ink types. The market data are presented in detail in the current study, for example for demand for inkjet printing inks in the segment label printing. Until 2025, analysts at Ceresana expect an average growth of the global market for printing inks by 1.3% per year.
Green Printing: Water-Based and Radiation-Curing Inks Profit
Growing health and environmental awareness is leading to the development of new printing inks and processing methods, for example the use of UV and other radiation-curing printing inks. Complete curing prevents photoinitiators from being released by low-migration UV inks. More and more effective barrier layers are being integrated in packaging to prevent the migration of printing inks. While the demand for conventional solvent-based products is declining, the market for modern, energy-saving inks low in harmful substances is developing dynamically.
Inkjet for Fast Digital Printing
There is a trend towards smaller circulations, a higher number of printing orders, and personalized contents in an ever shorter time which favors digital printing (inkjet and electrophotography) that enables enormous time savings due to a fast production, adaption, and transmission. Digital printing systems can demonstrate their strengths in the case of job printing of advertising inserts and other occasional printed materials. Digital printing is also gaining ground in letterpress, label printing, and other packaging applications, especially since steel, aluminum, and plastics can now also be printed on. The technological progress is constantly increasing the quality and speed, while the costs are declining: Digital printing is becoming competitive in more and more application areas. Global market for inkjet printing inks reached a volume of about 109,000 tonnes in 2018.
Growth Driver Packaging Printing
Packaging printing is gaining importance for manufacturers of printing inks: There is no digital replacement for packaging. The packaging volume even increases. The labeling obligations become stricter. Internet trade strengthens the demand for shipping packaging. Per capita packaging demand is still very low in parts of Asia and South America, in the Middle East, and also in Africa – however, it is growing rapidly.
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