The end of the year always brings a flurry of state-of-the-market reports from research organizations and commentators tracking the global packaging industry. Here are pulls from some of the year-end pronouncements for 2014 that we gathered last month. They tell us that despite the unpredictability that always has to be factored into forecasts like these, 2015 is shaping up to be a promising year for the world’s packaging printers and converters.

• “Digital printing has either passed through the chasm, or is close to passing. The chasm is where most new products die, as they fail to move from early adopters to the early majority, or the mainstream market.” So says this writer in a piece on the outlook for corrugated packaging, a segment he regards as full of opportunity for digital production. Corrugated in general, says the author, has come into its own in retail packaging because of its advantages in shelf display, cost reduction, and recyclability.

• Analysts for the research firm TechNavio analysts forecast the global digital packaging and labeling market to grow at a CAGR of 18.25% over the period 2014-2019. The report from which this estimate comes also features analysis of the key vendors that TechNavio associates with this growth: HP, Landa, Xeikon, and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, to name a few.

• Looking for the strongest growth prospects for packaging in the Americas? Find it in Mexico, where, according to Smithers Pira data cited in this article, the packaging market is expected to gain an average of 3.1% per year through 2017. Flexible packaging looks particularly strong south of the border, with growth in that segment projected to be 8.7% per year for a value of more than $3 billion in 2018. Not surprisingly, Mexican manufacturers have become the second-largest importers of U.S. packaging and processing machinery, according to import/export statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• A post by a spokesperson for Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) asserts that 56% of Americans surveyed by APP would like to have more sustainable packaging when they purchase products. Nearly as many (42%) said they are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging options, a finding that may surprise some packagers. APP, one of the world’s largest suppliers of pulp and paper, says that supply chain transparency and package lightweighting will be major market drivers in 2015.

• Liquid packaging cartons for the safe storage of liquid products such as milk and dairy products, water, fruit juices, soft drinks, sauce, and puree constitute a market that will enjoy a CAGR of 4.87% through 2019, says a report from Infiniti Research Ltd. Aseptic technology that helps to extend liquid freshness will help producers of these cartons meet a growing consumer demand for RTC (ready to cook) foods.