NEW YORK -- April 24, 2004 -- Shrinking margins and the practical elimination of geographical barriers by the Internet have many Commercial Printers on a constant search for new revenue streams. According to a new report by TrendWatch Graphic Arts, their search should now include large-format output services. Demand for digital outdoor and POP (Point-of-Purchase) signage is increasing. According to I.T. Strategies, spending on printed POP graphics in 2002 was $44 billion (of which about $11 billion required digital services), while printed outdoor advertising graphics reached $16.7 billion (almost $2.2 billion in digital form). According to TWGA's new report, "Supersizing the Market: The TrendWatch Perspective on the Market for Large-Format Graphics and Equipment" commercial printers are still not realizing this market's potential. Less than 8% of all commercial printers currently offer large-format services of any kind, while 22% of this 8% only offer it for proofing purposes. The report is available for online purchase at the TWGA eStore in PDF format. For more information, please go to the TWGA website (www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com). Researcher's Quote... Vince Naselli, Director, TrendWatch Graphic Arts, noted, "Given that the transition to digital printing is still relatively new, even among those firms that specialize in large-format output, it's highly likely printers can capture significant market share. And large-format printing devices also double as large-format proofers, which means that the devices can pay for themselves by offering dual revenue streams. We believe that interest in large-format printing will continue to grow -- and in some ways it will grow at the expense of traditional commercial printing. As we've advocated in connection with other technologies and "cross media," it behooves the industry to seek ways to recapture business lost to these competing technologies. It just requires a little investment in new technology and education." According to the Report... -- RETAIL APPLICATION: More than half of large-format output, sold as large-format output and not for proofing purposes, is for retail signage; -- DEMAND INCREASES: According to recent TWGA research, 13% of print and prepress firms, 16% of commercial photographers, and 6% of publishing firms plan to invest in large-format printers -- all the highest rates of planned investment in this equipment category in the history of the TWGA surveys; -- SALES OPPORTUNITIES: "Designing point-of-purchase/point of sale displays" as a sales opportunity climbed to 8% of publishing firms, the highest in the history of the publishing surveys. About the Report... In addition to discussions of some of the latest developments in the large-format market in general, the present report contains the most up-to-date data from the TrendWatch Graphic Arts' surveys of graphic arts firms. This 130-page report is divided into the following sections: -- Section 1: A basic primer on large-format printing technology; -- Section 2: In-depth look at applications for large-format printing; -- Section 3: The Market for large-format equipment; -- Section 4: Analysis of factors driving and impeding large-format graphics. Methodology... This report is based on the TWGA historical database, which contains data from the last 18 months of market surveys of printing, publishing, design and creative professionals conducted by TWGA. Additional data was gleaned from outside sources such as I.T. Strategies and Yankelovich Partners. Analysis is provided by TWGA analysts and supported by industry data. Availability... The TrendWatch Graphic Arts "Supersizing the Market: The TrendWatch Perspective on the Market for Large-Format Graphics and Equipment" report is available for purchase by visiting the secure TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore online at www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com or by phone at 866-873-6310. The price for the 130-page report is $1295. TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore customers can download this report in PDF Acrobat format immediately after purchase.