Just as the whole printing industry had a rollercoaster ride during and after the pandemic, so did online print. 2023 should have seen somewhat steadier waters. Bernd Zipper, CEO of Zipcon and board member of the Initiative Online Print (the association of the online print industry in Europe), reports on his experience and expectations.

Online print already has a sizeable portion of the print revenue in Europe. In pre-pandemic 2019, it accounted for €8.1 billion in revenues in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Revenues dropped by €1.9 billion in 2020, however. While B2C remained relatively stable during and after the pandemic, B2B-print suffered a severe setback. Business spending increased again in the aftermath but remains below pre-pandemic levels. Like the printing industry in general, online printers are still suffering from a reluctance of businesses in Europe to invest in marketing activities.

However, online print revenues are back again on a steady growth path. Some local differences exist, depending on the status and recovery of each nation’s economy. The German market proved to be more difficult so far, as organizations are still curbing expenses based on recent disruptions such as the Ukraine war, supply chain breakdowns, and energy price rises. Adding to a weaker demand are price increases among online printers. Zipcon has been tracking prices for online printers since 2020 and registered rapid price increases in 2021 and 2022 due to higher paper and energy costs. Prices at the end of 2022 averaged 33% higher than in 2020. In 2023, prices flattened, even showing slight declines, although on a much higher level compared to 2020.