WhatTheyThink

Premium Commentary & Analysis

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK—OFFSET PRINTING: The Transformation of Offset Press Technology

How has offset lithography retained its preferred place amidst all the technological change the industry has seen? We found the answers at drupa.

Monday, August 19, 2024

The 9th drupa Global Trends Report was notably upbeat about the outlook for print markets served by offset lithography.

“While positive forecasts might be expected from Packaging and Functional printers, what was pleasing was the increasing confidence amongst Commercial and Publishing printers,” stated the November 2023 report, based on input from more than 600 printers and suppliers.

“The resilience of sheetfed offset print volume across all markets is remarkable,” the report went on to say, noting that sheetfed offset has remained the first investment choice for print technology globally since the first Trends report in 2014.


Continue reading your article
with a WhatTheyThink membership.

WhatTheyThink Annual Membership

Less than $4/week.

Get unlimited access to in-depth commentary and analysis covering the latest trends, emerging technologies, operational strategies, and key events across every segment of today's printing industry.

Stay informed. Stay competitive. Stay ahead.
WhatTheyThink Day Pass

$5 for 24 hours

Unlimited access to all of WhatTheyThink. Get your Day Pass

Already a member?
Sign In

About Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry is a journalist and an educator who has covered the graphic communications industry since 1984. The author of many hundreds of articles on business trends and technological developments in graphic communications, he has been published in most of the leading trade media in the field. He also has taught graphic communications as an adjunct lecturer for New York University and New York City College of Technology. The holder of numerous awards for industry service and education, Henry is currently the managing director of Liberty or Death Communications, a content consultancy.

Recent Articles from Patrick Henry

Resilience After Disaster: How An Owner Brought Her Business Back from Its Ashes (Part 1)

Resilience After Disaster: How An Owner Brought Her Business Back from Its Ashes (Part 1)

The aftermath of a fire that destroyed the plant of a family-owned engraving business in upstate New York became a remarkable tale of the company’s recovery and rebirth with the help of its customers, vendors, and above all, its industry peers. Read More

Not Like a Boss, the Radix Co-Op Writes Its Own Rules for Running a Print Shop

Not Like a Boss, the Radix Co-Op Writes Its Own Rules for Running a Print Shop

By dispensing with job titles and focusing strictly on the jobs, a non-hierarchical shop in Brooklyn is charting its own course to success in the New York City metro area print and publishing market. Read More

Groups File Suit vs. California Law That Would Chase

Groups File Suit vs. California Law That Would Chase "Chasing Arrows" Away from Packaging

Only in California: a law that claims to support recycling by removing recyclability symbols from recyclable materials. A coalition that includes print and packaging businesses is pushing back Read More

No Relief in Sight for Printers as Consumables Prices Keep Spiraling

No Relief in Sight for Printers as Consumables Prices Keep Spiraling

Wars, tariffs, supply chain breakdowns, you name it—they’re all kicking up what printers have to spend for raw materials, and the upward trend shows no sign of abating. Patrick Henry rounds up some examples. Read More

How Printers Should Confront the Creeping Threat of Cybercrime

How Printers Should Confront the Creeping Threat of Cybercrime

No printing business is exempt from hacking attacks and the online con games known collectively as “social engineering.” Technology safeguards, cyber insurance, and relentless vigilance are mandatory for firms that don’t want to risk having to close their doors in the aftermath of a cybercrime incident. Read More