August 23, 2007 - PRIMIR/NPES recently published a series of three reports entitled "The World-Wide Market for Print 2006-2011."  The research was conducted by UK’s Pira International.  The first report identified and profiled 51 country markets that essentially account for 99% of the global print market.  The second report explored those markets and identified the markets for printing equipment, paper and supplies.  The final report rolls up the findings from the first two phases, identifies and profiles eleven key emerging or developing markets, and provides a global forecast as well as forecasts for each print market including forecasts for equipment, paper and consumables markets through 2011.
According to the study, the global print market is forecast to grow by 18% to US$721 billion by 2011, with fastest growth in developing/emerging countries.
Not surprising, Pira’s research shows that the consolidation and contraction in the number of active printers that characterized the global printing industry over the last five years will continue to prevail. These changes will be driven by slower growth rates in demand for print, along with some significant changes in the technology and printing processes used in the industry. Freer trading, and the emergence of printing companies in Asia targeting markets in both North America and Western Europe, will have a growing impact on the printing industries in developed regions.  Expect to see some relocation or expansion of production facilities from developed regions to emerging markets to capitalize on growth opportunities.
Developments in all aspects of printing technology will help keep print competitive within the overall media mix by enabling printers to offer targeted, high quality, innovative products as cost-effective alternatives to non-print, electronic media. Printing technology developments will be particularly important in developed regions, since it is in these markets that the impact from alternative electronic media will be most quickly, and significantly, felt.
Digital printing processes, both electrophotographic and inkjet, will continue to grow ahead of all other sectors.  By 2011, the combined share of the market held by digital printing processes will be 21%.
Environmental pressures on all printing industries will grow over the next five years, but will be more intense in developed regions. Compliance will certainly have cost implications, and may put printers in developed regions at a competitive disadvantage compared to printers in the developing/emerging markets.
The future shape of the printing industries in the emerging markets is more difficult to assess. What is certain, however, is that the output from these industries will grow much faster than that from those in developed regions. As literacy rates rise, and per capita income increases in developing markets, demand for various print products will explode.  The report also reveals that in many developing regions, electronic displacement will lag since Internet access is far behind that of developed regions.  This is a temporary advantage for print growth in those regions.
According to the authors, in the printing industry, as elsewhere, there are some wildcard factors. In this marketplace, the speed of development of inkjet printing and hybrid technology, and also the effect of environmental pressures are key. Given significantly faster rates of development than envisioned, both these factors could significantly change the structure of the printing industries in both developed regions and emerging markets.
The study, World-Wide Market for Print 2006-2011, was published for the benefit of members of PRIMIR and NPES.  For PRIMIR membership information, contact Jackie Bland, PRIMIR Managing Director at [email protected], or by phone at (703) 264-7200.  Membership information is also available at www.primir.org.