Market Overview

This research targets to two product categories of business-use/industrial printers, which are production printers used for label printing, digital printing, and on-demand printing and wide-format inkjet printers designed for A2-plus prints. The global shipment of business-use/industrial printers for FY2023 was 413,784 units (103.3% of the preceding fiscal year) and 884,100 million yen (103.5% on same basis), based on the shipment volume/value at manufacturers.

Driven by the growing demand stemming from the economic recovery from the pandemic drop, the global business-use/industrial printers market showed a double-digit growth in FY2021 and 2022. However, due to economic stagnation in China and Europe, coupled with geopolitical risks including Russian invasion of Ukraine, the growth decelerated in FY2023.

Viewing by printer type, the market of high-end and low-end production printers showed marked growth. Low-end models are expected to penetrate further because of their affordable, ‘trial’ pricing. High-end models are sold increasingly to printing companies as replacements to middle-end printers to increase production capacity.

In light of the wide-format inkjet printer, the demand for printers suited to eco-friendly water-based ink, latex printers, and DTF (Direct to Film) printers are showing significant growth. Given their broad range of applications across various industries, wide-format inkjet printers are anticipated to tap into a substantial market potential.

Noteworthy Topics

Latex printer

​Latex printer heats and cures the latex (polymeric dispersants) to produce printed materials that are damage resistant. Being odorless and eco-friendly, the demand for latex printer is growing centrally in Europe. Weather-resistance makes it ideal for varying applications including outdoor signage and construction materials. Thanks to the momentum for prioritizing environment-friendliness, the market is also forecasted to grow further in Japan, where solvent-based inks had been used dominantly.

Global shipment of latex printers* for FY2023 was valued at 17,500 units (109.4% of the preceding fiscal year) and 20,700 million yen (109.5% on the same basis). With varying applications, high eco-friendliness, and a wide range of products from entry models to high production models, the latex printer market is projected to grow steadily.

*The global shipment volume/shipment value of latex printers is included in the global shipment volume/shipment value of the business-use/industrial printers.

Future Outlook

Global shipment of business-use/industrial printers for FY2024 is forecasted to reach 429,480 units (103.8% of the preceding fiscal year) and 926,865 million yen (104.8% on the same basis). Assuming that the economic situation has not changed significantly, growth is likely to remain at FY2023 level. It should be noted that the growth of shipment value will be greater than that of number of shipments, because the market expansion is expected for high-end production printers and UV printers, which is also high-end.

Research Outline