The Wide-format Renaissance

Traditional wide-format production has slowed to about 2 percent CAGR thru 2019, but the production graphics segment is estimated to grow at 9 percent CAGR from 2014-2019 thanks to new inkjet printing technology with increased production capability.

Education on the benefits of single-pass wide-format printing has grown rapidly with the increase in the number of products available. The market is evolving by showing how single-pass printing can benefit end users by reducing waste and improving efficiency. Industry leaders can expect this adoption to take place not only in standard and traditional market segments, but also in new applications and sub-segments still relying on legacy solutions.

The Triangle of Importance

Specifically, it’s about balancing the triangle of importance between cost, speed and image quality. Striking this balance will result in an increased emphasis on the productivity and speed benefits of single-pass printing. Improvements are expected in image quality and total cost of ownership in the wide-format sector in 2016.

With single-pass wide-format technology being more widely deployed throughout the industry, we are starting to see an extremely wide range of benefits across a variety of different end user environments. This is further pushing OEMs to improve all portions of the importance triangle with full solutions.

The two markets where OEMs (big and small) will make their mark with single-pass wide-format printing are packaging and labeling. Products and technology are adapting to an array of media substrates, software configurations and finishing equipment, allowing for more flexible solutions that incorporate speed and quality at an affordable price point.

Corrugated Material

There is expected to be an increase in single-pass wide-format corrugated material going into the packaging segment. This technology will be widely adopted because of the need to do shorter-run, digital variable output with the goal of not outsourcing any work.

Within the corrugated packaging segment, the industry is beginning to see an increase in adoption of single-pass wide-format among converters but also by smaller manufacturers who can now bring the technology in-house. With an extremely low capital cost and ease of use, manufacturers can now invest in the digital print aspect of packaging to reduce costs and allow for more flexibility and creativity, driving just-in-time packaging to meet their just-in-time manufacturing needs.

Additionally, we are seeing an abundance of custom-corrugated box manufacturing machines with the ability to take the dimensions of a product and then build custom boxes around the product. This process leads to a reduction in the amount of material used, lowering inventory and shipping costs.

This trend of custom boxes, enhanced by the e-commerce segment, will further drive short-run digital print opportunities and demand as manufacturers and retailers look to customize branding, marketing and packaging to enrich their offerings.