Eef de Ridder, Vice President, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe, looks back at 2024, which was a significant year for online print. He also discusses the printing landscape in 2025 and how print service providers (PSP’s) can adapt to evolving global conditions.

2024 was a historic election year with more than 70 countries taking to the ballot boxes. In over 80% of democracies, the incumbents were voted out. In Europe this has resulted in significant national shifts and regional instability due to the polarisation of the left and the right. It has had a financial impact, particularly on interest rates. As print growth follows GDP growth, a reduction in business opportunities and trade volume is likely. Proving a hindrance too, will be trade barriers limiting transactions for export to the US.

America was no different. As well as the political change accompanying the return of a Trump administration the rest of the world will, it seems, face higher import taxes. This will affect orders and may drive a shift towards local production of price sensitive products. Demand for imported print may move away from commodity applications to focus on high quality items such as luxury coffee table books and specialist publications.

War continued to have an impact on business in 2024 and it will be shaping it in 2025 too. All eyes will continue to be on the Russia-Ukraine war while potentially damaging boycotts will be created by the conflict in Gaza. The full impact of all these influencing elements is still yet to be completely understood as situations evolve daily.

Continuing to evolve too, is universal commitment to environmental responsibility for print production. The Paris Climate Agreement and more recently COP 29 have reconfirmed a wide international effort. In Europe, PSPs are working on meeting the 2024 European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) which requires any business with revenue of more than €40 million (and any non-European company doing business in Europe with more than €150 million) to start quantifying and measuring their sustainability performance.

We have all seen how extreme weather has added to the cost of operations as companies invest in making supply chains more flexible while customer activism is set to put pressure on companies to exceed legal standards. Plastic bans will continue to encourage greater adoption of paper solutions, especially in packaging, labels and card applications, while the emphasis on local production will increase, benefiting those PSPs that are as close as possible to their clients. All of which ensure sustainability will become an increasingly key factor in purchasing decisions for print.

PSPs are also having to ready themselves for more stringent data protection laws with regards to hosting customer data owned by their clients, new employment laws, and stricter health and safety requirements. The disconnection between the creation and governing of laws in different countries has the potential to impact the export and import of printed products, favouring the online selling of print.

In fact, 2024 was a significant year for online print as for the first time more than 50% of all print sold was online. Digitisation of documents is continuing to accelerate while inkjet is becoming a dominant print technology in many applications. There is a growing focus as well on what AI can do and how the use of robots can increase productivity.

At the same time, PSPs are changing from a labour intensive to capital intensive business model. Most have to borrow money to finance new equipment and those that experience challenges in finding and retaining skilled labour may find capacity and production under pressure. Investing in digital printing capabilities and automation can help mitigate employment costs, reduce waste associated with analogue production and increase production flexibility to manage last minute orders – no matter the volume. The recent easing of challenges surrounding the supply of consumables and substrates has enabled PSPs to refocus their attention on improving operational efficiency and productivity.

While the stabilisation of inflation might help, operations will continue to face expenditure increases on a number of fronts: rising energy prices affecting costs and travel; higher interest rates impacting national debts and hindering access to capital; trade barriers limiting transactions with some countries and placing downward pressure on consumer spending. This could result in reduced spending on printed communication, especially in retail and photo merchandise. It may also drive the consolidation of printers in certain markets.

There are social and cultural considerations to consider as well, from an ageing population impacting access to a skilled workforce and more and more people working from home. Other considerations include migration and a mounting trend of income inequality. Also proving transformative is the growth in retail e-commerce sales estimated to exceed $4.1 trillion worldwide by the end of 2024 with new heights expected to be reached in the years ahead. Children’s literacy is seeing a widespread decline, and that has the potential to reduce the run length of books, possibly driving digital production. We are seeing too, an increase in active monthly users on social media despite privacy issues, the proliferation of fake news, and inaccurate sponsored posts. This may actually boost printed communications.

The printing industry landscape in 2025, as we see it now, is marked by economic uncertainty, environmental demands and rapid technological innovation. PSPs that embrace sustainability, digitisation and automation will be well positioned to adapt to shifting consumer and client preferences as well as regulatory pressures. This will empower their resilience and growth, despite the evolving global conditions.

RICOH
https://www.ricoh-europe.com

Somesh Adukia, Managing Director, Canon Central and North Africa, outlines the opportunities for print service providers (PSPs) in the booming African print decor market.

In recent years, Africa’s interior decor industry has witnessed a remarkable surge in the demand for printed decor solutions, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. With the African printing industry projected to reach a staggering value of US$235.3 million by the end of 2031, the timing couldn’t be better.

The market remains vibrant and promising, offering lucrative growth prospects for PSPs across various sectors of interior decor, including wallcoverings, fine art prints, and applications in both residential and commercial settings. According to Big Picture Magazine and Keypoint Intelligence’s 2022 ‘Application and Utilisation Survey’, interior decor and wall coverings were among the top five most profitable applications for PSPs in the current market landscape.

This flourishing trend is driven by a confluence of factors tailored to meet evolving consumer habits in Africa. The surge in e-commerce popularity has compelled global retailers to focus on delivering seamless online and in-store shopping experiences. Simultaneously, the importance of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of retail spaces and creating immersive customer experiences has soared. From wayfinding and point-of-sale solutions to floor and display graphics, retail decor is evolving rapidly. Brands are increasingly employing colourful signage and banners to support seasonal celebrations and events, aiming to draw customers back into physical stores.

The rise of pop-up shops and markets presents new opportunities for PSPs to provide turnkey print-based solutions that empower small businesses to create a captivating brand identity and engage in effective guerrilla marketing strategies.

With such a plethora of vibrant printed decor applications available and the market projecting continued growth, it’s a great time for print businesses to dive into this expanding market and show customers just how effective print can be.

Printed Decor In Hospitality And Workplaces

Printed decor plays a pivotal role in the hospitality sector, contributing to branding, ambiance creation, and enhancing the overall guest experience. A similar trend extends to the workplace, where employers are increasingly turning to digitally printed decor elements to create more attractive and inspiring environments for their employees. This strategy is designed to entice staff back into the office, marking one of several approaches taken by organisations to adapt to evolving work dynamics.

Africa’s Dynamic Print Decor Market

However, thriving in the African printed decor market demands adaptability. The market is dynamic, and characterised by ever-changing design and fashion trends, meaning that décor service providers must remain agile, responsive and adaptable to remain competitive.

Moreover, adopting a consultative mindset is critical for PSPs. They must proactively engage with prospective customers, presenting them with creative solutions and showcasing the myriad of available options. This involves inspiring clients with achievable ideas on how to refresh their spaces and explaining the practical and cost advantages of print-on-demand over traditional decorating and renovation methods.

PSPs can further inspire clients by going beyond printing customer designs and providing them with creative interior décor content ideas. This collaborative approach opens up opportunities for partner artists, photographers and designers to showcase their work through an expanded network of online marketplaces.

The New World Of AI In Design

The emergence of generative AI presents an exciting opportunity for PSPs to create and inspire by bringing new visual concepts to life. Whether starting from scratch or updating previous images and concepts, generative AI can facilitate innovative design processes with relative ease.

With an array of vibrant printed decor applications available and the market poised for continued growth, this is an opportune moment for print businesses in Africa to immerse themselves in this expanding market and demonstrate to customers the remarkable effectiveness of print in transforming living and working spaces.

CANON
https://www.canon-cna.com

Environmental sustainability is a factor in the evolution in the wide format marketplace. Demand for sustainability continues to grow and efforts to address this include the use of non-PVC materials, reduction of harsh chemicals in ink, and error and waste reduction. Turnaround times are shortening, leading to the rise in web-to-print and workflow automation.

These are some of the points of information that can be found in Keypoint Intelligence’s Wide Format Print Market Forecast: 2021-2026. The report evaluates and predicts trends, automation, profits and more in the wide format market.

‘While it’s not expected that print service providers (PSPs) will become 100% automated, web-to-print systems, digital MIS and production tracking software usage continue to grow as PSPs need to produce more products with fewer resources as a result of increased expectations from print buyers,’ said Eric Zimmerman, Keypoint Intelligence Principal Analyst.

Unit placements in 2021 were almost 1000 units higher than pre-pandemic 2019 units. Ink technology continues to move towards resin/latex and UV curable, allowing for immediate application to meet faster turnaround demand. Overall, the market continues to grow in the face of economic challenges. For more information about the report, click here.

KEYPOINT INTELLIGENCE
https://keypointintelligence.com/