Inkjet being applied successfully in most markets: Drupa

16 May '18

2 min read

Courtesy: Drupa

Inkjet is being applied successfully in most markets and all regions globally, according to the latest Drupa Global Trends Inkjet Spotlight 2018 report. The spotlight report takes up one important topic each year and Drupa’s expert panel examines it in more detail. Drupa is one of the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world, held in Germany.

Over the last few years, there have been rapid inkjet developments and a lot of the initial challenges around print quality and the range of substrates have been overcome. Inkjet is now viewed as a mature and stable process, capable of producing high quality images on a range of different substrates.

While the 300 participants (203 printers and 99 suppliers) were on balance enthused by the opportunities for inkjet print, they were far from naïve – understanding its limitations, and in many cases, still working out how best to exploit its merits. What was striking was that all the detailed results showed virtually no regional variation. Equally, there was in general close alignment in views from printers and suppliers.

In terms of applications, printers are finding competitive opportunities for inkjet in all market segments. Equally important is the fact that printers are finding they can apply inkjet in multiple markets, creating the opportunity to enter new markets not in their traditional core sector. Participants reported strong growth in all sectors; but the more specialist the market, the higher is the growth rate.

For many the cost of inks remains the core issue restraining growth. However, where an inkjet application can fit to a specialist market then growth can be impressive. It was clear that some formats are better suited to particular markets. While rollfed was the favourite in most markets, B2 sheetfed was also a popular choice in many markets, according to the report.

46 per cent of suppliers reported that inkjet represented less than 10 per cent of total turnover as yet. Clearly some specialise in inkjet, while others offer inkjet as one of a range of processes, for example, digital toner or conventional offset/flexo. However virtually all suppliers are investing heavily in the technology with significant research and development funding. For those printers investing in inkjet, the dominant consideration when choosing a supplier is the level of service support followed by the price of the complete commercial package. (GK)

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