Since 2020, inkjet and electrophotography printing has secured new markets in labels and packaging. A new Smithers report, The Future of Digital Print for Packaging to 2026, reveals total value will reach $21.1 billion in 2021.
This makes sense, as run lengths have decreased and print quality on inkjet presses has risen; but the market has received a specific boost from the Covid-19 pandemic. As normal supply and consumer purchasing patterns were disrupted, the use of digital presses rose to meet fluctuating demand from packagers. Accordingly print volumes for digital print in packaging rose by 20.8% across 2019-2020.