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Two new wide-format reports from InfoTrends indicate that UV-curable inkjet is the fastest-growing technology in the wide-format digital printing market, while the use of solvent-inkjet printers will continue to decline.
The report Wide-Format UV-Curable Inkjet Market Forecast predicts that the total system revenue from UV-curable inkjet printing systems (hardware, ink, media, service contracts) will grow from $1.1 billion to 2008 to $3.7 billion in 2013, for a compound annual growth rate of 24%. InfoTrends explains that “Wide-format UV-curable technology has quickly evolved from primarily a flatbed inkjet printing technology to one that is much more capable and versatile,” commented Tim Greene, director of InfoTrends’ Wide-Format Printing Service. The report notes that the wide-format UV-curable market withstood the poor economic conditions better than any of the competing wide-format graphics production technologies, partly because of the speed and efficiency of the technology and partly because it overcomes some of the environmental disadvantages of solvent inkjet. InfoTrends’ report, Wide-Format Inkjet Solvent Market Forecast projects that total revenues for wide-format solvent inkjet systems will decline from $3.1 billion in 2008 to $1.7 billion by 2013. InfoTrends attributes the decline to two factors: (1) competition from new inkjet printing systems; and (2) environmental concerns.
According to the report, InfoTrends has been noticing a decline in the high-end of the solvent inkjet market for several years. “This decline, in shipment of new units and the run rates of the installed base, impacts the overall solvent inkjet market picture quite dramatically,” notes Greene.
InfoTrends believes that the high end of the solvent inkjet printer business has declined because of the focus on environmental, health, and safety requirements by end users. Plus, market leaders are investing in new alternative technologies including aqueous inkjet, UV-curable inkjet, and dye sublimation. However, Greene said that InfoTrends does expect notable suppliers to the solvent-inkjet market (particularly the low-end of the market) “will continue to nurture the development of products that offer advanced functionality to their important sign-shop customers.” Both reports are available for purchase through the InfoTrends online store.