drupa
Print Horizons
ReportExecutive Summary
Introduction
Welcome to this special drupa Print Horizons Report. With drupa 2024 fast approaching, we used thesurvey for the latest Global Trends Report, published in November 2023, as an opportunity to ask aseries of questions on key technical and market developments that are likely to dominate the show.
As there was insufficient space to cover them all in the main Trends report, these have been analysed
for this report.
We circulated two separate surveys to printers and suppliers in May and June 2023, which share manyquestions, but ensure that their differing interests are addressed. Over 600 printers and suppliers
contributed and we must thank them. The full breakdown of participants by region and market is in
the Appendix.
All printers, regardless of size, region or market, must recognise the seismic shifts in print caused bydigitisation. Indeed, the problem is where to start, given so many radical changes are occurring so
rapidly. It was from this debate that the Print Horizons report was born; a brief guide to the mostimportant topics that printers and suppliers need to research when preparing to visit drupa 2024 in
May/June.
Messe Düsseldorf, in its role as drupa organiser, must thank Printfuture (UK) and Wissler & Partner(Switzerland) for conducting and authoring this report series. We are confident you will find theresulting report insightful. We welcome your feedback and invite you to send us an email at
drupa-expert-panel@drupa.de.
The drupa teamMarch 2024

Print Horizons Report March 2024

Print Horizons Report

Executive Summary
The 9th Global Trends report, published in
November last year, was remarkably positive
given the challenges faced in the last few years.
Printers and suppliers know that exploiting newtechnology is key to a successful future. The
problem is how best to achieve this end. With
this in mind, the 2023 Trends survey asked arange of questions on technology opportunities
and priorities. From the replies, we have drawn
up six key topics, which were at the top of theprinters’ priority lists for more research andinvestment:
1.	The changing dynamics of analogue
and digital production
2. Workflow and Automation
3. Print Embellishment and Finishing
4. Web-to Print
5. Digital Packaging and Labels
6. Sustainability and ESG
We will address each of these in turn andexplore the survey findings, complemented bycommentaries from industry specialists made ina series of interviews with this report’s authors.
In each case the data shown is for those survey
participants that chose the topic as one of
their top two priorities to be addressed in thenext 12 months. In all cases we quote the data
only where there is an adequate number of
respondents in the sample.

To clarify, when we talk of ‘printers’ we mean
printers, converters and those who havemigrated into production of printed materials
whether commercial, publishing, packaging
or functional. And given the central focus on
evolving print technologies, we should clarify
how we define these:
Inkjet refers to Thermal, Piezo and Continuous
inkjet technologies.
Toner refers to Toner and Liquid ElectroPhotography
Conventional refers to Offset, Gravure and Flexo.

The transition to a digital world –Adapt or die“Most SME printers need to start looking at
where they’re going in the future. Decisions need
to be driven by your ability to diversify, specialise
and scale your operations.”
Commercial printer, Germany
Diversification is critical to any printer or
supplier in the rapidly changing print market.
Chart A demonstrates a sustained and rapid rateof change amongst both printers and suppliers,in the products and services they offer and themarkets they sell into.

Diversification
Printer
Suppliers
Diversification – –PrinterandandSuppliers%
80

Printers

70

Suppliers

60
50
40
30
20

Chart A: Has your company introduced major
new products/services/entered new markets
since 2019?

10
0
2022
2023
New Products

2022
2023
New Services

2022
2023
New Markets

Print Horizons Report March 20242

Print Horizons Reportdrupa 2024 is the ideal opportunity for suppliers
to promote new technologies and for printers
to discover how they can best exploit thosetechnologies. But they do have different
priorities as evident in Chart B. Printers placea much higher priority on faster, more efficientconventional print and/or finishing equipment

than suppliers, 49% versus 28%. Similarly,
End to end automation is a priority for 38% ofprinters but only 22% of suppliers. Indeed, theonly topic on which both parties are agreed
is the importance of Digital print as a coreproduction method, 31% each.

Printers’ investment/development
priorities
Printers‘ investment/development
priorities
versus Suppliers’
marketing priorities
versus Suppliers‘ marketing
priorities
Printers
1. Digital print as a core production method

Suppliers

2. Faster, more efficient conventional print
and/or finishing equipment
3. Print embellishment - foiling,varnish, die cutting etc
4. End-to-end automation - workflow
automation of prepress, press and post press
5. Systems integration withcustomer and supplier systems
6. Online sales platforms

7. Marketing automation acrossmultiple marketing platforms
8. Security workflow and systems forcustomer data and information
%
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Chart B: Printers - Which of the following topics will you be prioritising for investment ordevelopment purposes in the next 12 months? Suppliers - Which, if any, of the following
topics will your company plan to focus your marketing efforts on in the next 12 months?

Print Horizons Report March 20243

Print Horizons Report“For most print companies they know change is coming, but human nature being what it is, we ignore
something until impending doom or until something‘s knocking on our door. … If you future-proof
your business with the latest great technology, and build a digital platform behind it, you‘re becoming
sustainable…rather than relying on short-term fluctuations.”
UK Commercial printer1. The changing dynamics of analogue and digital production
The majority of printers will continue to use conventional print in tandem with digital production.
If implemented effectively, the two methodologies should complement, not compete.

Printer reasons for investment inconventional
print/finishing
Printer reasonsfor investment inconventional print/finishing%80

Increase capacity

70

Reduce the equipment/staffing required

60

Greater automation/less skills required

50

More efficient short runs

40

Small data set

30
20
10
0
EuropeAfricaCommercial

Publishing

Packaging

GLOBAL

Chart C: What are the top two reasons for investment inconventional print and/or finishing equipment?

Faster more efficient conventional
print and finishing
Most printers will look for more efficientconventional print and finishing at drupa 2024.
The motivation will vary between regions (largely
dependent on the cost of labour and the shortageof skills) and markets (largely dependent on theneed for: greater capacity – Packaging, lower
costs – Commercial and Publishing, or fresh
product development – Functional.)“The vast majority of commoditized print you
can‘t add any value to really, except by delivering
it on time to the right quality and the technology
usually takes care of that. The technology
preference still seems to be around Toner rather
than Inkjet. There‘s still a fear around the cost of
Inkjet. ….. People don‘t want to be locked into atechnology, which they see is still evolving.”
Gareth Ward - Print Business Magazine, UK

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Digital print as a core production
methodSheetfed toner technology still dominates
the volume end of this market, but inkjet
in its various guises is where most suppliereffort is focussed. Past simple conversations
about the economic breakeven point between
conventional and digital print have been
overtaken by more sophisticated dialogues
about how digital print can change a market,
not just be economic for short runs and fast
turnround.
We asked for the profile of the digital print
produced in terms of lead time and run length.
In terms of run length, there was no significant
variation by region or market. Globally 57%
of printers reported that run lengths of morethan 5,000 sheets only occurred in up to 10%of their orders, i.e. rarely. Only 23% reported it
occurred with more than 25% of their digitalprint orders.

“In print’s history 15% of all pages printed are
now digital. This is not a fast transition; it has
taken 30 years. Digital print becomes successfulwhen it is disruptive to an existing businessmodel. Digital is then about value creation e.g. in
the labels market, 20% of the value comes fromdigital production, but the volume is only around
8%. Replacement of offset pages since Covid
when paper prices have doubled is effectively
pricing yourself out of the market. Document
printing is now more of a luxury product. The
business model for low-cost pages has gone, it’s
not necessarily going to digital. … The industry
is slowly evolving but we are doing it kicking andscreaming.” Marco Boer – Vice President
IT Strategies, US

Regarding lead times, 48% of Commercial
printers reported that more than 25% of theirdigital print orders had a lead time of less than
48hrs, dropping to 32% amongst Packaging
printers and 27% amongst Publishing printers.

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2. Workflow and Automation
Print companies need to understand thatinvestment in digital printing needs to go handin-hand with the digitisation of other businessprocesses.
End to end Automation was described in the Global
Trends survey as a progressive process, startingwith no automation, then with automated prepresscolour managed workflow, then automated press
and post-press workflow and finally end-to-end JDF(or similar) workflow.
We asked where companies stood on this spectrumat the moment. Globally 29% had none of the above
i.e. had not started, 54% had prepress automation;
35% has press and post-press automation and
13% end-to-end JDF workflow (only one option wasallowed). There were regional variations e.g. 46%
of Asian printers had none of the above, while only

24% of European printers had none. What was
striking was the bold ambition for this to change in
the next couple of years, as shown in Chart D.
To date many printers have made valiant attempts
at automating individual workflows, but few have
yet to tackle the bigger challenge of creating
a single automated workflow. The time, costand disruption of implementing comprehensive
automation remains a big stumbling block, though
there are an increasing number of integrated
software solutions from suppliers ready to assist.
Systems integration with customers and suppliers
is proving to be an effective means of removing
unnecessary labour and errors. As a result, data
security and accreditation are now increasingly
being demanded by customers and regulators.
Marketing automation platforms are also offering
printers cost effective communications to bothacquire and retain customers or even yourcustomers’ customers.

Printer
ambition to automate
Printer ambition to automate
overovertime
time%
60

Actual 2023

50

Forecast 2025

40
30
20
10

No

au

to
m

at
ion
co
lou Aur m toan matag ed
ed p
wo reprk res
Au
flo s
to
w
ma
po te
st d
pr prees p
s w reor ss akfl nd
En
ow
dt
oe
nd
JD
Fw
or
kfl
ow

0

Chart D: Which of the following automation do you plan
to install in the next two years?

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Print Horizons Report

The impact of Artificial Intelligence
AI is already in use within the print industry e.g.,
to monitor and analyse machine performancedata to assist predictive maintenance schedules. It
could also be used to make better use of materials,
reduce waste and help with quality control. The
print industry should prepare for an influx of files
with text and images created by AI and customer
service interactions being automated and improvedby chatbots giving real time updates and answering
customer queries. All these aspects improve
operational efficiency and manufacturing processes
in the supply chain. All of us are at the beginningof a journey to understand generative AI’s power,
reach, and capabilities.
“There‘s an on-going interest in AI now. You see
printers that are using it to analyse their data andworkflow and also use it in customer service andmarketing. There are uses of big data sets and AI
in customizing and highly personalizing output
using unusual data sources. I think AI is still a bit
pioneering, but it‘s finding its way into leadershipand also into the IT department.”Peter Van Teeseling – Executive Director Dscoop,
The Netherlands

3. Print Embellishment and Finishing
Investment in Finishing is as important as that inprint production, according to the latest Trends
report. The shift towards short run and on
demand production has changed the dynamics
and requirements of the finishing department.
One aspect that gets increasing attention isinline finishing and digital print embellishment.
This in turn needs clients to be educated in theopportunities and costs involved.

When we asked printers, “Why invest in print
embellishment?”, there were mixed answers. 79%
of European printers who selected this topic asa priority stated it was for customer acquisition
and 45% for improved profit margin. The figures
for Asia were almost exactly reversed: 63%
profit margin and 37% customer acquisition.
No significant variation by market, except thatpackaging printers put a higher priority on
customer retention than commercial printers.
50% of packaging printers who selected this topic
as a priority, stated that more than 25% of their
turnover by value contains print embellishment
compared with 28% of commercial printers. It isquite striking that 73% of suppliers were focussing
their marketing efforts on cost effective production.

4. Web-to-Print
The Trends report data is a puzzle. It shows
glacial growth in Web-to-Print installations.
One commentator explains this as the effect ofprinters outsourcing work via cloud-based webto-print platforms without having to invest in
one themselves. Hence volume grows but notinstallations. What is not in doubt is that web-toprint can accelerate the pace of automation withina print business, taking on so many otherwise
labour-intensive tasks.
Back in 2014, 25% of our global panel stated they
had a Web-to-Print installation. In 2023, the figure
is still 25%. We understand that some regions use
less e-commerce for cultural, infrastructure andother reasons, but even in Europe the growth isglacial: 2014 27% to 2023 28%.

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Globally of those who stated in this survey thaton-line sales was a priority, 42% have had theire-commerce system for less than 1 year and only
30% have had it for more than 3 years. As to
why companies are interested in installing and/or upgrading their e-commerce systems; this is
influenced by the market sectors they operate in.
While both packaging and commercial printerswere broadly agreed as to the importance ofcustomer acquisition and retention – c.50% and
40% respectively, Packaging printers were far
more concerned with marketing differentiation
55% than Commercial printers 28%. It was thereverse for automation and workflow – 41%
Commercial and 23% Packaging.
“With W2P it is possible for printers to enter
niche markets, own them and lock them down.
… W2P allows printers to play with dominance inthe market; we manage 5000 products, in 241
locations in 104 countries. We use printers whoare incredibly good at one type of print, e.g. bookprinters, photo products, business cards and they
become synonymous with that sector. … In thisbusiness model competitors can also be partners
through a global web enabled network.”
Tim Cox – Business Development Director
Cloudprinter, UK

5. Digital Packaging and Labels
It is acknowledged by all that the Packaging
market has prospered through the period ofdigitisation and in consequence is receiving
attention from many print companies of adifferent market tradition. At the high-volume
end conventional print continues to thrive, but
as supply chains break up and become more
complex and the number of SKUs grows, there are
increasing opportunities for digital production.

More than 10% of SKUs specified
Morethanprint
10% ofover
SKUs
specifiedasdigitaltime
as digital print over time

%
35

2013

30

2016

25

2019

20

2023

15

No data for Rigid andPoint of Sale in 2013

10
5

le
Fle
xib

gid
Po
in
Pu t ofrc Sa
ha le
se /Po/B in
an t o
ne f
rs

ga
te
d

Ri

ar
d
Co
rru

Ca
rto
n/

bo

els
Fo
ldi
ng

La
b
s&
Ta
g

/S
ec
on
da
ry

0

Chart E: What % of SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) specify
digital printing?

Print Horizons Report March 20248

Print Horizons Report“I definitely see there is a huge opportunity in thedigitally printed packaging space where printing
what you need, where you need it and when you
need it, will be accelerated through the growing
ESG agenda of brands. 60% of the footprintof print and printed products is created by thetransportation. So, if you can eliminate that or
reduce it to the minimum, then suddenly
it becomes a very viable alternative.”Peter van Teeseling – Executive Director
Dscoop, The Netherlands

6. Sustainability and ESG
Sustainability is not a fresh topic of interest, but
one that no printer or supplier can afford to ignore
any longer. Increasingly actions taken to increasesustainability are also good for the bottom line
and anyway are demanded by customers, so it isa no-brainer to tackle the task with enthusiasm.
55% of all printers surveyed have a sustainability
policy with specific goals and targets. This figure
is true both globally and across all markets. Thisis an important recognition by the whole industry
that the topic must be addressed effectively. It is
no longer someone else’s problem – it is ours.

“I would advise printers first of all, focus on what
we used to call CSR, about your corporate social
responsibility. Look about your business, go up
through your stakeholders and down throughyour stakeholders, just to make sure everything iscovered off. If anyone then comes and says, well,what about ESG? At least you have a structured
approach that you can turn around and say; thisis what I do about my designs, this is what I do
about my manufacturing, this is what I do about
my premises and all of my key stakeholders, thisis what I do about CS-CO2, scope one, scope
two, scope three, this is what I do about endof life or manufacturing waste.” Steve Lister– Sustainability Consultant to Brands andRetailers, UK
In conclusion, all printers, regardless of size,
region or market, must recognise the seismic
shifts in print caused by digitisation. Indeed, theproblem is where to start, given so many radical
changes are occurring so rapidly. It was from thisdebate that the Print Horizons report was born;a brief guide to the most important topics thatprinters and suppliers need to research when
preparing for drupa 2024 next May/June.

“About 90% of the inquiries I now receive havea key sustainability component. We think this willcontinue to be a driver for brands in the coming
years.” Packaging Manufacturer, France
ESG is more challenging, not least because there
is no clear definition and the legislators are
struggling to codify what is meant. Nevertheless,there is a trickle-down effect from large
multinationals to smaller suppliers demanding
this is given attention. For now, our commentators
advise that printers and suppliers start with what
they understand, namely formalising their CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) policy
and processes.

Print Horizons Report March 20249