Business

Future Opportunities In Digital Print

According to research from Keypoint Intelligence there are three immediate growth areas in digital print outside of the office space, with a fourth under an "honorable mention" banner: 1. Wide format: As the economy recovers, the demand for large-format applications like banners, murals, billboards, and even floor graphics will increase. The return of in-person events and trade shows will also ramp up the demand for these wide format jobs. As we look toward the future, extended reality will eventually become commonplace in the graphical communications industry, bridging the digital and analog divide for marketers who want to create more immersive experiences for prospective customers

2. Direct-to-garment (DTG) Fueled by a myriad of consumer values-based causes and enabled by e-commerce, the explosion of direct-to-consumer (DTC) apparel brands will drive continued growth in DTG. A high degree of variability and customisation at scale will be the keys to meeting consumers' demands.

3. Direct-to-shape (DTS) High-end product and packaging graphics are the norm with the rise of subscription-based business models that we see in DTC brands. we'll see increasingly complex applications that incorporate printed electronics on textiles and other industrial products in the longer te 4. Additive printing During 2021, funding for the additive printing market has already surpassed that of any prior year. Rapid innovations in 3D printing technology, new generative design software, and advancements in materials science have forever changed the ways that engineers conceive product designs. The Bottom Line: "There is no question that we are at another transformative inflection point in history. The pace of technological change will make this disruption just as powerful as, say, the dot-com boom that occurred more than 20 years ago. The print industry is not immune to any of these changes, and I can assure you that business as usual is not a winning strategy," believes Carl Doty, VP/Chief Analyst, Keypoint Intelligence.