Over the years, I have enjoyed seeing the latest advances in digital printing. The first time I noticed the possibilities of inkjet was at drupa 2004, when I was watching Xerox print books for attendees. By drupa 2008, digital printing was becoming increasingly prevalent. Today, we are seeing inkjet holding sizable shares in some markets, with new opportunities emerging; for example, I saw some fascinating developments during 2024 PRINTING United.

Speaking with digital ink executives for my report, “The 2025 Inkjet Ink Market,” which starts on page 13, there is plenty of potential ahead for the digital printing market. We already see inkjet growing in the packaging and textile segments; these will be covered in our July and October issues, respectively. For this article, I focused on new fields where inkjet can make significant inroads.

Industry leaders pointed to a range of possibilities. Wallcoverings is a nice growth area. I remember hearing a talk more than a decade ago where a speaker said that digitally printed wallcoverings were likely to be a small niche market Today, that niche has grown quite well, and some of the traditional advantages of digital printing – customization and just-in-time inventory – fit well with the business model.

Direct-to-object printing is another area of growth. Inkjet printers and ink manufacturers are successfully printing 3D objects, whether they are cans and bottles, golf balls, or countless other items. This is proving to be a good opportunity.

Inkjet also continues to expand in the packaging and textile fields. Industry leaders believe that label printing will continue to move over to digital printing, while direct-to-film (DTF) printers are a major trend in the textile segment.

The major drivers of digital printing’s expansion, such as customization and personalization, the ability to produce a single item or a thousand at the same cost per unit, and the ability to produce items quickly and sustainably while reducing inventory for customers, are leading to increasing opportunities, and there is every reason to believe that digital printing will continue to expand in the coming years.


David Savastano
Ink World Editor
dsavastano@rodmanmedia.com