2021 Top International Ink Companies Report

The world is a very different place since the COVID-19 pandemic began early in 2020. Estimates place a global death toll of nearly 4 million people, and there are dangerous new variants. Vaccinations are being administered as quickly as possible, with some estimates that 23% of the world’s population received at least one dose.

In talking with leading ink manufacturers for this year’s Top Ink Companies Report, there are a couple of clear messages. The first is that every ink company faced significant challenges in maintaining raw material supply. Key ink ingredients were in short supply, either due to shutdowns or products being redirected to other uses. If ingredients were available, transportation and logistics offered their own obstacles.

Second, ink companies report that their people were able to overcome the many challenges that the pandemic created. Many executives credited their employees with making all of the difference this year.

Third, there is a belief that we are headed for some stability moving forward. It may be in the form of a “new normal,” whatever that may be, but many ink industry leaders are seeing an uptick in activities. Hopefully this will continue, and the pandemic will soon be mostly behind us.