Keypoint Intelligence releases global wide-format forecasts

Data and market intelligence specialist, Keypoint Intelligence, has released two new forecast reports analysing the global wide-format print market through to 2029.

The studies aim to examine how print volume, technology adoption, and application value are shifting across regions and production environments.

The reports, namely the ‘2024–2029 Global Wide Format Print Forecast’ and the ‘2024–2029 Wide Format Value of Print Forecast’, reveal a market that, in the words of Keypoint Intelligence, “continues to grow selectively,” with performance increasingly shaped by “application mix and technology choice rather than overall print volume alone.”

Discussing the findings of the forecasts, Johnny Shell, senior principal analyst (Wide Format Printing) at Keypoint Intelligence, says: “Wide-format printing is becoming more focused and more disciplined.

“Growth is concentrating in specific technologies and applications, and understanding those shifts is critical for vendors and suppliers planning their next moves.”

The Global Wide Format Print Forecast analyses hardware placements and print volumes across a number of ink technologies, highlighting changes in production behaviour and workflow priorities.

The Wide Format Value of Print Forecast, by contrast, examines how print value is distributed by application and region, aiming to provide insight into where revenue opportunities are strengthening or softening.

According to the reports, the wide-format market will see an increased emphasis on productivity and output efficiency, as well as diverging growth patterns across regions and applications. The industry is also likely to see significant and ongoing shifts in the technology and application mix through to 2029.

The focus on efficiency, driven by intensifying competition, labour shortages, and rising operational costs, will require a disciplined approach, with growth concentrating on technologies that deliver faster high-value output rather than just higher volume.

While the reports suggest that success in more mature markets will be based on high-productivity technology and consolidation, emerging economies may offer faster growth but with a higher chance of economic volatility.

In many regions, sectors like décor, textiles, and packaging are currently outpacing the core signage market in terms of growth, with many vendors responding by further diversifying their offerings. This trend of diversification from both technology providers and vendors is set to continue in the coming years.

Both of the wide-format print reports are available for purchase on the Keypoint Intelligence website.

Keypoint Intelligence has provided independent testing, lab data, and market research to the digital imaging industry for over 60 years. Its wide-format advisory services aim to help OEMs and technology providers navigate market shifts, identify growth opportunities, and strengthen product and market strategies.