InfoTrends’ latest study provides detailed insights about inkjet applications, usage and adoption that can help equipment manufacturers and paper mills to guide product strategies and go-to-market development efforts. This research includes insights from existing printers of high-speed inkjet in key market segments in North America and Europe. The study explores a range of topics such as current technology usage and challenges, as well as exploring print service provider needs and requirements from the next wave of high-speed inkjet solutions. Characterized as “landmark research,” it highlights a range of opportunities including print volume. For example, its research indicates that 82% of the volume produced on sheetfed inkjet devices is for run-lengths below 10,000. At the same time, the majority of volume for other sheetfed offset and digital devices is also used for similar run lengths, presenting a significant opportunity for sheetfed inkjet (providing that inkjet is more efficient, cost effective, and/or punctual than both offset and digital EP printing). The study further analyzes run-length comparisons in more detail, as well as these other factors.
“Current owners of high-speed inkjet devices are seeing a return on investment and are poised to continue their investments in inkjet. This growth is fueled by expanded capabilities, such as compatible coated stocks as well as with sheetfed and lighter duty cycle device configurations,” said Steve Adoniou, Group Director of Consulting and Research at InfoTrends (A Division of Keypoint Intelligence). InfoTrends conducted 68 in-depth interviews with existing high-speed inkjet customers, 261 structured interviews via web and phone with existing and prospective high speed inkjet customers, 20 vendor interviews, and extensive desk research and analysis of survey and quarterly shipment data. From this research, InfoTrends found that the high-speed inkjet market continues to grow, with total pages from high-speed inkjet presses expecting to increase by 17% worldwide in the next five years. InfoTrends also found that this volume will come from both existing toner and analogue devices.