Printing And Label : Global Trends, Facts and Figures

Aspiring professionals and researchers within the broad field of engineering and technology, printing, and labeling occupy the space that deals with the production of designs and labels on different products and for varied purposes. Products and services offered in the advanced segment markets include marketing essentials like labels, packages, posters, and similar consumer-oriented printed content. Printing and labels solve the problems with big data technology by offering digital printing, eco-friendly consumables, and functional labels, among other things. Companies and customers are always looking for more complete, responsible, and better printing options. It’s a very vital market, especially in industries like retail, packaging, logistics, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, and consumer electronics.

The global printing and label market was estimated to be worth about $500 billion in revenues for 2023 and is forecast to expand by 4-5% per annum from 2024 to 2030 to reach about $700 billion by the end of the period under review. The main things that drive market growth are more product labels, better experiences for customers, better printing technology, and more e-commerce. In e-commerce, packaging and labels are very important for finding products, branding them, and moving them around.


Printing And Label Industry


Overview

Aspiring professionals and researchers within the broad field of engineering and technology, printing, and labeling occupy the space that deals with the production of designs and labels on different products and for varied purposes. Products and services offered in the advanced segment markets include marketing essentials like labels, packages, posters, and similar consumer-oriented printed content. Printing and labels solve the problems with big data technology by offering digital printing, eco-friendly consumables, and functional labels, among other things. Companies and customers are always looking for more complete, responsible, and better printing options. It’s a very vital market, especially in industries like retail, packaging, logistics, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, and consumer electronics.

The global printing and label market was estimated to be worth about $500 billion in revenues for 2023 and is forecast to expand by 4-5% per annum from 2024 to 2030 to reach about $700 billion by the end of the period under review. The main things that drive market growth are more product labels, better experiences for customers, better printing technology, and more e-commerce. In e-commerce, packaging and labels are very important for finding products, branding them, and moving them around.

Types & Definition

The printing and label industry is the business of design and manufacture that involves the production of printed material (text, graphics, and pictures) in various media, including paper, plastic, glass, and metal. It encompasses various printing techniques like flexography, gravure, digital, and offset printing services for packaging and labeling, as well as other general printing purposes. The label industry in particular concerns itself with the design, printing, and supply of labels for product coverage, promotion, and legal use.

There is a range of printing and labeling technologies and products that serve different purposes:

1. Offset Printing: For mass print production, such as books, magazines, newspapers, and big package printings, this method typically uses a rubber blanket instead of a printing plate. In this printing process, the rubber blanket transfers the ink to the actual printing surfaces.

2. Flexographic Printing: Flexography, or ‘flexo’ printing, is used to print on labels and packaging supplies. It is very effective for printing continuous designs on flexible supports, perfect for mass production. It is predominantly employed in the food, beverage, and consumer industries.

3. Gravure Printing: This type of printing is suitable for superfine, multicolored, and high-volume paper and packaging prints. To apply ink to a surface, gravure printing uses cylinders that have been engraved. The magazine, packaging, and labeling industries widely use this type of printing.

4. Digital Printing: It is the state-of-the-art printing that uses digital content and inkjet or laser techniques in its printing processes. Digital printing offers cost-effective and speedy solutions for low-volume printing tasks, particularly when the image or text is unique for each product, such as mailing pieces. Specialized designs for cartons or labels often utilize this method.

5. Screen Printing: This is a method for printing on both plain or simple objects as well as curved surfaces; this is especially practiced in the company for labels, packing, and publicity materials. It provides bright colors as well as high durability.

6. Thermal Printing: It is used in the majority of barcoding and ticket printers; thermal printing works by applying heat to transfer the ink onto the print material. Shipping labels, receipts, and inventory barcodes are some of the cases where thermal printing is most common.

7. Pressure-Sensitive Labels: This type of label activates without the need for heat, water, or solvents. Food, medicines, consumer products, and many other items can have adhesive labels attached to them.

8. Shrink Sleeves: The plastic is heat-shrunk to fit the size and shape of the container being labelled. Beverage cans, personal care products, and merchandising commonly use these labels.

9. Smart Labels: Smart labels are enhanced with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or NFC (Near Field Communication) along with other functionalities such as product tracking, counterfeiting, and information on the spot with no latent delays.

Industry Trends

1. Greener Ways: The global printing and labeling industry is increasingly utilizing environmentally friendly materials and production processes, and both businesses and customers are becoming increasingly aware of this trend. Companies are using materials that are biodegradable, recyclable, or even renewable to produce their labels.

2. Digital Printing Improvement: All elements involved in digital printing are improving as this process allows for more efficient, economical, and short printing runs, necessary for the manufacture of specific-purpose products or exclusive release. This progress is due to fast-developing technology and the need for more product customization and exclusivity.

3. S-mart or Smart Sensing Labels: Smart labels such as RFID, NFC, or QR codes have been embraced for the fact that they enhance tracking, interact with the customers, collect data, and others. This is common among logistics, retail, and consumer electronics fields.

4. Growth Markets: Emerging economies, especially in Asia, have seen an increase in supply for both print and label materials. As more of these markets open up, more and more companies are targeting them for business growth.

5. Internet and Labeling: The e-commerce boom is generating a surge in demand for labels and packages that emphasize customers, promote products, and verify the safe movement of goods.

6. Printing Automation: Printing automation throws into the mix increased efficiency, decreased wastage, and reduced costs. Companies are purchasing advanced printing systems that come with automated printing and material handling functions as other operations than ones that deal solely with printing.

Facts & Insights

Sustainable and eco-friendly thinking in labeling: Concerns about the environment push for the adoption of environmentally friendly label materials. These materials include recyclable paper, biodegradable films, and eco-friendly inks, among others. The wider adoption of 'green' packaging is also driving the trend.

Personalized and Custom Labels: Companies are increasingly requesting customized labels to help engage consumers. Digital printing techniques allow short quantity runs and design flexibility, enabling businesses to create custom packaging with ease.

Ecommerce: Growth in e-commerce activities has called for effective and efficient labeling in delivery and labeling in product marketing and storage operations. Labeling as well as packaging helps e-commerce firms to create their brands and offer marketing and logistic solutions.

Use of Smart Labels: Smart labels, which incorporate technologies such as QR codes, radio frequency identification, or near-field communication tags, are becoming increasingly popular due to their useful effects. These include increasing consumer contact and providing access to real-time market trends from supply chain perspectives.

Conformity with Regards to Labeling: With countries lasso getting tighter with regards to controls over various sectors, say food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, there is now a focus on ensuring that the labels integrated meet the legal provisions of how, why, and when the labels are to be used.

Turn-Around in Digital Printing: Thanks to the advancement within the digital print technologies that are available today, cost-effective production tools are now available that can deliver quality images very economically and more towering for minimal jobs. This has also led to shorter response times and production processes becoming more adaptable.

Counterfeit Control: Among the new labeling innovations fighting against counterfeiting are the use of holograms, tamper-evident seals, and unique codes embedded in barcodes, among others, mostly in pharmaceuticals, luxury items, and even electronics.

Market Segment

By Technology:

1. Printing process-Offset

2. Flexographic Printing

3. Printing in Gravure

4. Print it digitally.

5. Printing with Screen

6. Printing thermally.

By Usage:

1. Enclosing Contents of Packets and Imparting Labels

2. Merchandising—be it retail products or promotion through ads.

3. Health and Drug Facilities

4. Food Service Activities

5. Operations Transport and Warehouse

6. User Electronic Gadgets

By Industry:

1. Packaged Goods

2. Retailing Consumer Products

3. Pharmaceuticals, medicine, and related services

4. Edibles-Beverages

5. Vehicle industry

6. Electronic gadgets and other devices.

By geographical location:

1. Americas: United States, Canada, and Mexico

2. Europe

3. APAC (Asia and Australia)

4. South America and Caribbean Region

5. Africa and the Middle East Region

Industry Leader

1. HP is a company that specializes in printer-related products, as its name suggests. HP provides excellent and attractive print solutions for packages, labels, and many other things in the printing and label market.

2. The R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company is a leading global provider of print and related services. RR Donnelley provides label and packaging-related solutions with an emphasis on sectors such as retail and pharmaceuticals.

3. Label World is a prominent label printing company providing all the customized label printing services for the food, drinks, and other consumer products industries.

4. Avery Dennison- Avery Dennison, a global leader in pressure-sensitive labeling materials and systems for various industries, offers several innovative labeling solutions.

5. Quad/Graphics- Specializing in high-volume production printing along with associated marketing services, Quad/Graphics delivers print and label printing services to sectors such as the retail, packaging, and consumer goods industries.


Frequently Asked Questions

The global printing and labeling industry is said to be worth about $500 billion, and this is set to increase to $700 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of around 4–5%.
Types of printing techniques usually used in the printing industry include digital, flexographic, offset, gravure, screen, and thermal.
Top sectors include packaged food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, packaging, consumer gadgets, movies, and fashion and retail markets with logistical activities.
The most applicable contemporary developments focus on eco-labeling, growing digital printing, smart labeling with RF or NFC, and the demand for growing personalized labels and packaging.
According to Markets and Markets, some of the main firms are HP Inc., RR Donnelley, Avery Dennison, Quad/Graphics, and Label World.