AKRON, OH–The digital print market is worth $167.5 billion globally in 2025, according to the latest research from Smithers, the global authority on the printing industry. Smithers latest report, “The Future of Digital Printing to 2035,” forecasts value in the sector will increase to $251.1 billion in 2035, at constant pricing. Major findings include:

• Arrival of new higher throughput inkjet machinery, combined with changes in print buying, will see the volume of digitally printed media increase from 1.8 trillion A4 print equivalents to 2.8 trillion over the 10-year period–a 54.3 percent increase in output 
• Some 304,000 tons of ink and toner sold in 2025, is generating revenue of $14.5 billion, alongside nearly $5.8 billion spent on new digital print machinery
• Highest growth rates will be in packaging, where digital is already well established in narrow web; and is now gaining traction in corrugated, cartons, flexible packaging, rigid plastics and metal print
• Adoption of digital print will be boosted by further technical refinements, mainly for inkjet, as it displaces toner as the dominant process. Resolution of inkjet printheads will continue to improve, from 1,200 dpi at 300m/per minute, up to 2,400 dpi by 2030 and approaching 3,000 dpi in 2035. Drop size will also improve–down to one picoliter– for high quality images

Digital will also benefit from the greater interest in sustainability in print procurement. Better life cycle analyses will more accurately capture the lower carbon impact associated with the reduced waste and set-up on digital press lines.

These technology developments will steadily improve the cost position of digital print against analogue alternatives. By 2035, many buyers and producers of digital print and packaging will be companies that do not exist in 2025. There will be acquisitions and mergers, with multiple new start-ups, some of which will grow to be major players over the next 10 years.