Key Features:
- The value of the water-based ink market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% for 2022-27, overshadowing solvent inks at 1.3%
- By volume, solvent-based printing will witness a growth rate of 1.9% from 2022-27, while water-based can expect a growth rate of 3.1% for the same period
- The total market for inks of all technologies is forecast to reach $32.9 billion in 2027, representing a 1.8% CAGR.
Growth over the review period has been affected by the combined effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. Increasing energy costs and raw material shortages have resulted in mandatory price increases for many inks across most technologies and market segments, which has had the effect of increasing the overall value of the inks market. This effect is most acute in the middle years of the review period and the impact on ink pricing is forecast to reduce in the five years to 2027, during which more normal competitive pressures will resume and some degree of price erosion will occur.
Our exclusive content
- The technology driving the industry and its subsequent impact on solvent- and water-based inks and printing
- In-depth analysis of the competitive landscape and various print processes
- Exploration into the different end-uses and how the market for each is expected to change over the next five years
- The reasons for transition from solvent-based to water-based inks where this is taking place, and the reasons why this will be limited in some markets and printing technologies.
What will you discover?
- This report covers solvent-, water-, oil-based and radiation curing technologies
- The principal ink technologies are reviewed and the reason for their use in key market segments is detailed
- There is a particular focus on any transition from solvent-based to water-based printing technology where this is feasible and desirable, and the report highlights the reasons for selection of a particular ink technology together with key benefits and limitations of each technology reviewed.
Who should buy this report?
- Ink manufacturers
- Raw materials manufacturers
- Equipment suppliers
- Packaging converters
- Industry analysts and researchers
The Smithers methodology
This report is based on extensive primary and secondary research. Primary research consisted of targeted interviews with ink suppliers, print service providers and experts drawn from key markets. This was supported by secondary research in the form of extensive literature analysis of published data, official government statistics, domestic and international trade organisation data, company websites, industry reports, trade press articles, presentations, and attendance at trade events.
About the author
Jon Harper Smith has nearly 40 years' experience in the printing industry through his time working with Fujifilm and has extensive experience of industrial and package printing businesses with particular focus on industrial inkjet and flexo processes. He has a proven ability to develop complex cross border businesses involving the provision of highly technical products that meet strict end user specifications.
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction and methodology
- Introduction
- Scope
- Objectives
- Methodology
- Definitions
- Printed products
- Ink Technologies
- Print processes
- Geographic markets
- Abbreviations
- Exchange rates
Key drivers and trends
- Introduction
- Covid-19 and the conflict in Ukraine
- Raw material prices
- Sustainability
- Technology forecasts
- Overview
- Solvent inks
- Water-based inks
- Managing water in water-based inks
- Printing high coverage with water-based inkjet inks
- Drying speed with water-based inks
- Summary - water-based ink technology
- UV inks
- Oil-based inks
Processes market forecasts
- Overview
- Print processes
- Sheetfed offset litho
- Heatset web offset litho
- Coldset web offset litho
- Gravure
- Flexo
- Screen
- Letterpress
- Other (intaglio)
- Inkjet
End-use market forecasts
- Overview
- Publishing
- Advertising
- Commercial
- Labels
- Packaging
- Corrugated & solid fibre packaging
- Cartons
- Flexible plastic packaging
- Rigid plastic packaging
- Metal packaging
- Textiles
Geographic market forecasts
- Overview
- Western Europe
- North America
- Asia
- Latin America
- Eastern Europe
- Middle East
- Africa
- Australasia
Tables
- Global total solvent-based printing, tonnes
- Global total water-based printing, tonnes
For each print process:
- Market by end use, solvent-based, 2017-27 tonnes
- Market by end use, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Market by end use, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Market by end use, oil-based/, 2017-27, tonnes
- Market by end use, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
- Market by end use, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
- Market by end use, UV cured, 2017- 27, $ million, 2021 constant
- Market by end use, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
List of print processes:
- Sheetfed offset litho
- Heatset web offset litho
- Coldset web offset litho
- Gravure
- Flexo
- Screen
- Letterpress
- Other (intaglio)
- Inkjet
For each global end-use market:
- Global market, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Global market, by print process, waterbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Global market, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Global market, by print process, oilbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Global market, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
- Global market, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
- Global market, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
- Global market, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, 2021 constant
List of end-use markets:
- Publishing
- Books
- Other publishing
- Advertising
- Commercial
- Labels
- Packaging
- Corrugated and solid fibre
- Cartons
- Flexible plastic packaging
- Rigid plastic packaging
- Metal packaging
- Western Europe, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Western Europe, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Western Europe, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Western Europe, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Western Europe, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Western Europe, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Western Europe, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Western Europe, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- North America, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- North America, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- North America, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- North America, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- North America, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- North America, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- North America, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- North America, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Asia, total, by print process, solventbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Asia, total, by print process, waterbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Asia, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Asia, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Asia, total, by print process, solventbased, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Asia, total, by print process, waterbased, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Asia, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Asia, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Latin America, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Latin America, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Latin America, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Latin America, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Latin America, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Latin America, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Latin America, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Latin America, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Eastern Europe, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Middle East, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Middle East, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Middle East, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Middle East, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Middle East, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Middle East, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Middle East, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Middle East, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Africa, total, by print process, solventbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Africa, total, by print process, waterbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Africa, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Africa, total, by print process, oilbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Africa, total, by print process, solventbased, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Africa, total, by print process, waterbased, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Africa, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Africa, total, by print process, oil-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Australasia, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Australasia, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, tonnes
- Australasia, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, tonnes
- Australasia, total, by print process, oilbased, 2017-27, tonnes
- Australasia, total, by print process, solvent-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Australasia, total, by print process, water-based, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Australasia, total, by print process, UV cured, 2017-27, $ million, constant 2021
- Australasia, total, by print process, oil-based,