A new Smithers market report titled ‘The Future of Global Ink Markets to 2030’ estimates that demand for inks used in commercial graphics, publication, packaging, and label printing will reach 3.3 million metric tons in 2025, with a value of USD$35.8 billion, rising to USD$40.2 billion in 2030. The report predicts that packaging and food contact-compliant inks will become more important, as publication print volumes fall and graphics print sales remains largely static. Extra value will also come from the development of more aqueous inksets, alongside more bio-based ingredients and higher demand for radiation curing and inkjet inks.
Remaining competitive in this marketplace with raw material costs rising is increasingly dependent on innovation to address the evolving nature of the print sector. The call for faster turnaround on shorter print runs is pushing several segments towards wider use of digital print. Water-based and radiation-curing inks are increasingly popular for inkjet, including some hybrid UV-water chemistries. While these do require extra drying or curing time, they are proving more popular than solvent inks that require out gassing prior to finishing processes such as lamination. On single-pass inkjet configurations, using water-based inks creates a greater emphasis on integrating recirculation technology to prevent nozzles clogging, or inline scanning to detect and compensate for blockages.
