Large-format printer shipments decline slightly

by all | 6 August 2015 8:50 am

[1]Worldwide shipments of large-format printers showed a slight decline in the first quarter (Q1) of 2015, according to International Data Corporation (IDC), but durable aqueous ‘latex’ and ultraviolet-curing (UV-curing) printers continued to see growth.

IDC, a market research and advisory firm, reports overall large-format printer shipments declined by less than one per cent compared to Q1 of 2014, but associated revenue decreased by almost three per cent.

“The quarter got off to a strong start with latex, UV and eco-solvent printing technologies showing nice growth overall,” says IDC program director Phuong Hang, “but some decline in shipments is expected because the average rated speed of wide-format printers is increasing, providing the capacity to replace older technologies with fewer new units.”

In particular, the wide-format computer-aided design (CAD) and technical printer market segment saw shipments drop by 1.2 per cent in Q1 of 2015 versus 2014. Within this market, a one per cent increase in inkjet printers was more than offset by a 14 per cent decline in toner-based printers.

Meanwhile, the trend toward more productive latex and UV printers was good news for vendors like HP, which maintained its number one market position partly thanks to its burgeoning latex category, and Canon, which is number two and manufactures Océ UV-curing printers (example pictured) in Burnaby, B.C.

“Latex really stood out, with shipments up over 55 per cent compared to last year,” says Hang.

Further in the market share rankings, Epson maintained its number three position with a mix of eco-solvent, dye-sublimation and technical printers; Roland remained number four with an increased presence in UV; and Mimaki surpassed Ricoh to reach number five, thanks to the aforementioned continuous shift from toner-based printers to inkjet systems.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/large-format-printer-shipments-decline-slightly/

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