Electrophotography, the dry printing technique invented by Chester Carlson in 1938, is the most popular digital printing technology used in the labeling and packaging industries. A new report from market research firm Technavio forecasts the global electrophotographic printing market in the packaging industry to grow at a CAGR of 8.78% over the period 2014-2019.

Commenting on the report, an analyst from Technavio’s team says: “The growth in the global digital printing market has significantly affected the labeling and packaging industry over past few years. Digital printing was developed in the 1970s; however, digital color printing was introduced only in 1993. Subsequently, digitalization has become a key driver in the printing process, and it has affected the traditional printing process. The adoption rate of digitalization in printing processes is faster in emerging countries such as China and India than in other countries. The increased adoption of digital printing has led to the development of advanced hybrid printing technology, which includes both digital and conventional printing processes. Therefore, the growth in digital printing is one of the key trends propelling the market.”

According to the report, companies are finding it difficult to retain customers, attract new ones, and gain customer loyalty. “This is compelling brand managers to increase their spending on marketing activities, and more precisely, on the packaging of their products. In packaging, electrophotographic printing is used for label printing. An innovative label enhances brand appeal and enables companies to gain a competitive edge over their competitors. A good label also has the potential to attract new customers. Thus companies are showing greater interest in labeling and this is driving market growth,” the report says.

Further, the report states that electrophotographic printing is increasingly facing competition from inkjet printing, which is a key challenge hindering the growth of the market.

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.