Commercial Printers NAICS 3231

Dec 15, 2025 - Robotics to Improve Print Efficiency, Fill Labor Gap

• Robotics is reshaping the print industry, moving from a concept once confined to automotive and electronics into everyday production tasks such as loading substrates, stacking books, and handling textiles, according to Print Impressions. Print providers are adopting automation to address labor shortages, reduce workflow bottlenecks, and improve consistency across long shifts. Keypoint Intelligence is launching a global study to examine adoption trends, investment goals, and the barriers to adoption. Industry conversations highlight four recurring themes: robots ease labor challenges, improve productivity through predictable throughput, enhance quality with repeatable precision, and adapt well to short-run, mixed-volume environments. Early adopters report savings equivalent to one or two full-time roles per line, faster payback periods, and margin gains from improved uptime. Yet trust remains a barrier, as buyers seek proven reliability, peer validation, and partners with deep print expertise. This creates opportunities for OEMs and workflow providers to demonstrate real-world performance and close the trust gap.
• The commercial printing industry is expected to experience slow but positive sales growth in the coming years. The industry’s year-over-year sales rose 2.7% in 2024 after increasing 3.5% in 2023, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. Commercial printing sales growth is projected to moderate to 0.6% in 2025 and 0.3% in 2026, then see increasingly flatter annual growth through 2029, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.

• Commercial printers are increasingly leveraging AI tools in day-to-day operations, according to a recent survey by Alliance Insights. After identifying early use cases for AI, printers are now applying the technology to automate operations, gain fresh customer insights, and generate creative content. Of more than 300 printing firms surveyed, 85% believe AI is key to future competitiveness, and about 40% say firms that don't take advantage of AI may not survive. The most common use for AI among printers is generative AI for design and copy production (57% of respondents), followed by marketing personalization (38%), customer support chatbots and virtual assistants (26%), automating administrative sales tasks and scoring sales leads (23%), and job scheduling and workflow optimization (21%).
• The global digital packaging and label market is valued at $22 billion in 2025 and is forecast to post average annual growth of 5.8% through 2030 to reach $36.9 billion, according to market research firm Smithers. Digital printing has seen strong growth in labels, but inkjet’s versatility and ability to scale are making it an attractive option for large-scale printing of cartons, corrugated boxes, and flexible packaging. Brands and retailers are expected to drive steady demand for digital packaging and label printing’s advantages in order processing, design, prepress, finishing, and logistics.