Commercial Printers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 21,000 commercial printers in the US produce brochures, ads, books, packaging, business cards, and other output for clients. They are in the midst of a transition to digital technologies and electronic media.
Rapid Technological Change
The transition to digital technology has accelerated the rate of equipment change in the printing industry.
Weak Printing Demand
The commercial printing industry has seen falling demand for printed advertising materials caused by the shift to electronic media.
Industry size & Structure
The average commercial printer has fewer than 15 employees and generates $3.7 million in annual revenue.
- The industry consists of 21,000 firms with 276,000 employees, and revenue of $78 billion.
- Digital communications are replacing print for advertising, direct mail, magazines, books, and other business publications.
- Digital printing has reduced the barriers to entry for commercial printing. The new competition consists of quick printing companies and companies doing their own printing in-house.
- Industry-wide employment fell 15% from 2013 to 2022.
- Most firms are privately-held and 85% of firms have less than 20 employees.
- Large firms include RR Donnelley, Quad/Graphics, Transcontinental Printing, and Cenveo.
Industry Forecast
Commercial Printers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jul 18, 2024 - Print Still Relevant for Graphic Designers
- Print and paper remain a key medium for projects, according to a recent survey of graphic designers by Graphic Design USA and paper and packaging firm Billerud. More than 95% of graphic designers surveyed said print projects are part of their work mix. Overall, graphic designers said print plays a role in nearly two-thirds of their projects. Just over 70% of respondents said they expect their level of print design work to remain the same in the future, 15% expect print work volume to increase, and 11% said print design would likely decline.
- US net media owner advertising revenues, a demand driver for direct mail advertising, are expected to rise by 10.7% in 2024 over 2023, according to a recently revised forecast by advertising firm MAGNA. Direct mail ad spending was flat in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. While direct mail ad spending is expected to contract by 2% in 2024, that is an improvement over a previous MAGNA forecast that projected direct mail spending to decline by 4%. Pure-play digital ad spending is forecast to grow by 13% in 2024, accounting for 71% of all ad dollars.
- Direct mail continues to enjoy growth even as more of the advertising market is dominated by digital channels, according to marketing firm SeQuel Response’s 2024 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report. According to the report, 61% of B2B and B2C marketers increased their direct mail investments in 2024, marking a 12% increase from 2023. About 54% of marketers plan to keep growing their direct mail budgets in 2024. The report also found that 72% of consumers view mail daily, up 3% from 2023. Consumers also indicated that direct mail is more enjoyable and influential than many digital channels.
- At a recent printing industry event, an analyst with Keypoint Intelligence briefed attendees on the ways AI has impacted the industry in just the past year, according to Printing Impressions. AI can speed up art creation in graphic design. In marketing departments, AI aids in writing marketing copy, developing website copy, and checking copyrights. Other uses include writing sales proposals, automating prepress work, and predictive maintenance and service for printing equipment. According to Keypoint Intelligence, print service providers expect their use of AI to increase rapidly, particularly in areas including customer service, operational analytics, sales, job scheduling, business development, and improving image quality.
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