Two insightful US industry reports have recently been launched which offer some data-driven insights and observations that may well be echoed in the Australian and New Zealand wide-format printing sector. The Printing United Alliance’s State of the Industry Report 2025, highlights more global industry trends and their current impact, whilst Keypoint Intelligence’s latest study, Beyond the Big Shops, uncovers how small and mid-sized print service providers are quietly reshaping wide-format printing.
The Printing United Alliance State of the Industry Report 2025 – available here - offers a comprehensive analysis of the US printing industry’s key performance indicators, including sales, operating costs, pricing trends, and overall business confidence. The report reaches into critical issues shaping industry such as the top concerns of printers, the strategies they are using to address those concerns, their capital investment plans and goals, and the market segments they see as having the greatest growth potential.
The report draws from the insights of nearly 200 companies highlighting how economic uncertainty has already affected the industry, with most companies experiencing flat or declining sales and profitability, and many postponing capital investments. In spite of this, the report introduces a more optimistic outlook, referencing ‘a new wave of productivity, powered by artificial intelligence and smart robotics, that is expected to reshape the industry in the second half of the decade’. It talks to the need for proactive risk management using tools like scenario planning and AI-powered forecasting, and advocates the increasing importance of advancing business plans and priorities despite the challenges of an unpredictable economic landscape.
Keypoint Intelligence’s Beyond the Big Shops report – found here – turns its attention to North American print service businesses operating with lean teams, modest space, fewer resources and limited scale. An obvious, yet key observation here is the direct correlation between the space they have and the choice of equipment. Most SME PSPs are looking to compact, eco-solvent, latex, or UV printers, and many are starting to add UV DTF and DTO systems. These machines let them print on a variety of surfaces, from banners and signs to drinkware and packaging, which opens new revenue streams without requiring major changes to their production floor.
With small teams, automation and ease of use are critical. Features like quick media changeovers, built-in print-and-cut, and intuitive RIP software help maximize output. Machines that can run overnight or require minimal supervision are especially useful.
Finishing is another pressure point. Most SMEs use basic tools like laminators and trimmers. For complex work like custom cuts or multi-layer graphics, they often outsource. Some are investing in entry-level automation, but only when the numbers justify it.
Interestingly, more than half the businesses surveyed for the study, plan to expand their application mix in the next 12 to 24 months. A big part of that growth is in promotional items and custom goods: high-margin, short-run products which will help to drive repeat business and give them a competitive edge against their larger, volume-focused competitors.
Technologies like UV DTF and DTO, along with web-to-print tools, are making this kind of expansion possible. SMEs are adopting them not just to keep up with shifting customer demands but to stay ahead of them. Their proximity to local markets gives them an early read on trends, and their size lets them pivot quickly.
These companies aren’t chasing the biggest or fastest: they want reliable tools that fit their space, support new applications, and deliver a solid return. They are practical buyers, but also strategic. Johnny Shell, Senior Principal Analyst at Keypoint Intelligence, says: “SMEs don’t make impulsive purchases. They invest in capabilities, in partnerships, and in tools that allow them to meet real customer demand with precision and responsiveness.”
