Rise of the Business Ink Jet Machine

For the past several years, we have watched as chart after chart shows the downward trend of the worldwide imaging industry. Whether you look at unit shipments, average selling prices, or revenue, most of the trend lines are down, some more than others. While working on Photizo Group’s 2014 ink and toner forecasts, which we just released (found here), I had the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the numbers and saw the genesis of a trend worth watching.

During the next two years (2014 and 2015), Photizo expects worldwide single-color ink cartridge shipments and revenue to increase in the low single digits, while single-color ink cartridge usage per machine is expected to rise over the next five years. Contrast that with the color (CMY) toner cartridge market, which we forecast to decline worldwide in all three areas: cartridge shipments, revenue, and usage per machine.

One possible explanation for this situation is the rise of business ink jets, which are among the types of ink jet printers and MFPs that use single-color cartridges to help reduce per-page costs. In my last blog, I talked about the office printing market being ripe for the picking for business ink jet companies, and stemming the tide of declining page volumes is certainly another incentive for manufacturers. With the price/performance offered by the latest round of business ink jet machines—especially the page-wide-array models—I believe that users will buy these devices to print more pages for less money than a comparable entry-level color laser.

So pages will naturally shift from color toner-based machines to ink-based models, with perhaps even a bump in page volumes per device due to the combination of fast print speeds and lower cost per page (CPP) offered by business ink jets. Now, I’m not trumpeting the business ink jet as a panacea for what ails the imaging market—there are simply too many other factors, like mobile devices, digital workflow, and the “less paper” mindset of Gen Y, that are dragging down overall page volumes.

I am saying, however, that in a market that is tired of hearing about less printing, declining pages, and fewer opportunities for growth, business ink jet machines have the potential to turn those frowns upside down. And in case you’re wondering, regional factors will influence the use and adoption of business ink jets, so I’ll be digging deeper into these trends for Asia Pacific; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; Latin America, and North America in an upcoming article for Photizo’s Business Intelligence service.

Want access to that article, along with the ability to browse and search our database of business ink jet printers and supplies—in addition to more than 25,000 other devices, ranging from consumer to light production? A Business Intelligence subscription, which includes access to Photizo’s Hard Copy Datasource specification database, is yours for less than $2 a day! Click here for details. And I invite you to learn more about our unique Imaging Industry Practice, which provides access to Photizo’s hardware, supplies, and services forecasts.