As we stand on the cusp of 2024, the landscape of digital printing technology is poised for exciting advancements and transformative shifts. The industry, already marked by rapid evolution, continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

With an increasing focus on sustainability across industries, digital printing is expected to adopt more environmentally friendly practices in 2024. This involves the use of eco-friendly inks, reduced energy consumption, and the development of recyclable materials suitable for digital printing. Sustainable practices will not only align with global environmental goals but also meet the growing demand for eco-conscious products.

The textile industry has witnessed a significant shift with the advent of digital textile printing, and this trend is expected to continue its upward trajectory in 2024. Increased customization, faster production times, and the ability to print on a variety of fabrics will make digital textile printing even more attractive to designers, manufacturers, and consumers.

The year 2024 holds great promise for the digital printing industry, with a convergence of technological advancements that will redefine the way we approach printing in various sectors. From improved color accuracy and the rise of 3D printing in commercial applications to the integration of AI and sustainable printing practices, the future is undeniably digital and dynamic.

As businesses and consumers alike embrace the transformative power of digital printing, the industry’s landscape will continue to evolve rapidly. The key to success will lie in the adaptability of businesses to leverage these emerging technologies, staying ahead of the curve and unlocking new possibilities in the world of digital printing. The stage is set for an era where innovation and imagination converge, shaping a future where the printed word meets cutting-edge technology.

We share with you thoughts of a few leaders from the print industry expressing their views on Lookig Back - Looking Forward.

Ajay Agarwal
Managing Director & CEO
Insight Print Communications



“I wish all the readers a very happy 2024. Covid, although very recent, has all been forgotten as India continues to grow rapidly towards the 5 trillion dollar economy target for now and furthermore. Covid - surely gave a boost to digital - digital payments, online meetings, online classes and schools and as far as we are concerned - digital printing.

Digital printing has been growing consistently since its inception. Till date digital printing is in single digits compared to offset. I believe it will start to grow exponentially from now onwards. Commercial printing has moved to digital in a big way and now the book publishing industry will start to do so.

We have introduced an inkjet press which has a very high cross-over point of 2,000 to 5,000 books before offset becomes cheaper. 99% of the book’s print runs are less than this range. In digital - we need exactly 2 raw materials, ink and paper. Compare this with offset - where we need almost 30 plus raw materials in prepress and press. Post press remains the same for both technologies.

Another issue was the life of the digital press versus offset and the speeds that toner based digital presses were too low for mass printing. Both these issues are getting resolved. High speed digital inkjet presses have a long life as good as offset and they also produce at the same speeds as a sheetfed offset. The net time from order to delivery and the capability to print books in the “Just in time” model can be a huge advantage that digital can offer compared to offset.

There are many more advantages like paper savings, power savings, space savings, labour savings. Further environmentally sustainable printing technologies, low paper waste, zero chemicals, zero water and zero discharge add to the attractiveness of digital.

Drupa 2024 will be a big eye-opener for our industry. It is happening after eight years and a lot of new technologies in digital printing will open up new business models for our printers and publishers.

Atul Thakker
Managing Director, Minosha India Ltd,& CEO



In the dynamic landscape of the print industry, the year 2023 witnessed remarkable strides in digital printing, unlocking diverse opportunities across sectors. Notably, the warehousing, logistics, and e-commerce domains flourished with the integration of innovative printing solutions, catering to their high-volume needs. The post-pandemic era ushered in a new era for laboratories, where the demand for printing multiple barcodes for tests soared, paving the way for novel advancements. The surge in online payments, especially through UPI, created a demand for barcode printing, effectively bridging gaps in smaller printing sectors.

While we stride into 2024, the digital transition poses some challenges, notably the escalating risk of software blending and fraud. In response, Ricoh stands at the forefront with cutting-edge technology featuring invisible ink and neon ink, revolutionizing secure document printing and thwarting fraudulent activities. This commitment to innovation extends to the seamless adaptation to the evolving landscape of diverse throughput materials, capable of handling up to 470 gsm, including textured media. Minosha takes pride in supporting loyal Ricoh customers in such security printing domain for decades.

Looking ahead, the anticipation of technological trends unveils the revolutionary impact of satellite-based communication on connectivity. This wireless technology is set to extend telecom services to the remotest areas of India, marking a significant leap in the printing communication network. Poised for the future, Ricoh's technology aligns strategically with market demands, promising a secure, efficient, and innovative era in digital printing for 2024 and beyond.

C Sukumaran
Senior Director- Product & Communication, Canon India



The digital printing segment witnessed rapid transformation in 2023, augmented by innovations and a rise in customers adopting digital experiences. With the stellar growth, digital printing has penetrated further into a variety of sectors, including packaging, commercial offset, book printing, photo printing & AECM.

In the Indian market, this transformation was propelled by increase in the volume of commercial printing, the decentralization of digital printing, and its expansion in Tier 2 and 3 cities. Together, these factors coupled with digitization, contributed greatly towards reshaping the production, delivery, and consumption of printing services. For the end users, this has facilitated more personalized, targeted, and cost-effective printing solutions.

The transformation witnessed last year has now set the rhythm for widespread digital printing and technological integration across industries. We expect this development to have a ripple effect on inkjet technology in Digital printing, including B2 & B3 formats. This will significantly impact multiple printing domains, including commercial, label, and packaging.

In 2024, Canon aims to focus on technology development that can offer better efficiency, productivity, and quality to overcome the challenges of price pressure and, consequently, enhance profitability. By smartly and innovatively addressing these verticals, we are confident of offering customers greater value and satisfaction.

Kuldeep Malhotra
Director, Konica Minolta Business
Solutions (I) Pvt. Ltd.



“Year 2023 was very promising and has shown tremendous growth in digital printing for both black and white and colour segment. We saw huge demand for mono machines besides good demand for colour LPP and MPP machines. Looking at the penetration trend of industry players, it has emerged that publishers and commercial printers have invested in mono engines to meet their customer’s short run and urgent printing requirements. For colour also lot of investment has been made by commercial printers and PFP segment. We saw new entrants in PFP segment in remote 2 and 3 areas since the demand of short run is increasing in these areas also which can be met with digital devices only. Nowadays vendors are developing new applications to grow print volume and meet corporate and other segment requirements.

Further Made in India – local manufacturing has tremendously increased the demand of short run and digital printing. Lot of offset volumes are now shifted to digital Printing to meet urgent printing requirements.

When you manufacture locally, you will need carton box, user manual, service manual etc. for end customer use. Due to this, we can see demand for label printing also growing which is helping both cut-sheet and roll-to-roll printing industry in generating huge print volumes.

Besides this the embellishment market has also seen good growth and the penetration is happening in Tier-2 markets also. Vendors are developing new applications to help their customers in meeting their new requirements.

I am confident that this growth in the journey of penetration of machines and increase in digital print volumes will continue in 2024. Also looking at Indian market GDP growth, government policies will promote local manufacturing with PLI schemes, besides focusing on infrastructure development and tourism in the country.

I wish everyone a great success and growth in their business in 2024.


Priyatosh Kumar
Head Graphic Communications & Device Technology at Fujifilm India.



“Fujifim India’s Graphics division experienced notable growth in CY 2023, witnessing consistent and substantial progress across both Analogue and Digital product lines. This rise aligns with the expanding Indian economy, leading to a surge in demand for printing services. Shifting customer preference towards digitization in the printing sector also significantly contributes to this trend. The company’s Graphic Communication products represent a distinctive blend of digital and analogue solutions, comprehensively fulfilling the market needs. We are confident that this upward trajectory will continue in the foreseeable future.”