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ISA Wide Format Print & Media Mix Survey Part One PREPARED BY: SPONSORED BY: PRODUCED BY:
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ISA Wide Format Print &

Media Mix Survey

Part One

PREPARED BY:

SPONSORED BY:

PRODUCED BY:

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 1

Introduction

The International Sign Association (ISA) leadership was asked to develop a

research survey to make some determinations about the state of the signage and

graphics market and the tools, technologies, and brands that ISA membership

counts on to conduct its business. InfoTrends, a market research and consulting

company that focuses on the printing and imaging business and with expertise in

electronic survey methods, was fortunate to be selected to contribute to this effort

as a research partner for ISA.

The stated objectives of this survey are:

To develop an accurate profile of ISA member & non-member companies by

size of company (number of employees and revenue), production volume

and other key metrics.

To get a firm understanding of the adoption of digital printing within the sign

industry.

Examine the primary applications for wide format digital printing solutions

and try to determine which applications are growing as a percentage of the

signage and graphics business.

To measure current wide format digital print media mix and brand

preferences as well as purchase volume, purchasing expectations and

purchasing decision criteria.

The combined survey included approximately 30 questions and was sent in two

separate invitations to participate. InfoTrends and the International Sign

Association extend their thanks to those who completed the survey.

This document provides the results from the first of the two surveys.

We hope you find these results informative and useful.

Key Takeaways Small shops make up

approximately 70% of the establishments within signage and graphics producers. This places a large emphasis on the importance of efficiency and cash flow management.

Digital printing is already the primary production method within the signage and graphics market

Within digital printing eco-solvent inkjet is the primary technology employed but UV-curable inkjet is coming on strong.

As expected, signs, banners, vehicle wraps and graphics are the top applications among these respondents

Durability, print quality, and price are the top wide format digital print media brand selection criteria

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 2

Respondent Profile

Any survey should first indicate the role of the respondents. It is important to understand the role of the

respondents because it impacts their responses and their ability to respond to certain elements of the

survey. In this case, the respondents overwhelmingly represent leadership positions at these signage and

graphics companies.

President/CEO/Owner 74%

General Manager, COO, VP Mfg. 9%

Prepress/Production Manager 8%

VP Sales & Marketing 6%

IT Manager/CTO 2%

In-plant Manager 1%

Respondents by Establishment Type

One of the trends that InfoTrends has identified for a number of years is the continuous evolution of the

wide format signage and graphics market. Over time there have been a number of companies from other

traditional segments of the printing industry that have entered the signage and graphics market seeking

growth and higher profit margins. The chart below illustrates some of this evolution. The ISA membership

now includes shops that don’t refer to themselves as “sign shops” but as digital graphics print shops,

digital printing specialists, or some other form of printing company.

Which of the following best describes your print operation?

Sign shop 72%

Digital graphics print shop

15%

Digital printing specialist

5%

Other print company4%

Other4%

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 3

1 to 427.5%

5 to 935.0%

10 to 197.5%

20 to 4917.5%

50 to 995.0%

100 to 2497.5%

Mean: 27.1 Employees

Under $500K44.2%

$500K to $999K25.8%

$1.0M to $1.9M10.0%

$2.0M to $2.9M5.0%

$3.0M to $4.9M1.7%

$5.0M to $9.9M5.8%

$10.0M to $19.9M0.8%

$20.0M to $49.9M4.2%

$50.0M or more2.5%

Mean: $4.2M

Shop Size

Most of the shops that responded to the survey were fairly small in terms of revenue and number of

employees. Over 62% of the establishments have fewer than 10 employees and almost 70% have less

than $1 million in annual sales.

In total, how many employees work at your company (at your facility)?

The size of the average establishment is an important dynamic within the signage and graphics market.

While all shops try to run efficiently, small shops are perhaps more acutely affected by issues that impact

cash flow. An example of how digital printing is enabling more efficient operations is in how shops

manage inventory. When shops were making signs by primarily cutting vinyl, they needed to manage an

inventory of many different colors of vinyl. Using digital printing, all the vinyl is white which means shops

don’t have to tie up their cash in inventory.

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 4

Own Wide Format Digital Printers vs. Outsource

Many signage and graphics producers are smart about how they serve their customers. They recognize

that they don’t have to own all the equipment they could possibly need to serve their customers, in some

cases it is better to outsource work that they are unable to do themselves. 21% of the shops surveyed

reported that they don’t own any wide format digital printers, outsourcing all of their wide format print

production, while only 33% of the shops surveyed reported that they don’t outsource any work.

Do you have your own wide format digital printers or do you outsource wide format digital work?

We have our own, don’t outsource

33%

We have our own printers, still

outsource sometimes

46%

We don’t have our own printers,

we outsource wide format print

production21%

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 5

Shops Often Own Multiple Devices, Multiple Technologies

For the shops that own their own wide format production equipment, they often own multiple pieces of

equipment and technology. Shops do this for several reasons, they may need multiple devices to satisfy

capacity requirements, or they may buy several of the same production device to create redundancy as

part of a lean manufacturing strategy.

The most common technologies they own include analog, which is color-cut vinyl and screen printing

equipment. When they have an aqueous inkjet printer they typically have more than one, which is

probably because they use one as a proofing system and one as a production system.

How many of the following types do you have?

0.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.5

1.5

1.8

2.3

0 1 2 3

Other

Eco-solvent inkjet

Solvent-based inkjet

Dye-sublimation

UV-curable hybrid

UV-curable flatbed

Latex inkjet

UV-curable roll-to-roll

Aqueous Inkjet

Analog processes

# of Printers

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 6

Digital Printing Will Represent a Larger Share of Production

As noted previously, digital printing technology is enabling a transformation in the signage and graphics

market. Already shops report that digital printing represents more than half of their production, and they

expect digital printing to make up a greater share of their production over the next two years.

Thinking just about your wide format graphics business, approximately what percentage is produced using the following methods now and in 2 years?

58.9%

32.9%

5.0%3.2%

64.4%

28.3%

4.8%2.5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Digital print Cut vinyl Other Screen print

now

in 2 years

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 7

Wide Format Digital Printing Technology

Eco-solvent inkjet is the dominant wide format digital print technology among the signage and graphics

shops surveyed. Eco-solvent inkjet is a very strong technology choice for signage and graphics shops

because of its ability to print a wide range of applications, competitive running costs, good image

durability, and low price. Also, some of the most popular eco-solvent devices on the market have

integrated cutting systems included, which provides additional value for small shops that need to produce

contour cut graphics.

The chart also indicates that 25% of the respondents have solvent inkjet, which represents a significant

opportunity for turnover to more environmentally-friendly technologies. While it is clear many shops are

shifting some of their print volume away from solvent, solvent offers very low-cost production for some

outdoor advertising applications for which print buyers tend to be price-oriented.

Another notable finding is that 14% of the shops surveyed have Latex printers. This shows that the

adoption of Latex is going well in the signage and graphics market as a replacement for aqueous, eco-

solvent and solvent inkjet printers.

Finally, it is interesting to see the adoption of different configurations of UV-curable inkjet printers. When

combined, 34% of the shops reported that they have some type of UV-curable inkjet printer. Hybrid

(flatbeds with roll option usually) are the most common at 15% while fewer shops have pure flatbeds

(11.8%) and UV roll-to-roll systems (7.6%).

Which of the following types of wide format digital printers do you have?

18.8%

4.1%

5.3%

7.6%

11.8%

14.1%

15.3%

15.3%

25.3%

52.9%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Other

Dye-sublimation

Analog processes

UV-curable roll-to-roll

UV-curable flatbed

Latex inkjet

Aqueous Inkjet

UV-curable hybrid

Solvent-based inkjet

Eco-solvent inkjet

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 8

Technology Shift

Companies that are investing in higher-end wide format digital printing technologies typically do so in

order to be more competitive both in terms of running costs and in the types of applications they are able

to produce. The survey respondents reported that they expect to make subtle shifts into various

technologies. The expectations are that there would be slight growth in eco-solvent, solvent, UV and

aqueous production. There is also a notable increase in the dye-sub market. Interestingly, these users

report a small shift away from Latex. These are fairly small changes within a 2 year time frame, but they

indicate the directions that the wide format signage and graphics producers may be taking.

Thinking just about your wide format digital printing business, what percentage is produced using the following methods now, and

what percentage do you expect to be produced using these methods in two years?

18.9%

22.9%

28.4%

55.8%

58.6%

59.1%

74.2%

17.6%

26.0%

30.8%

54.0%

59.4%

61.7%

74.6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Analog print processes

Dye-sub Inkjet

Aqueous Inkjet

Latex inkjet

UV-curable Inkjet

Solvent Inkjet

Eco-solvent Inkjet

in 2 Years Now

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 9

Applications

An important consideration when it comes to technology choice is the mix of applications that the shop

produces. Banners and signs were the most common applications for wide format digital printers,

followed by decals, vehicle graphics, window graphics and backlit displays. One finding that emphasizes

the strength of digital printing technology is the diversity of applications. An indicator of this is that more

than 50% of shops report that they regularly output the top nine applications, including more specialized

applications such as vehicle wraps and wall coverings/wall murals.

Which applications do you regularly output on your digital wide format printers? (top 12)

30.0%

44.7%

47.1%

50.6%

50.6%

52.9%

60.0%

65.9%

70.6%

72.9%

83.5%

84.7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Photography

Floor graphics

POP displays/signs

Wall coverings/wall murals

Vehicle wraps

Posters

Backlit displays

Window Graphics

Vehicle graphics

Decals

Signs

Banners

Which applications do you regularly output on your digital wide format printers? (next 11)

11.2%

3.5%

8.2%

9.4%

9.4%

10.6%

14.7%

17.1%

19.4%

19.4%

22.9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Other

Vehicle curtains

Packaging samples

Flags

Proofing/composites

Textiles

Industrial Products

Billboards

Fine art work

Maps

Presentations

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 10

Most Important Applications in Digital Wide Format Printing

Respondents were also asked to indicate which applications make up the majority of their digital wide

format printing. As one would expect among a group largely comprised of sign shops, signs are the top

application among these establishments followed by banners. Decals, vehicle graphics, and vehicle

wraps are also among the top five applications.

This application mix reconciles with the mix of substrates used as readers will see in the second report

highlighting these research findings. The digital print media mix reported by the respondents includes a

very high percentage of vinyl.

Which applications you produce are most important or account for the majority of your digital wide format printing?

7.1%

15.3%

15.9%

16.5%

17.1%

24.7%

29.4%

31.2%

35.3%

56.5%

64.1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Billboards

POP displays/signs

Posters

Wall coverings/wall murals

Window Graphics

Backlit displays

Vehicle wraps

Vehicle graphics

Decals

Banners

Signs

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 11

Application Trends

Perhaps just as important as what applications they commonly produce today and what drives the

majority of wide format digital print volume are the trends among wide format applications. Respondents

were asked which applications are growing and which are declining as a percentage of their total wide

format digital print volume, and there are several important results within these findings.

First is that 75% of the companies that report that they produce signs report that signs are a growing wide

format digital print application. InfoTrends believes this is a result of the desire to change over messages

more often in order to drive sales activity in certain products and services. Similarly, wall coverings/wall

murals were rated as a growth application by almost 70% of the respondents. InfoTrends believes this is

a result of the desire to change over messaging, but the wall covering/wall mural market is also being

fueled by the emergence of Latex as a wide format printing technology.

One area that piques our interest is textiles, because this is an area that InfoTrends believes is a growth

market, and while over 60% of respondents report it is a growing application, almost 17% report that it is

in decline. It could be that there are new market entries in the textile business that are impacting smaller

suppliers.

Finally, it is important to recognize that there isn’t even one application among all listed that the

respondents report are declining more than growing. This reinforces the idea that wide format digital

printing is a growth market overall.

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 12

Which of these applications are growing and which are declining as a percentage of your wide format printing business?

58%

58%

59%

60%

60%

61%

69%

70%

75%

83%

33%

33%

30%

35%

30%

22%

22%

22%

22%

10%

9%

11%

5%

10%

17%

9%

8%

3%

17%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Banners

Decals

POP displays/signs

Window Graphics

Vehicle graphics

Textiles

Vehicle wraps

Wall coverings/wall murals

Signs

Vehicle curtains

Growing

No change

Declining

25%

32%

36%

37%

38%

42%

43%

43%

45%

46%

49%

53%

53%

56%

48%

51%

63%

44%

39%

43%

33%

38%

30%

38%

36%

33%

19%

20%

13%

19%

18%

14%

24%

17%

24%

13%

11%

13%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Proofing/composites

Industrial Products

Presentations

Other

Flags

Maps

Packaging samples

Photography

Billboards

Fine art work

Floor graphics

Backlit displays

Posters

Growing

No change

Declining

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 13

Wide Format Print Media Brands

The wide format digital print business is fragmented in the types of suppliers, the hardware they use to

produce the wide variety of applications they produce, and the types of media that are need to print on.

For this reason there are many wide format print media brands that are used. The survey presented more

than 30 brands of wide format print media and asked the respondents to indicate if they use any of these

brands. The responses indicates that while some of the top pressure-sensitive suppliers come out the

most, the respondents reported that they use at least some of all of those 30 different media brands, and

even then there was a significant percentage (10.6%) that reported they use “other” brands.

Please indicate which media brands you use – 15 brands most cited

10.6%

12.4%

12.9%

14.1%

14.7%

15.9%

17.6%

21.2%

21.8%

24.1%

25.3%

41.2%

41.8%

54.7%

84.7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Epson

Neschen

General Formulations

Sihl

Intelicoat/Magic Inkjet

Clear Focus

Cooley

Mactac

Ultraflex

Roland

HP

Orafol (aka Oracal)

Arlon

Avery

3M

Please indicate which media brands you use – next 15 brands most cited

4.1%

4.1%

4.1%

5.9%

5.9%

6.5%

6.5%

7.6%

8.2%

8.2%

8.8%

9.4%

10.0%

10.6%

10.6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Kapco

Value Vinyls

G-Floor Graphics

Fisher Textiles

Kodak

Drytac

Catalina

Ritrama

Universal Products

Hexis

Bright Line

FLEXcon

FDC

LG

LexJet

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 14

Important Factors in Deciding Wide Format Digital Print Media Brands

Wide format print media is an important part of professionally produced signage and graphics. The wide

format digital print media brands that signage and graphics shops select to use are often part of the

marketing message from these companies. Most shops select wide format print media based on very

practical characteristics such as durability of finished graphic, print quality, and cost. Those three

characteristics essentially equal value in signage and graphics parlance, meaning that shops want to be

sure their customers are happy with the performance and appearance of the graphics they produce and

they want to pay as little for that performance as they have to.

Other characteristics of importance also relate to value that can be conveyed by the manufacturers and

their distribution channel, from warranty to availability. Yet it is interesting to note that “previous

experience with the brand” is rated exactly as important as availability, which suggests that users are

willing to replace “resident” brands for something that is more easily available.

How important are the following factors in deciding which brands of wide format digital print media you use?

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.8

3.8

3.9

4.0

4.2

4.4

1 2 3 4 5

Least hazardous to the environment

Supplier offers ICC profiles

Fastest drying time

Brand

Least roll-to-roll variability

Fastest availability

Previous experience with the brand

Best warranty

Best price for acceptable quality

Final piece has the best print quality

Durability of finished graphic

Very importantNot important

The other finding that is very interesting is the lack of importance given to the idea of using print media

products that are least hazardous to the environment. InfoTrends believes that this is a reflection of the

size of the average establishment among the respondents more than anything else. In other surveys and

research studies, InfoTrends has found that very large printing establishments in the wide format

business are typically much more concerned with environmental issues because: 1) they are more likely

to be supporting large customers who have their own environmental practices when it comes to signage

and graphics procurement, and 2) they are acutely aware of the cost of disposal of non-recyclable

materials.

ISA Research Report ISA Wide Format Pr int & Media Mix Survey Part One

….…………………………………………… © Inte rnat ional Sign Assoc iat ion 15

InfoTrends’ Opinion

The data supplied in this research study reinforces InfoTrends belief that the signage and graphics

market is a large and dynamic business. The suppliers to the signage and graphics market are

challenged to continue to develop products that expand the business of signage and graphics producers

while navigating a streamlined supply chain to maintain profits. Signage and graphics producers have a

wide range of applications they are routinely asked to produce that leverages their expertise in the sign

business as well as the flexibility of their production capabilities. The shops that succeed will be the shops

that continue to invest in and develop their capabilities to not just produce these applications, but develop

new business through new and profitable channels.

The second report based on this research will highlight annual spending on print media, the outlook for

spending, and the media mix of wide format digital signage and graphics producers.

This material is prepared specifically for clients of InfoTrends, Inc. The opinions expressed represent our

interpretation and analysis of information generally available to the public or released by responsible

individuals in the subject companies. We believe that the sources of information on which our material is

based are reliable and we have applied our best professional judgment to the data obtained.

1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 301 | Alexandria, VA 22314 [email protected] | 703-836-4012 | www.SIGNS.org/whitepapers

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