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Printing Industry Trends 2025: The Future of Print

9 minute read

From Survival to Reinvention: Why AI, Sustainability, and Flexibility Make 2025 a Turning Point for Print

The global commercial printing market continues to evolve, projected to grow steadily through 2030 as technology, customer expectations, and sustainability pressures reshape the industry.

In 2025, printing companies do more than manage jobs. They adapt to new business models, use automation, and balance digital and physical print services.

Success will come to those who anticipate change and embrace flexibility. The printing industry is moving toward smarter, faster, and more customer-centric print solutions. Artificial intelligence, web-to-print, sustainable practices, and new technological advancements are driving this change.

This article leverages Print ePS’s 30+ years of experience in delivering modern print services and innovation. We explore the top printing industry trends for 2025 and highlight how printing companies can capitalize on them.

TL;DR
  • Digital transformation and AI are essential for speed, efficiency, and customer expectations.
  • Short runs, personalization, and web-to-print platforms are now standard.
  • Gen Z is accelerating innovation, sustainability, and modern MIS adoption.
  • Eco-friendly practices, specialty materials, and print-on-demand are driving new growth.
  • Printers who blend print with digital experiences will stay competitive.

Contents

Digital Transformation in Printing

Printing processes keep evolving in the digital era. The shift accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and still shapes the industry today. While some areas of print struggled, others thrived by embracing digital-first models and new technological advancements.

At the same time, the global web-to-print market is growing and expected to reach nearly USD 40 billion by 2027.

For any printing company, digital transformation now extends beyond online ordering. Key developments include:

  • Sophisticated design tools enabling fast customization and collaboration.
  • Automation and digitization of workflows, improving efficiency and reducing errors.
  • Integration with digital distribution channels like eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, expanding reach and accessibility.
  • Artificial intelligence for estimating, scheduling, and predictive maintenance, unlocking smarter and more efficient production.

💡 What this means for printers: Digital transformation is no longer optional. Printers that embrace online ordering, automation, and AI-driven efficiency are better positioned to meet customer expectations for speed, customization, and convenience.

Related reading: What is Web-to-Print Software

Evolution of Printing Technology

Consumers are moving away from long print runs toward agile, personalized production. This shift increases demand for advanced digital presses that deliver speed and flexibility.

To stay competitive, printers need technology that delivers both speed and versatility. They also need a software backbone flexible enough to integrate with next-generation presses. Manufacturers are responding with innovations that enhance productivity, reliability, and output quality.

Looking ahead, the future promises deeper integration of hardware and software. Smart presses now come with sensors and artificial intelligence monitoring. They optimize print runs in real time, reduce errors, and predict maintenance needs before downtime occurs. These technological advancements improve reliability, lower costs, and boost service levels.

💡 What this means for printers: Shorter, personalized runs are here to stay. To stay competitive, printers need technology that delivers both speed and versatility. They also need a software backbone flexible enough to integrate with next-generation presses.

Web-to-Print

Web-to-print has transformed the industry by giving customers a seamless way to design, order, and manage print materials online. Choosing the right web to print portal helps printers deliver that experience efficiently. By extending reach beyond traditional sales channels, web-to-print platforms broaden customer bases and deliver the convenience, speed, and customization buyers expect.

For printers, web-to-print is more than an ordering system. It drives efficiency. Integrated platforms streamline operations, reduce manual errors, and give clients tools like design templates and variable data printing software. This democratizes design while improving order accuracy. Web-to-print also supports effective web-to-print marketing, helping providers expand reach and personalize campaigns. Many teams undertake a careful web to print software comparison to ensure the platform they choose scales and integrates with MIS and storefronts.

💡 What this means for printers: Web-to-print has become table stakes. Print providers that don’t offer an intuitive, self-service online experience risk losing out to competitors that do. The right platform also creates operational efficiency, making it easier to scale profitably.

Related Reading

Gen Z Joins the Workforce

Born between 1995 and 2009, Generation Z (or Gen Z) is the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age. By 2025, they represent a significant share of the global workforce — bringing fresh perspectives, digital fluency, and new expectations into every industry, including print.

This generation’s preference for multimedia and interactive content already shapes demand for more engaging print products that integrate with digital experiences. Their strong commitment to social and environmental issues accelerates the industry’s shift toward sustainable practices, from eco-friendly substrates to carbon reduction initiatives.

Just as importantly, Gen Z’s digital-native mindset influences the tools they expect in the workplace. Modern print MIS solutions that are flexible, customizable, and mobile-friendly are no longer “nice to have” — they are baseline expectations for this workforce.

💡 What this means for printers: To attract both Gen Z talent and customers, print providers need to embrace innovation. That means offering engaging, tech-forward products while equipping teams with modern MIS and workflow solutions that mirror the digital experiences this generation is used to.

Customization and Personalization at Scale

Advances in digital printing and data-driven workflows make personalization more than a trend. It is now scalable and profitable.

The personalization software market is projected to grow from $620 million in 2020 to $2.2 billion by 2026.

This growth means short runs, or even single-item orders, are now feasible without heavy inventory costs. In marketing, customized communication drives results and helps brands stand out.

Some of the enablers behind this shift include:

  • Variable Data Printing software (VDP): Enables unique content for each print piece, adding personalization at scale.
  • Data-driven workflows: Automation coupled with MIS capabilities improves accuracy and delivery speed.
  • B2B → B2C transformation strategies: Helping traditional print providers succeed in consumer markets, often with personalization as the differentiator.

💡 What this means for printers: Personalized print services are now essential for differentiation. To capitalize, printers should leverage automation, embrace VDP, and consider whether expanding into B2C markets with personalization can open new revenue streams. Modern, flexible MIS systems are critical for supporting these capabilities.

Related Resources

Environmental Sustainability: A New Priority

Sustainability has moved from aspiration to expectation. With global resource use projected to require the equivalent of three planets by 2050, the print industry faces growing pressure to reduce its footprint. Customers, regulators, and the incoming workforce all demand more environmentally responsible practices.

Across the industry, printers are responding with:

  • Eco-friendly materials: Vegetable-based inks, recycled and FSC-certified substrates.
  • Process efficiency: Cutting energy and raw material use through automation.
  • Green certifications and compliance: Meeting increasingly strict environmental standards.
  • Circular economy initiatives: Reducing waste, reusing resources, and recycling more effectively.

The U.S. sustainable printing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2024 to 2030, reflecting the growing importance of eco-conscious solutions.

💡 What this means for printers: Sustainability is no longer optional. Beyond compliance, eco-conscious practices reduce costs, attract new customer segments, and build long-term brand loyalty. Printers that embed sustainability into their processes, supported by modern print MIS tools that track and optimize usage, will gain a competitive edge.

Print-on-demand (POD) continues to transform how the print industry manages inventory and distribution. By producing materials only when they're ordered, printers can eliminate excess stock, reduce storage costs, and minimize waste. The model is highly scalable and flexible, especially for marketers, publishers, and creators offering customized products without overproduction risk.

With advances in automation, workflow integration, and technological advancements like AI, POD is reaching new heights in efficiency. Faster turnaround times, higher-quality outputs, and smarter job routing — powered by modern print MIS systems — are becoming standard and opening doors to new revenue streams.

💡 What this means for printers: Print-on-demand is now a mainstream expectation, not a niche offering. To stay competitive, printers need MIS and workflow solutions that support fast scheduling, real-time visibility, and seamless integration across the production cycle.

Related Resource: How to Create a Winning Print-on-Demand Pricing Strategy

Adapting to the Digital Age: Print and Digital Media Convergence

The line between print and digital continues to blur. Interactive print — from QR codes to augmented reality (AR) — bridges the gap, creating multi-channel experiences that extend far beyond the page. Customers now demand campaigns that combine the tactile impact of print with the immediacy and measurability of digital.

Publishers and marketers are responding with integrated strategies:

  • QR codes that link print directly to personalized digital content.
  • AR features that make print interactive and engaging.
  • Data-driven campaigns that connect print and online behavior for improved targeting.

This convergence elevates print’s role in the marketing mix — not as a standalone channel, but as a powerful complement to digital engagement.

💡 What this means for printers: Providers who connect print with digital — through integrations, personalization, or data-driven workflows — will become indispensable partners in modern marketing strategies. Those relying on print alone risk being left behind.

Specialty Inks and Materials

Innovation in inks and substrates continues to create new opportunities for print. Advances in eco-friendly formulations — including water-based and UV-curable inks — reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions while maintaining durability and vibrancy. Certifications like FSC and recyclable materials further align print with sustainability standards.

At the same time, specialty effects such as textured varnishes, metallic finishes, thermochromic inks, and glow-in-the-dark coatings give brands new ways to stand out in crowded markets. These technological advancements enhance engagement and create memorable, tactile experiences that digital-only channels can’t replicate.

💡 What this means for printers: Offering specialty applications differentiates services and commands higher margins. Pairing these innovations with modern print MIS ensures efficiency and profitability while meeting rising customer demand for both sustainability and creativity.

The printing industry in 2025 stands at a turning point. Trends like digital transformation, web-to-print, personalization, sustainability, and print-on-demand are here now, reshaping the competitive landscape. The next wave, powered by artificial intelligence, automation, and technological advancements in materials, will only accelerate the pace of change.

Printers don’t need to face this transformation alone. Print ePS, backed by 30+ years of experience and continuous investment through Print ePS Labs, equips businesses with modern print solutions designed to evolve with the industry. From enabling flexible workflows to embedding intelligence into everyday processes, Print ePS helps every printing company not just adapt — but lead.

💡 Looking ahead: As Gen Z becomes a dominant force in the workforce and Generation Alpha comes of age as the next customer base, the future of print will demand even more innovation, integration, and flexibility. Printers who embrace these printing industry trends now will be best positioned to thrive in the decade ahead.

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