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Trends and opportunities shaping the printing inks industry in 2025-26

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Trends Commentary "Building Tomorrow 2025-26"
Discover the key trends shaping the printing inks industry in 2025-26
Key trends for printing inks in 2025-26

Printing inks bring vibrant colours and durability to packaging, books, and advertisement, enhancing creativity and expression.

Discover what will shape the future of the printing inks industry 

The printing inks market is expected to see global growth of 1% in the next five years.1

Africa: the region with the greatest growth 

While Asia Pacific is the largest market for printing inks, Africa is expected to see the greatest rate of growth, with an annual growth of 3%, followed by Asia Pacific and Latin America, both growing by 2%.

Digital printing & packaging: the industries growing the most 

Despite the decline in conventional commercial printing and publications, the boom in online retail has driven demand for packaging.2 Market reports expect a growth rate of 3.4% for printing inks in packaging applications.3 At the same time, new areas of application in digital printing, such as photo books and personalised greeting cards, will require inks for printing that allow for short processing times and produce high-quality products.

Bio-degradable & bio-based inks for a safer environment 

In the face of stricter government regulations, sustainable innovation will involve new printing inks and processing methods that are safer for the environment and for humans. For example, careful selection of raw materials is key to reduce odour and migration of the ink into food through its packaging. Additionally, biodegradable inks reduce the environmental impact of packaging,4 while biobased inks can reduce the carbon footprint of the final packaging.3

Recyclability & waste reduction for flexible packaging in the food industry 

Flexible packaging is becoming increasingly popular in the food industry. With this type of packaging requiring 91% less material than rigid alternatives and saving up to 96% of space, printing inks for food packaging play a pivotal role in enhancing functionality.3 They contribute to moisture resistance, temperature regulation, and vibrant branding, ensuring food stays fresh while appealing to consumers.

Sustainability trends in the printing inks industry 

Recyclability, replacing harmful raw materials, and decreasing the carbon footprint of printed products are important areas of focus for sustainability. At the same time, manufacturers continue to seek ways to conserve energy and resources, minimise printing waste, and improve process efficiencies.5
The trend of shorter, individualised print runs requires more changeovers and restarts. While that would seem to increase paper and ink waste, new developments in process automation and optimisation are enabling a reduction in startup waste and misprints.6

Q. What megatrends do you foresee shaping this market segment over the next two years?
A. I see three megatrends shaping the segment: Green & Circular in establishing a circular economy with the reuse rate of packaging; Healthy Future in creating safer formulations with the removal of substances of very high concern (SVHC); and Smart Functionality with customisation for brand owners so they can differentiate, even when they have the same packaging with shorter runs.

Q. What key formulation trends do you anticipate will dominate in the next two years?
A. Safe formulation will be important when it comes to food packaging printing and food contact. For food packaging, formulations could include bio-based products, for example, using materials that are almost edible. For non-food contact applications, prioritising the removal of hazardous substances is essential. Energy savings in the printing process, such as using less energy to cure inks, could be made possible with UV technologies and a shift to LED curing. We also expect a transition to ink-jet printing linked to customisation.

Q. In your opinion, how significant will the impact of sustainability be over the next two years?
A. Printing inks have incorporated bio-based materials for over 25 years. Some inks, for example, transitioned from fossil-based to bio-based formulations to reduce VOC emissions and improve food safety. Today, new applications enable even higher bio-based content in inks, expanding possibilities that weren’t achievable before. In the future, the industry will focus more on the recyclability of the finished goods and waste reduction during the printing process.


  1. Oxford Economics, data extract from platform, August 2023 
  2. https://ceresana.com/en/produkt/printing-inks-market-report-world 
  3. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/printing-inks-market
  4. https://www.inkworldmagazine.com/issues/2023-10-01/view_features/significance-of-sustainability-in-the-printing-inks-and-adhesives-industries/
  5. https://www.inkworldmagazine.com/issues/2023-10-01/view_features/significance-of-sustainability-in-the-printing-inksand-adhesives-industries/
  6. https://www.drupa.com/en/Home/Focus_Topics_%7C_drupa_2024/Resource_and_Energy_Efficiency_%7C_drupa
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