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Global Commercial Printing - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Brendan McErlaine Brendan McErlaine New York, United States Last Updated: August 2025 C1721-GL

Revenue

$319.4bn

2025

$319.4bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xbn

Employees

2m

Businesses

197k

Wages

$XX.Xbn

Global Commercial Printing industry analysis

The global commercial printing industry, traditionally reliant on products like books, magazines, newspapers and advertising inserts, has faced declining revenue in recent years, largely because of digital competition. The rise of digital media has shifted both consumer attention and advertising budgets away from print. This transition, coupled with the impact of COVID-19, caused significant revenue drops as businesses reduced demand for print services. Although some recovery was seen as economies reopened, fluctuations in raw material costs and global economic slowdowns have kept providers’ revenue volatile. To adapt, larger firms are expanding into ancillary services—such as flexible packaging and creative design—while some smaller players survive by targeting niche markets. Additionally, advancement in digital printing technology allows for shorter, customized print runs, which helps offset losses. Industry consolidation through mergers may continue as firms seek more stable revenue streams and market share amidst ongoing challenges. Overall, revenue for commercial printers worldwide has fallen at a CAGR of 3.7% over the past five years, reaching $319.4 billion in 2025. This includes a 3.7% drop in that year.

Trends and Insights

  • The shift to digital media has significantly hurt global commercial printers. With advertisers and consumers moving online, traditional print services such as mailers and periodical inserts have experienced declining revenue, contributing to the industry's downturn.
  • Commercial printing is losing steam as digital alternatives gain traction. Despite lithographic printing's efficiency in mass production, the segment's revenue share has dropped, driven by the growing preference for digital printing methods.
  • Population trends are pivotal in shaping global commercial printers. Countries with booming populations, like those in Sub-Saharan Africa, could drive major growth in demand for printing—unless economic struggles restrict consumers’ ability to spend on anything beyond basic necessities.
  • Price is a major basis of competition. Printers must also be able to deliver a range of high-quality products and services that cater to many industries.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 3.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $319.4bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Digital competition has constrained sales

  • Commercial printers worldwide produce printed goods for the publishing sector (e.g. books, newspapers, magazines), banknotes, packaging, labeling, calendars, catalogs, business forms and checkbooks.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Global Commercial Printing
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Growing global online access will continue to threaten growth

  • The primary source of companies' revenue moving forward will be growing sales volumes of traditional printed publications in countries such as India and China. As access to digital substitutes continues to grow in these countries, sales of printed products will fall.

Biggest companies in the Global Commercial Printing

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Profit ($m)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025
Toppan Printing Co. Ltd.
12,088.0
553.6
4.6
Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
10,037.1
506.1
5.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 2 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Global Commercial Printing
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Commercial printing, Package printing and Newspaper. Commercial printing is the largest segment of the Global Commercial Printing.

Trends and Insights

Commercial printing continues to fall in popularity

  • Commercial printing is the largest service global printing companies offer, comprising nearly half of providers' revenue. Lithographic printing is the most common form of commercial printing technology and is used to print thousands of copies of the same item in just one production run. Lithographic printing uses an ink-coated printing plate. This is rotated onto a rubber blanket cylinder, transferring the text and image onto the paper.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This industry comprises companies that are engaged in printing on assorted materials, including paper, metal, glass, plastics, textiles and other materials. Providers may also perform prepress services, such as platemaking and typesetting, in addition to postpress services, such as book binding, in support of printing activities. Major end products include magazines, books, direct mail, catalogues, brochures, signs, labels for packaging, annual reports and business forms.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Global Commercial Printing industry include Commercial lithographic printing, Commercial screen printing, Commercial flexographic printing, Commercial gravure printing, Package printing, Newspaper printing, Prepress services and Postpublishing services.

Companies

Companies covered in the Global Commercial Printing industry include Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. and Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. .

Purchase this report to view all 2 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Global Commercial Printing industry include computer-to-plate (ctp) printing, printing plate, prepress and digital printing.

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The shift to digital media has significantly hurt global commercial printers. With advertisers and consumers moving online, traditional print services such as mailers and per...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Commercial printing is losing steam as digital alternatives gain traction. Despite lithographic printing's efficiency in mass production, the segment's revenue share has drop...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Population trends are pivotal in shaping global commercial printers. Countries with booming populations, like those in Sub-Saharan Africa, could drive major growth in demand ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Business Locations Charts
  • Share of global output by region in 2025
  • Share of population compared to output in each region in 2025
  • Data tables
  • Share of global output by region in 2025
  • Detailed analysis
  • Geographic spread of the industry across Global, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Price is a major basis of competition. Printers must also be able to deliver a range of high-quality products and services that cater to many industries.

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Toppan has the largest revenue share. The company has broadly focused on diversifying its range of services to include marketing, project planning, sales and distribution.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. 's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. 's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. , and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. , and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Global internet usage is an important indicator of downstream demand. The more access to online resources that a region has, the less demand there is for traditional commerci...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Material purchases are the biggest expense for commercial printers. Buying paper, ink and other printing necessities takes a big chunk out of industry revenue and recent hike...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Global Commercial Printing industry in 2025?

The market size of the Global Commercial Printing industry is $319.4bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Global Commercial Printing industry in 2025?

There are 197k businesses in the Global Commercial Printing industry, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Global Commercial Printing industry?

The Global Commercial Printing industry is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Global Commercial Printing industry?

The Global Commercial Printing industry is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Global Commercial Printing industry grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Global Commercial Printing industry has been declining at a CAGR of 3.7 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Global Commercial Printing industry over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Global Commercial Printing industry is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Global Commercial Printing industry?

The biggest companies operating in the Global Commercial Printing industry are Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. and Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.

What does the Global Commercial Printing industry include?

Commercial lithographic printing and Commercial screen printing are part of the Global Commercial Printing industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Global Commercial Printing industry?

The company holding the most market share in the Global Commercial Printing industry is Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. .

How competitive is the Global Commercial Printing industry?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Global Commercial Printing industry.

Methodology

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IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

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Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources globally include:

  • United Nations Comtrade
  • Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
  • World Bank

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

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