Global Printing Blanket Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Global Printing Blanket Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The global printing blanket market is expected to register a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period. Organic growth of the offset printing market, growing advertising and packaging industry, and increased focus on the development of eco-friendly blankets are among the major factors catapulting the growth of the studied market.

Key Highlights

• According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, the revenue of the packaging industry amounted to EUR 29.6 billion in 2021. This reported revenue increased by EUR 3.3 billion as compared to the previous year. Furthermore, in terms of materials, the paper packaging industry contributed about 34% of the packaging industry revenue in Germany.
• Increased demand for promotional materials across industries such as retail, F&B, and automotive is also supporting the growth of the studied market. The demand for printing blankets is being driven majorly by commercial printing, as enterprises across the world are increasing their investments in promotional activities such as print advertising.
• For instance, the advertising revenue of the New York Times amounted to USD 530.68 million, USD 392.42 million, and USD 497.54 million for the years 2019, 2021, and 2021, respectively.
• However, the growing propensity of businesses toward digital media for publishing and advertising activities may negatively impact the growth of the studied market, as the digital printing process generates less waste and provides more accurate counts as compared to offset printing.
• A significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been observed on the studied market. As the newspaper industry is a major consumer of printing blankets, supply-chain issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted its growth. Several printing presses were shut down during the initial phase of the pandemic. However, with the condition moving towards normalcy, the market is expected to regain momentum during the forecast period.

Printing Blanket Market Trends

Paper and Board Printing to Drive the Demand

• Printing blankets are an integral part of the offset printing process. Although digital media has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, the demand for newspapers, magazines, as well as printed advertising/leaflets has been stable, especially across emerging countries. For instance, in India, the number of registered newspapers is increasing periodically.
• According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), in 2021, the total containerboard production had increased 5.6 percent compared to 2020. This was the ninth increase in the past 10 years.
• Although the consumption of printed media has decreased in recent years, its penetration is still significant. For instance, according to the data provided by the European Commission, the penetration of daily print press consumption in the EU region was 25% in 2021. Furthermore, according to the UK's Office of National Statistics, consumer spending on books in the United Kingdom has grown significantly from GBP 3,971 in 2020 to GBP 4,347 million in 2021.
• The newspaper printing industry is also a major consumer of printing blankets. Owing to its widespread outreach, the industry is expected to support the growth of the studied market during the forecast period. For instance, according to ACPM, with more than 445,000 copies released in 2021, the newspaper Le Monde ranked first among national daily newspapers in France.

Asia Pacific to Hold Significant Market Growth

• The Asia-Pacific region accounts for significant market growth due to increasing demand from critical regions like India, China, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Factors such as high penetration of print media, increasing investment in print media advertising, rise in e-commerce, and urbanization, are supporting the growth of the printing market in the region.
• Over the years, the growth of the paper print and packaging sector across the Asia Pacific region has been stable across the Asia Pacific region. For instance, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the production volume of cardboard and processed paper in China was about 12 million metric ton in August 2021.
• Similarly, according to Thailand's Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Commerce, the export value of pulp, paper, and print media in the country amounted to approximately USD 649 million in the third quarter of 2021.
• Textile printing is another key area that is creating significant opportunities for the growth of the studied market. According to Invest India, the domestic apparel and textile industry in India contributes 7% of industry output in value terms, 5% to the country's GDP, and 12% of the country's export earnings.

Printing Blanket Industry Overview

The global printing blanket market is moderately competitive and is moving toward a fragmented stage owing to the increase in the number of players operating in the market. Further, to further expand their market presence, the vendors are considering both organic and inorganic growth approaches. Some of the major players operating in the market include Continental AG, Habasit AG, Kinyosha Co. Ltd., and Flint Group, among others.

• November 2021 - Trelleborg Group, a polymer technology development company based in Sweden, signed an agreement to sell its printing blankets operations to German manufacturing company Continental A.G. which plans to integrate it into its ContiTech business.
• October 2021 - Flint Group, a provider of print consumables, announced that it had established a new offset packaging solutions unit to better serve its customers. Through this new division, Flint Offset Packaging Solutions (FOPS) will offer sheetfed inks, printing blankets, and pressroom chemicals to the customers.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support