Although two in five of respondents to the survey reported a negative impact on their business from developing markets such as digital billboards and other forms of “live media”, this was a lower figure than in Fespa’s last survey. And the same percentage are developing plans to participate in these markets.

Indeed, general optimism throughout the industry is strong, with respondents posting an average 7.5 out of 10 when rating a positive outlook for their businesses.

Backing this up, half of respondents plan to invest in wide-format kit over the next year, citing the need for updating or extending functionality as the main driver. The lion’s share of this investment looks to be in UV-curable inkjet devices.

And despite downward pressure on pricing, quality remains at the top of the priority list both for wide-format printers and their customers.

The full survey is available from Fespa for €2,000 (A$3935).

Read the original article at www.printweek.com.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter