IDC: Worldwide Large Format Printer Shipments Up Through the First Half of 2018

Worldwide shipments of large format printers increased 4% year over year while large format printer revenue grew 3% year over year in the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker. For the first half of the year, shipments are up 3.5% while revenue is up over 5% compared to the first half of 2017.

"New solutions, capabilities, and technologies continue to drive investment in large format printing equipment on a worldwide basis," said Tim Greene, research director, U.S. Large Format Printer Tracker. "While some regions and technologies are maturing, we also see that manufacturers and dealers are incentivizing new printer shipments with discounts, bundles, and aggressive promotions.

"A recovery in technology categories like eco-solvent and toner-based printers have run counter to some of the market trends over the past few quarters to create a bit of a surprisingly strong second quarter," Greene added.

Latin America grew 14% (more than 2,000 units) compared to the first half of 2017.
The Asia/Pacific region (including Japan), already the biggest geographical market, grew 3.9% while Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) saw shipments grow 7.2% over the first half of 2017.
Shipments in North America were down by about 3.5% from 1H 2017.

There was some movement among the top five large format printer suppliers in terms of shipments with Mimaki overtaking Roland in the second quarter of 2018 to capture the number 4 position worldwide. The top five large format printer companies in 2Q18 were HP Inc, Canon-Oce, Seiko Epson, Mimaki, and Roland DG.

HP extended its lead in the large format digital printer market with nearly 35% of worldwide shipments in 2Q18. HP saw nice growth in the CAD segment with new 24-inch wide models within the DesignJet T-series.

Canon maintained its No. 2 position among large format printer manufacturers and grew its share of the total market to more than 22% of total shipments. The company saw a strong performance from its ImagePROGRAF CAD printers, especially the new TX-series.

Epson remained the No. 3 large format printer supplier in terms of worldwide shipments with popular units including its eco-solvent and latest aqueous inkjet printers.

Mimaki overtook Roland as the No. 4 supplier of large format printers worldwide in the second quarter as some of Mimaki's new models and new distribution partners are ramping up around the world.

Roland DG fell to the No. 5 position in the worldwide large format printer market in 2Q18.