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Worldwide Large Format Printer Shipments Grew 3.5% Year Over Year in 2014, According to IDC
[February 19, 2015]

Worldwide Large Format Printer Shipments Grew 3.5% Year Over Year in 2014, According to IDC


According to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker, large format printer (LFP) shipments grew 3.5% in 2014 when compared to 2013 while revenue from those shipments declined by less than -1%. Product mix changes and some very aggressive price promotions were responsible for the revenue declines.

"The fourth quarter is often the strongest quarter of the year for the wide format digital printer market in some segments and some geographies, particularly due to the aggressive promotion by major manufacturers and distributors," said Phuong Hang, Program Director, Worldwide Large Format Printer Tracker. "Shipment growth is an important indicator for the overall wide format market because even though hardware revenue declined slightly, the vast majority of the decline came from inkjet products, and with inkjet products a great deal of revenue is driven by the consumption of supplies."

Technology Highlights

  • The wide format CAD/Technical printer market segment continued to grow, with inkjet printer shipment growth more than offsetting the decline in toner-based wide format printers. Overall, the CAD/Technical segment grew more than 4% worldwide in 2014.
  • Across all technologies, wide format graphics printer shipments grew 2.1% year over year in 2014. Continued decline in the conventional aqueous inkjet printer market was offset by growth in the Latex, eco-solvent, due-sublimation, and UV-curable inkjet printer market segments.

Vendor Highlights

For the year, the top five suppliers to the wide format printer market remained unchanged, but within the segments there were small changes in market share among the vendors.

  • HP finished 2014 as the global leader in the wide format market. HP's strong performance in the technical market and dominance in the Latex segment have driven growth in HP's market share both in the fourth quarter and for 2014 in total.
  • Canon (News - Alert) maintained its number 2 position among wide format printer manufacturers with 20% market share based on worldwide shipments.
  • Epson was the number 3 worldwide supplier to the wide format digital printer market in 2014 and is seeing growth in its new dye-sublimation and technical printers.
  • Roland was the fourth-ranked supplier to the worldwide large format printer market based on its strength in the eco-solvent business and growing presence in the UV-curable and dye-sublimation markets.
  • Ricoh's (News - Alert) strength in the wide format toner-based market, combined with its growing technical inkjet printers, give it the number five spot among wide format digital printer manufacturers.

The top five wide format printer manufacturers make up more than 80% of global wide format shipments, but only two-thirds of revenue. With manufacturers like HP, Canon, and Epson dominating the aqueous segment, this points to the maturity of the conventional aqueous graphics and solvent inkjet markets and the fragmented nature of the wide format UV-curable inkjet segment.





                     

Worldwide Large Format Printer Shipments, Shipment Market Share, and Year-Over-Year
Growth, 2014 (shipments in thousands)

 
Vendors

2014
Shipments

2014 Market
Share

2013
Shipments

2013 Market
Share

2014/2013
Growth

1. HP 130.9 40.9% 122.8 39.7% 6.5%
2. Canon 63.9 20.0% 56.9 18.4% 12.2%
3. Epson 61.7 19.3% 62.8 20.3% -1.8%
4. Roland 10.9 3.4% 11.1 3.6% -1.5%
5. Ricoh 8.3 2.6% 8.6 2.8% -2.7%
Others 44.4 13.9% 47.0 15.2% -5.6%
Total 320.1 100.0% 309.3 100.0% 3.5%

Source (News - Alert): IDC Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker, February 2015

* Notes:

  • IDC tracks A2-A0+ devices in the LFP market
  • The LFP market includes single-function printers, as well as multifunctional systems (MFPs). Data for all vendors are reported for calendar periods.

In addition to the table above, an interactive graphic showing the worldwide market share of the top 5 LFP vendors in the fourth quarter of 2013 and 2014 is available here. The chart is intended for public use in online news articles and social media. Instructions on how to embed this graphic can be found by viewing this press release on IDC.com.

About IDC (News - Alert) Trackers

IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly excel deliverables and on-line query tools. The IDC Tracker Charts app allows users to view data charts from the most recent IDC Tracker products on their iPhone and iPad.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. In 2014, IDC celebrates its 50th anniversary of providing strategic insights to help clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IDC.

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