Key facts
- The global thermal printing market will be worth $42.6 billion in 2024
- The market is forecast to reach $49.6 billion in 2029; this represents a CAGR of 3.1%
- One of the key growth areas for thermal printing is in labelling.
Find out
- Who is developing alternative print technologies
- How global geopolitical tensions have affected the thermal print supply chains, corporate budgets and consumer demand for goods and services
- How alternative chemistries and product innovation in direct thermal papers will influence growth segments
- How automation could affect the future of the thermal printing market
- How changes in retail, logistics, and transportation will impact thermal print demand.
Report definition
- Thermal printing uses heat energy to create human- or machine-readable images on paper and plastic film substrates. Thermal printing methods are widely used for labels, tags, tickets, transaction receipts and records, and a host of other applications that require just-in-time printing of date and time, transaction details, lot numbers, and other variable data.
- Some key markets for thermal printing, including e-commerce and associated transport and logistics, have experienced high demand leading to strong sales of thermal printing hardware and associated consumables to these segments.
The Smithers methodology
This report is based on extensive primary and secondary research. Primary research consisted of targeted interviews with material suppliers, converters and experts drawn from key markets. This was supported by secondary research in the form of extensive literature analysis of published data, official government statistics, domestic and international trade organisation data, company websites, industry reports, trade press articles, presentations, and attendance at trade events.
Who should buy the report?
- Thermal printer manufacturers
- Consumables suppliers
- Print head suppliers
- Industry consultants and analysts
About the author
Jon Harper Smith has over 15 years’ experience in the printing industry through his time working with Fujifilm and has extensive experience of industrial and package printing businesses with particular focus on industrial inkjet and flexo processes. He has a proven ability to develop complex cross border businesses involving the provision of highly technical products that meet strict end user specifications.
Executive summary
Introduction and methodology
- Introduction
- Social and economic landscape
- Objectives/scope
- Methodology
- Definitions and abbreviations
Key drivers and trends
- Introduction
- Exogenous conditions
- Major market and technology trends promotion
- Trade and Tariffs: Thermal Printing Papers
- EHS and regulatory environment
Thermal printing market for printers and consumables
- Thermal printing hardware
- Thermal printer modes
- Thermal printing supplies and consumables
- System integration
- Thermal printing applications
End-use markets and forecasts
Geographic markets and forecasts
- Global and regional overview
- Global thermal printing marketplace
Competitive landscape
- Introduction
- Printhead manufacturers
- Printer manufacturers
- Thermal printing consumable supplies
- Channels to market
Tables
- Global printer and consumables sales to end users, 2024 and 2029 ($ million)
- Thermal printers, global sales at end-user level, by application, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal consumables, global sales, end-user level, by mode, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Printer and supplies, global sales, end-user sectors, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal printing, global sales, by region, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal printing business trends
- Exchange rates used in this report
- Global population (million)
- The 25 largest countries, 2024
- Global GDP, 2024 and 2029 ($ billion)
- GDP by region, 2024 (current $ million)
- Global sales to end users, printers and supplies, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Examples of integrated value chain leaders
- Thermal printing business trends
- Thermal printing, global sales, enduser level, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal printing, global sales, manufacturer level, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal printer applications and performance requirements
- Thermal printer mode consumables
- Thermal consumables, global sales, by printer mode, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal consumables, global sales, DT printers, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal consumables, global sales, TT printers, 2024–29 ($ million)
- Thermal consumables, global sales, D2T2 printers, 2024–29 ($ million)
Figures
- Printers and supplies global end-user level sales ($ billion)
- Pressure sensitive label
- Printers and supplies global end-user level sales ($ billion)
- World population by age group, 2024 – 2050 ($ billion)
- India’s population by age group, 2010–50
- China’s population by age group, 2010–50
- Russian population by age group, 1990–2040
- Representative thermal printer value chain
- Printers and supplies, global end user sales, 2017–27 ($ billion)
- Printhead structure
- Printhead configurations for different design orientations
- DT printer configuration
- TT printer configuration and carrier ribbon
- D2T2 printer configuration and carrier ribbon
- D2T2 carrier ribbon
- Printers and supplies, global end-user level sales ($ billion)
- Representative thermal printing consumables value chain
