2005 COMMERCIAL PRINTING outlook -- A Win-Lose Proposition

Survey respondents were even more upbeat than Davis in their predictions for 2005 sales. They expect overall sales to increase 6.3 percent, on average, led by toner-based digital printing at 7.2 percent.

Sales Jump Predicted

Andrew Paparozzi, vice president and chief economist at the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) in Paramus, NJ, has a similar outlook for 2005. "This year (2004), we estimate that print sales will grow approximately 4.1 to 4.3 percent," Paparozzi says. "In 2005, we expect industry sales to grow by as much as 5 to 5.5 percent as the recovery strengthens and broadens."