NPES First-Half 2006 Data Shows Strong Growth for Equipment

Looking at the individual product groupings within the Graphic Arts Supplies data, film continues its long-term downward trend at -17.4 percent for the first half 2006. Even recording film used in imagesetters is down over 16 percent this year. This should be no surprise as non-film based workflows continue to be implemented rapidly by printers of all types and sizes. Offpress (conventional) proofing products are also down 6.1 percent for the first half. A strong indication that the move to digital proofing and even soft proofing has not abated. Of course the bright spot in the supplies market is in the plate arena where we see growth of almost 2 percent for the first half 2006. But this “aggregate” total masks the interesting dynamics going on beneath the surface between analog and digital plates. Presensitized (analog) plates were down over 25 percent while direct-to-metal (digital) plates were up 9.1 percent. The message is clear; the all-digital workflow continues to be rapidly adopted by the industry.