GAMIS examines package printing. (Market Watch).

The Graphic Arts Marketing Information Service (GAMIS) of Printing Industries of America (PTA), Inc. recently published the new industry awareness study, "Package Printing 2001-2005." The study focused on corrugated, flexible packaging, folding cartons and labels.

According to State Street Consultants, Boston, MA, which conducted the research for GAMIS, packaging will grow in line with its long-term historical growth rate, but perhaps a bit slower than the peak growth of the second half of the 1990s. Labels and flexible packaging will be the fastest growing packaging segments. The value of printing in packaging for the four studied segments is $21.2 billion. State Street reports that between 2000 and 2005 the four packaging segments studied will experience compound annual growth rates (CAGR) as follows: corrugated 3.5 percent, flexible packaging 4.5 percent, folding carton 2.5 percent and labels 4.5 percent.

Flexography is the dominant process for all of package printing, holding between a 60-70 percent share, equivalent to $15 billion in value. Offset printing, however, is and will remain the dominant process for folding cartons.

The study found that the move to digital workflow and computer-to-plate, or CTP, are the biggest changes and challenges on the horizon for packaging segments. State Street also found that there is an increasing use of complex process color, especially in flexible packaging and folding cartons.

For more information on the study, or to become a GAMIS member, contact Jackie Bland, GAMIS executive director by telephoning [phone]. Details can also be found on the web site at www.gamis.org.

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