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Printing has come a long way from simply putting ink on paper. Today, new technology can create raised textures, decorate garments in greater detail and even spot production errors before they reach customers.
But, with so much innovation happening, which developments are actually worth keeping an eye on?
Heading into 2027, the industry is facing a changing landscape. Digital production continues to expand, customer expectations are evolving and print businesses are finding new ways to balance creativity, efficiency and cost.
According to Smithers' latest research, the global value of digital printing is forecast to increase from $167.5 billion in 2025 to $251.1 billion by 2035. That is a significant shift, but the more interesting story is what those advances are making possible.
For print resellers, designers, marketers and businesses, understanding these developments could reveal new products, improve existing processes and create opportunities that weren't as practical just a few years ago.
We've explored the latest industry research and emerging technologies to uncover five print trends worth paying attention to in 2027.
Before diving into the trends, it is worth understanding the bigger picture.
Digital printing is continuing to gain ground, but that is not to say traditional print methods are disappearing. Instead, manufacturers are improving both, creating more options depending on the job.
Smithers forecasts digital print volumes will increase by 54.3% between 2025 and 2035, driven by improvements in inkjet technology, automation and productivity.
Meanwhile, its research into global print businesses found that the number of printing establishments declined by 7.9% between 2019 and 2024. Book printing and certain industrial applications have proved more resilient than some traditional commercial print sectors.
The message isn't that every part of print is growing. It's that the industry is changing, with some applications opening up new opportunities while others face increasing pressure.
And that brings us to the developments worth watching.
For years, designers have used embossing, foiling and specialist finishes to make printed products stand out. But newer digital technologies are pushing texture beyond traditional finishing techniques.
We are talking about printing that can create raised patterns, simulate different surfaces and add physical depth directly through the printing process.
Canon's UVgel technology, for example, can build up layers of ink to reproduce textures resembling wood, stone and other materials. At an industry discussion, Canon demonstrated technology capable of creating raised effects up to 4mm on suitable surfaces.
Roland DG has also developed Dimense technology for producing embossed decorative graphics, including textured wall coverings.
These technologies open a host of possibilities that go beyond the conventional printed image. Imagine a decorative panel that doesn't just look like wood but has a textured surface, or a wall graphic featuring raised patterns that change how the design feels. For designers, it creates opportunities to think about print as a physical experience rather than simply a visual one.
Traditional embossing usually involves pressing a design into a material using a die, physically changing its surface.
Digital dimensional printing can build raised effects through specialist inks or coatings, potentially allowing more complex textures without creating a conventional embossing die.
However, these processes aren't interchangeable. The material, production method, finish and desired effect all influence which approach is suitable. Some dimensional techniques are intended for decorative panels and wall coverings rather than everyday paper products.
You don't need access to the latest specialist machinery to benefit from the wider trend towards tactile print.
Even established techniques such as embossing, debossing, hot foil and textured stocks can make a difference when used thoughtfully. A luxury brand might use a raised logo on a presentation folder, while an independent publisher could choose a textured cover to reinforce the character of a book.
Looking ahead to 2027, instead of choosing finishes solely by appearance, consider how a product should feel. Ask which techniques are suitable for your chosen material, what effect they create and whether the additional finishing adds meaningful value.
Printed books are not disappearing, but the way they are produced is changing.
For publishers, authors and businesses, one of the biggest challenges has always been deciding how many copies to print. Order too few and you risk running out. Order too many and you could be left with boxes of unsold stock. Digital book printing is helping create more flexible options.
According to Smithers' research into digital and offset printing, inkjet technology is increasingly replacing traditional printing methods in certain applications, particularly print on demand books.
That doesn't mean digital production is always cheaper. Conventional offset printing can still offer advantages for larger quantities, particularly when the artwork and specifications remain unchanged. The difference is that digital production can make smaller orders and more frequent updates commercially practical.
Imagine an independent author preparing to release their first book. Instead of committing immediately to a substantial quantity, they might choose an initial digital print run, assess demand and order further copies as required.
Or consider a business producing training manuals. If the information changes several times a year, printing thousands of copies at once could leave it with outdated materials. Producing smaller quantities more frequently might cost more per copy but reduce the risk of wasted stock. That decision becomes particularly important when the content is likely to change.
The opportunity isn't limited to the printing itself. Developments in automated bookbinding and finishing can help printers produce different formats and smaller batches more efficiently.
For customers, this means exploring whether books with particular bindings, covers or quantities are now more accessible than they might previously have been. But there are still decisions to make. Perfect binding, saddle stitching, wiro binding and hardback production have different requirements, costs and practical uses. And very small quantities aren't automatically the right choice for every project.
Going forward, when planning a book or booklet, consider how regularly the content changes, how predictable demand is and whether the initial order needs to cover the entire expected requirement. A more flexible production approach could be valuable, especially for independent publishing, educational materials, catalogues and frequently updated publications.
Custom clothing has become an increasingly accessible area of print, helped by advances in digital garment decoration.
But the technology is still evolving. Direct to film printing, commonly known as DTF, has expanded rapidly over recent years. It allows detailed designs to be printed onto a transfer film and applied to suitable garments using heat. It's particularly useful for colourful artwork and designs that would be more complicated to reproduce using certain traditional techniques. Now, manufacturers are working on the next stage.
Industry reporting from 2026 highlights wider DTF printing systems, increased automation and experiments with methods that reduce or replace the adhesive powder traditionally used during production. There's also growing interest in dimensional effects, specialist inks and hybrid methods that combine digital and screen printing.
These methods can produce similar finished products, but they work differently.
Printing method | How it works | Where can it be useful |
|---|---|---|
DTF (Direct-to-film) | Designs are printed onto film and transferred to garments using heat | Colourful designs across a whole range of suitable fabrics |
DTG (Direct-to-garment) | Ink is printed directly onto the garment | Detailed artwork, particularly on suitable cotton garments |
Screen printing | Ink is pushed through prepared screens onto the material | Larger quantities of repeat designs, particularly with limited colour schemes |
None is universally better. The right approach all depends on the artwork, garment material, quantity, durability requirements and intended finish.
For example, a business ordering hundreds of identical promotional t-shirtsmight find traditional screen printing more economical, whereas an independent designer testing colourful illustrations might benefit more with the flexibility of direct-to-film printing.
One particularly interesting area is the development of powderless DTF systems. Conventional DTF production uses adhesive powder to help bond printed designs to garments. Manufacturers are investigating alternative bonding approaches that could simplify production, reduce the handling of adhesive powder and potentially improve how transfers feel. However, these technologies are still developing, and performance can vary, particularly when it comes to washing durability.
In 2027, if you are selling or designing custom clothing, don't simply choose the printing method based on price. Ask about suitable fabrics, artwork requirements, how the finish feels, durability and whether the technique suits the quantity needed.
With so much marketing happening online, it is easy to overlook the impact of something arriving through the letterbox. But recent UK research implies that printed mail can still generate meaningful commercial responses.
As per JICMAIL's response rate tracker, door drop campaigns recorded an average return of £5.28 for every £1 spent, almost double the previous benchmarks.
The same research found that A4 mailers generated response rates approximately 2.7 times higher than postcards in the campaigns analysed. That in itself is an interesting finding, especially when businesses are often encouraged to make marketing messages smaller and shorter.
It doesn't necessarily mean every campaign should use an A4 leaflet though. Audience, creative quality, targeting and the offer itself all affect performance. That said, it does suggest that physical format deserves more consideration than simply choosing the cheapest option available.
First, not every marketing message benefits from the same format. A simple discount code might work perfectly well on a postcard. But a campaign introducing a new service, explaining a complicated offer or showcasing several products may benefit from more space.
Second, direct mail doesn't need to compete with digital marketing. JICMAIL's second quarter 2026 findings showed that 9.5% of tracked mail items prompted a website visit. The research also found that Door Drops featuring QR codes were 87% more likely than the average tracked mail item to prompt a website visit. That doesn't prove a QR code alone causes better performance, but it demonstrates how printed marketing can encourage digital interaction.
A useful starting point is giving each campaign a clear objective. If you're promoting a new product, you might direct customers to a dedicated webpage. If you're advertising a special offer, a unique promotional code could help identify orders associated with that campaign. And if you're testing different printed formats, try to keep the audience and offer as consistent as possible so the results are more meaningful.
For example, a local restaurant might compare the response to a simple takeaway menu against a larger promotional leaflet containing photography, offers and a clearer call to action. The important thing is measuring actual enquiries and sales, not just counting how many leaflets were distributed.
In 2027, consider using dedicated campaign landing pages, tracking links or promotional codes to better understand how customers respond to your printed marketing. It's also worth testing different formats to discover which best communicates your message and encourages action.
The best print technology isn't always the most visible. Some of the most useful developments happen behind the scenes, particularly when it comes to identifying problems before they become expensive.
Printing involves many variables, from colour consistency and registration to artwork accuracy and the condition of the finished product.
Traditionally, quality control has relied heavily on experienced operators checking output and making adjustments. That expertise remains essential, but newer printing systems are introducing increasingly sophisticated automated inspection.
For example, HP's Indigo 7K+ digital press includes an upgraded Auto Alert Agent, which uses automated image inspection to identify potential defects during production. HP reports that its updated system can improve defect detection accuracy by up to 30% while reducing false alerts. That's a manufacturer reported performance figure, rather than an independent industry average.
Other equipment providers are developing systems that compare printed output with reference images, monitor production information and help identify abnormalities.
Depending on the equipment and software, systems may identify issues such as:
Some systems can alert operators during production, helping them investigate faults before a larger quantity is affected. That can potentially reduce wasted materials, unnecessary reprints and the time spent identifying problems. But automation has limitations.
A machine may detect that a printed image differs from its reference file without knowing whether the original artwork contains a spelling mistake. And a production inspection system won't necessarily identify every problem with bleed, image resolution or document setup before printing begins.
That's why artwork preparation, technical checks and experienced operators continue to matter.
For resellers and businesses, automated inspection isn't necessarily something they'll operate themselves. But it helps explain how investment in production technology can improve consistency and support quality control. It also highlights why choosing a print supplier should involve more than comparing turnaround times and prices. Understanding how artwork is checked, how problems are handled and what quality controls are in place can make a difference.
Of course, quality control starts long before anything reaches the press. At WTTB, our artwork technical checks help identify potential issues with supplied artwork before production begins. From incorrect dimensions and missing bleed to resolution problems, catching these issues early can help prevent avoidable delays and reprints. It is another reminder that getting print right involves checks at every stage, not just the finished product.
When choosing a print supplier, it's worth asking what happens between artwork submission and production. What technical checks are carried out? How are potential issues identified? And what happens if something isn't right?
The printing industry changes constantly, but you don't need to follow every equipment launch or technical announcement to stay informed. A few reliable resources can help you identify developments that are relevant to you and your business.
Trade publications and industry organisations can provide a useful picture of what is happening. Printweek covers UK printing news, including business developments, tech and equipment, while the British Printing Industries Federation provides more insight into the print sector, including industry performance and business conditions. Organisations such as FESPA cover emerging technologies across commercial print, signage and textiles.
When reading forecasts, pay attention to whether a development is already commercially available, being tested or simply predicted. Those are very different stages of adoption.
Look at what customers are asking for
Industry reports can tell you where technology is heading, but your customers can reveal where opportunities are emerging.
Keeping a record of changing enquiries can help you identify trends that are actually relevant to your market. It is also worth speaking to your trade supplier about new materials, finishes and production capabilities. They may be able to suggest options you haven't previously considered.
We ourselves are continually investing in our capabilities and expanding the resources available to print resellers, designers and businesses. Whether you're exploring new products or trying to get more from familiar ones, there are several ways we can help.
Our Book Super Centre brings together book printing options and guidance to help you choose suitable formats, bindings and finishes.
And if you're considering premium finishes or unusual specifications, our bespoke printing service can help investigate what's possible beyond the standard product options.
You can also explore our print materials hub to understand the properties and uses of different stocks and substrates.
The aim is not to follow every trend; it is to find the ideas and production options that could make a genuine difference to your next project.
The future of print is not just about faster machinery or new technology for the sake of it. It is about creating things that weren't previously practical, making existing processes more efficient and finding better ways to communicate through physical products.
From textured surfaces and evolving garment printing to flexible book production and smarter quality control, the developments shaping 2027 reveal how much innovation is happening across the industry.And with fresh evidence showing the continued commercial potential of direct mail, there is also a reminder that established print products can still offer opportunities when used in the right way.
For print resellers, designers, marketers and businesses, staying informed doesn't mean embracing every new development. It means knowing what is changing, understanding the options and recognising when a new approach could help you achieve something better.
The print industry does not stand still, and neither do we. Subscribe to marketing for more industry insights, practical guides and fresh ideas to help you stay informed and get more from print. Not only that, you'll be among the first to hear about our latest deals, discounts and exclusive offers.
Posted on November 10, 2026 by Miller Lane-Williams
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