Mark Hahn

There was a time when signage and event graphics were primarily viewed as an extension of commercial print. That time has passed.

The salad days of wide-format printing are over as focus shifts to businesses that have perfected more complex systems.

We are surrounded by more print in more places than before. As the industry becomes more dynamic, PE investors are eager to support.

The future of print is shifting toward personalized, on-demand production, driven by online ordering and supported by private equity.

As wide-format printing firms navigate through a transformative year, we witness a pivotal shift from expansion to consolidation. The evolving dynamics reveal a mature market poised for convergence, seeking resilience through specialization and tailored acquisition strategies.

Convergence, as demonstrated by early reprographers, is still eminent in modern-day printing companies and M&A activity.

Success in the market now depends on delivering a value proposition to customers that is more meaningful than just owning a wide-format printing device.

Many printing and packaging companies are struggling to procure the paper they need, the grades they require, in a quantity necessary.

Wide-format technologies now have specialized variations serving niche markets. This has resulted in competition within the industry.

As consolidators grow, merge, or exit the field for the acquisition of middle market companies, smaller consolidators take their place.