The world of printers can still surprise us. And there are still billions of dollars to be won
After taking over Lexmarek, the combined company will handle over 200,000 customers in 170 countries, having 125 production and distribution plants. Xerox financed buying with a combination of cash and debt, expecting a positive impact on net profit as early as 2026 and approx. $ 240 million. “cost synergies” in the second year of integration.
President Steve Bandrowczak retains the reins, and longtime head of Lexmarek Allen Waugerman is leaving, which is to simplify the management structure and accelerate the integration of devices and services portfolios.
Why is it still profitable to print
According to Market Research Future The global commercial printing segment was worth $ 527 billion. in 2024 and is to grow up to $ 722 billion. in 2034mainly thanks to packaging, personalized marketing and regulatory requirements in finance or health care.
At the same time, IDC notes only a single % drop in the volume of supply of industrial printers in 2024, with a solid, almost 20 %. Increase in the label and packaging segment. It shows that The valuable part of the cake is still growing, despite the shrinking office outlays.
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At the same time, price pressure and migration from A3 devices to cheaper, compact A4 continue on the office market. Corporate clients are increasingly transferring printing costs to Pay-Per-Page subscription models (pay from the printed page). In such conditions, the scale becomes crucial. Xerox therefore strengthens the distribution in Asia and the segment of colorful A4 devicesand Lexmark gain access to capital and research, which he has lacked for years. For both companies, the connection means a greater shopping force on suppliers of consumables – still the most margin part of the business.
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The printers leave the stage, but the know-how stays
Once the industry earned mainly on Tonera, today the same players are monetized by technologies in new sectors. HP has been reporting, for example, a double -digit growth rate in the 3D printing area. In Q4 2024, the “3D & personalization” category again increased revenues thanks to the production services of Multi Jet Fusion and the contract with Ocado Group.
Ricoh, in turn, reports 14 % An increase in subscription revenues from digital services and production graphics, treating hardware more and more often as a vehicle for sales of software and outsourcing of office processes.
The Research Institute of the Textile and Clothing Industry in Hong Kong (HKRITA) and Epson have announced the development of a new fiber with a silky gloss produced on the basis of cellulose. It is produced from cotton waste using an innovative production process
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Mat. press
Epson probably shows the most, How far can you go from paper. Together with the HKRITA Institute, the Japanese developed … regenerated cellulose fiber with silky gloss, made only from cotton waste. The process combines dry textile shredding technology with a wet method of dissolving fibers and extruding yarn. The resulting raw material combines cotton strength with silk smoothness, and short fibers – so far treated as waste – also gain utility value, increasing recycling.
The Epson-HKrita project is part of a wider trend. Printer manufacturers use material competences, precise mechanics and chemistry of dyes to create solutions for circular economy. The know-how in control of the ink microcropelia is useful when dosing cellulose solutions, and experience with paper supply chain management-when collecting and sorting textiles. It is also a response to increasingly sharper EU regulations regarding clothing waste and the requirements of large fashion brands that are looking for sources of balanced premium fibers.
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What next with the print market
Xerox-LEXMARK consolidation is the next stage of organizing the industry. A few years ago, HP integrated Samsung Printing, now Xerox makes a similar move. There are questions on the horizon about further acquisitions among medium -sized players – From Japanese Brother to Chinese Pantum – but also about whether specialized IT services and competences in the additive printing are the most valuable asset.
One thing is certain. Paper is no longer the only medium on which companies of this kind earn. In 2025, the money flows from both Hybrid-Off's fleet management, as well as the HE of the supply of fibers to luxury scarves or digital twins of industrial parts. Who can fasten these worlds – like Xerox, HP, Ricoh or Epson – can still count on a solid margin in the industry, which many considered unattractive in the era of artificial intelligence.
Author: Grzegorz Kubera, Business Insider Polska journalist
