Printing in Australia - Industry Market Research Report

Bleeding red ink: The widespread shift online has cut demand and left printing firms hard-pressed

Printing firms have faced tough conditions in recent years. Consumers have opted for online alternatives, which has increased competition and threatened traditional printing firms, causing revenue to plummet. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these trends, as city-wide lockdowns disrupted distribution outlets and volatile business confidence reduced spending on printed materials. Technological advancements have made printing machinery more accessible and affordable to downstream markets, cutting demand for printing services. Industry revenue has fallen by an annualised 4.2% over the five years through 2022-23, to $6.4 billion. Online alternatives continue to encroach on traditional printed materials, meaning there has been a decline of 1.1% in 2022-23 alone.

Industry companies conduct printing and reprographic services such as photocopying, printing corporate documents and labels, and producing advertising material, magazines and newspapers. The industry’s printing methods include heat-set and sheet-fed offset lithographic, reprographic, digital, relief and screen printing.

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry's key players and their market shares.