This measured expansion signals a mature sector that is balancing digital disruption with near-shoring opportunities, stable domestic demand for packaging, and continuous process automation. Offset lithography still underpins medium- to high-volume jobs, yet high-speed digital inkjet presses are outpacing all other technologies as customers increasingly require short-run, data-driven customization. Packaging commands the bulk of volumes, powered by Mexico’s position as a North American manufacturing hub, while security and transactional work gains momentum thanks to stricter anti-counterfeiting regulations. Substrate choices are shifting as brand owners insist on certified sustainable paper and low-VOC inks, and government energy-efficiency programs support small and mid-sized print shops through subsidized retrofits. Structural headwinds come from online media cannibalization and volatile paper costs following the 15-35% import tariffs introduced in May 2024, but near-shoring, sustainability mandates, and automation collectively preserve a positive volume outlook for the Mexico commercial printing market.
Mexico Commercial Printing Market Trends and Insights
Demand Growth in Packaging and Labels
Brands exporting fresh produce, beverages, and cosmetics increasingly require traceable, retail-ready packaging, propelling consistent volume growth for label and flexible-pack printers that can meet USDA and Walmart traceability mandates. Automated inkjet systems have lowered labor costs and reduced errors, helping converters service diversified sectors such as electronics and automotive with small, variable-data batches. Strategic near-shoring by U.S. manufacturers further boosts localized, short-run packaging orders as lead-time compression becomes a competitive differentiator. Converters able to combine conventional flexo or offset with digital inkjet technologies are capturing premium work that demands both high quality and rapid turnaround.Expansion of Mexico’s Retail POS and OOH Advertising
A trade-show ecosystem of roughly 1,500 annual events, 420 newspapers, and 1,600 magazines sustains steady commercial print demand for brochures, catalogs, and large-format signage. Mexico City alone hosts more than 3,600 billboards, keeping wide-format presses busy even as digital screens proliferate. The Mexican Association of Trade Fair Promotion (AMPROFEC) coordinates 150 organizers that order recurring print runs for venue graphics, exhibitor booths, and promotional handouts. Convenience-store growth also stimulates point-of-sale material orders, while advertising agencies increasingly request integrated print-plus-digital campaigns that blend QR-enabled flyers with mobile ads.Rising Digitization and Media Substitution
Streaming and social-media penetration continues to siphon display-advertising budgets away from magazines and newspapers, compressing volume for web-offset and sheet-fed brochures. Online design-to-print portals accelerate the shift by letting marketers customize small digital runs instead of ordering bulk offset jobs, thereby cutting total printed pages. While direct mail is enjoying a modest revival because of better targeting, printers must reposition offerings toward high-touch packaging and security niches that resist digital substitution.Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:
- Rapid Adoption of High-Speed Digital Inkjet Presses
- Brand Owner Push for Sustainable Substrates and Inks
- Feedstock (Paper/Pulp) Price Volatility
Segment Analysis
Offset lithography generated 41.98% of Mexico commercial printing market size in 2025, reflecting its cost efficiency on mid- to long-run jobs. The technology’s leadership, however, is tempered by a 6.18% CAGR surge in digital inkjet, whose variable-data capability appeals to packaging and on-demand book segments. Flexographic presses remain pivotal for food-grade films, while gravure serves million-impression tobacco and confectionery wraps. New installations often pair a high-speed offset line with a roll-to-roll inkjet unit, enabling printers to switch workflows without losing registration or color fidelity. AI-driven make-ready tools on Heidelberg’s Speedmaster XL 106 trim setup sheets by 30%, mitigating operator shortages and material wastage. Digital OEMs report that half of 2024 inkjet placements replaced small offset machines, underscoring how convergence is redefining shop-floor layouts in the Mexico commercial printing market.The capital-intensive profile of next-generation presses is reshaping competitive dynamics. Multinationals access vendor financing or leasing programs, while independent midsize firms form buying consortia to spread risk. In parallel, software vendors promote cloud-based MIS and color-calibration packages that allow hybrid plants to synchronize data across offset, flexo, and inkjet cells. Printers exceeding 9 million monthly sheet counts, such as Grupo Gráfico Romo, showcase how continuous-improvement culture and autonomous press technology unlock record productivity. Lower makeready waste dovetails with sustainability KPIs set by brand owners, enabling technology adopters to charge a green premium.
Packaging contributed 51.67% to Mexico commercial printing market share in 2025, supported by agricultural exports, beverage bottling, and private-label expansion at big-box retailers. Session-based promotions, QR-enabled traceability, and recyclable pouch formats require multiple SKUs, translating into frequent small runs ideal for digital inkjet. Meanwhile, security and transactional print, encompassing tax stamps, certificates, and bank documents, posts the fastest 5.04% CAGR as anti-counterfeiting measures tighten. The Bank of Mexico’s MOTION SURFACE thread and fluorescent-ink banknotes set high benchmarks for commercial printers supplying tax labels and brand-protection seals.
Publishers continue to produce niche coffee-table books and corporate catalogs where tactile finish justifies print, but overall volumes decline. Advertising print remains buoyed by Mexico’s active trade-fair calendar and billboard networks, yet campaign mix now integrates NFC tags or AR overlays, pushing printers to master specialty coatings and variable QR programming.
The Mexico Commercial Printing Market Report is Segmented by Printing Technology (Offset Lithography, Digital Inkjet, Gravure, and More), Application (Packaging, Advertising, Publishing, and More), End-User Industry (Food and Beverage, Retail and E-Commerce, and More), Substrate Type (Paper and Paperboard, Plastic Films and Labels, and More), and Geography. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).
List of companies covered in this report:
- Ink Throwers de México S.A. de C.V.
- Dataprint México
- Central Print México
- Imprime Tus Ideas
- Grupo Formex
- Fuerza Gráfica del Norte SAPI de C.V.
- Impresora de Productos Especiales S.A. de C.V.
- Big Tree Graphic Arts S.A. de C.V.
- STICKER'S PACK S.A. de C.V.
- Offset Santiago S.A. de C.V.
- Print Center
- AA Global Printing
- Printernet
- AMAC Imprenta Industrial
- SFNM Print
- Quad/Graphics de México
- Grupo Litoprint
- Litho Formas S.A. de C.V.
- Artes Gráficas Panorama
- Compuprint Digital
Additional benefits of purchasing this report:
- Access to the market estimate sheet (Excel format)
- 3 months of analyst support
Table of Contents
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Ink Throwers de México S.A. de C.V.
- Dataprint México
- Central Print México
- Imprime Tus Ideas
- Grupo Formex
- Fuerza Gráfica del Norte SAPI de C.V.
- Impresora de Productos Especiales S.A. de C.V.
- Big Tree Graphic Arts S.A. de C.V.
- STICKER'S PACK S.A. de C.V.
- Offset Santiago S.A. de C.V.
- Print Center
- AA Global Printing
- Printernet
- AMAC Imprenta Industrial
- SFNM Print
- Quad/Graphics de México
- Grupo Litoprint
- Litho Formas S.A. de C.V.
- Artes Gráficas Panorama
- Compuprint Digital

