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Solvent Inkjet Printers Making their Mark in Wide Format Outdoor Graphics Market

Solvent Inkjet Market Expected to Demonstrate a 16.7% CAGR by 2008

(Weymouth, MA) October 12, 2004…According to InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ research, total revenues for the solvent-based wide format inkjet market were valued at $1.45 billion in 2003. This number is expected to surpass $3 billion by 2008, representing a hefty compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7%.

Figure 1: Worldwide Wide Format Solvent Inkjet Revenue ($Millions)

A number of new environmentally-friendly wide format solvent-based inkjet printers have recently been introduced to the marketplace. Once considered to be primarily sign shop and screen devices, these new printers have enabled a wide variety of print service providers, from photo labs to quick print shops, to produce outdoor graphics. These new, relatively inexpensive systems feature the ability to print onto uncoated substrates and will be the major growth driver in the solvent inkjet arena over the next 3 – 5 years.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ new forecast entitled Wide Format Solvent Inkjet Market Forecast: 2003 – 2008 is the second element of the annual wide format printer and supplies forecast. This forecast provides shipment and revenue forecast information on wide format solvent-based inkjet hardware, ink, and media from 2003 through 2008.

Key findings of the forecast include:

• Unit shipments will grow by more than 20% annually over the next four years
• Total wide format solvent-based inkjet production will increase from over 1.1 billion square feet in 2003 to over 3.1 billion square feet in 2008, demonstrating a CAGR of 22.7%.

“There are a number of solvent-based systems and suppliers in the market, and while it is clear that this is a major growth area in the wide format market, we believe that the market is too small to support all of these suppliers,” commented Tim Greene, an Associate Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. “As a result, many companies will be acquired or will change their product focus; our forecast provides the information necessary to remain competitive in this dynamic aspect of the wide format digital printing market.”

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ forecast entitled Wide Format Solvent Inkjet Market Forecast: 2003 – 2008 is available immediately to clients of the Visual Communications Technologies Consulting Service. To learn more about this forecast or to make a purchase, please contact Alison Hipp at , ext. 126 or via e-mail at .

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends/CAP Ventures is available on the Web at www.infotrendsresearch.com.