Flexo and gravure printing worth £270bn in 2026

Total market value for flexographic and gravure printing will reach $358.5bn (£269.3bn) in 2026, according to Smithers – a provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services and a global authority on the print industry.

Data in Smithers’ newly published report, titled ‘The Future of Flexo vs Gravure to 2030’, reveal that flexo printing is worth $250.7bn (£188.4bn) in 2026 and is forecast to reach $284.2bn (£213.5bn) by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2% CAGR.

Meanwhile, gravure is a market valued by Smithers at $107.8bn (£81bn) in 2026, and will grow by 3.6% CAGR to 2030, reaching a total value of $124.7bn (£93.7bn).

According to the report, while flexo printing continues to win market share wherever it competes directly with gravure, gravure printing is still growing faster in overall global volume – driven by rapidly expanding Asian packaging markets and industrial print sectors.

The analysis, covering applications across packaging, publication, labels, décor, and functional printing, finds that gravure’s strength in high-growth Asian markets and decorative printing offsets flexo’s competitive gains in Europe and North America.

Smithers asserts that in Asia, gravure has historically been the process of choice due to its superior reproduction of fine ‘Kanji’ characters, though this advantage is narrowing as flexo quality improves.

Flexo remains the larger market in both value and volume globally, holding what Smithers labels as “clear advantages in prepress flexibility and sustainability.”

Modern flexo presses being released are increasingly incorporating machine learning, robotics, and AI-driven automation with the aim of reducing waste, accelerating makeready times, and cutting costs as run lengths shorten.

A transition away from solvent-based inks and plates to water-based and UV-curable alternatives is also positioning flexo more favourably against tightening environmental regulations, according to Smithers.

Gravure, meanwhile, continues to win out in applications such as printed electronics and décor printing, where colour fidelity across reprints is particularly critical.

However, Smithers highlights that the process faces growing challenges: the complexity and cost of cylinder preparation, the use of hazardous hexavalent chromium in plating, and the difficulty of taking pre-press in-house can all limit gravure’s agility as brands demand faster turnaround and shorter runs.

Publication rotogravure is in what Smithers labels as “terminal decline” as magazine and catalogue print runs continue to shrink, while both technologies face increasing pressure from digital and hybrid inkjet solutions in labels and flexible packaging.

The report concludes that flexo is better positioned to meet future sustainability demands, while gravure’s installed base and dominance in décor and industrial print will “sustain its global relevance for the foreseeable future.”

The Future of Flexo vs Gravure to 2030 is available to purchase now from the Smithers website.