According to the latest results from the International Data
Corp. (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker, the market showed
a year-over-year decline of -4.2 percent, with nearly 73,000 units shipped in
the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13). Shipment value also experienced a
year-over-year decline of -3.2 percent to $781 million. However, for the first
time since the fourth quarter of 2010, two of the four largest large-format
printer (LFP) markets posted year-over-year growth in this period. The United
States and Japan posted 5.0 percent and 4.2 percent growth in unit shipments in
2Q13. "While the worldwide LFP market is mature, we do see
pockets of growth opportunity that can be very lucrative in the eco-solvent
based printers segment," said Phuong Hang, program manager, Worldwide
Large Format Printer Tracker. "We expect vendors to introduce new products
soon to target these emerging markets."
