FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2002 WF Graphics WW Retail Revenue $19 Billion: Driven by POP and Trade Show Graphics

Hanover, MA…July 2003…. The worldwide retail value (what the end user pays for the printed output) of wide format graphics prints reached $19 billion in 2002 and is forecast to grow to almost $30 billion by 2007, a CAGR of 9%. The fastest growing segment of the market is solvent ink jet printer output driven by vinyl applications. Solvent ink jet output revenue is forecast to grow from 8% of the market today to 23% by 2007. The revenue from aqueous ink jet output -- with an 89% share in 2002 -- is forecast to decline to 77% of the output in 2007.

The largest applications are POP signage and trade show graphics. These indoor applications were among the first wide format graphics applications and are now becoming commodities forcing print providers to look at new areas for growth such as outdoor applications. According to Marco Boer, Consulting Partner at I.T. Strategies, “Outdoor applications currently make up about 8% of the output revenue, but we expect this to increase driven by the introduction of many new low-cost solvent-based ink jet printers from companies such as Mutoh, Mimaki, Vutek and Oce as well as lower cost super wide printers coming from China.”

I.T. Strategies, Inc. is an established research and consultancy firm dedicated to serving companies in emerging digital printing markets. The company delivers intelligent data, analysis, strategy, and implementation practices to vendors in the digital printing industry around the world. From offices in Boston and Tokyo, I.T. Strategies conducts and delivers research data, offers interpretation and advice, identifies specific opportunities, and helps organizations implement these strategies to achieve effective solutions.

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