New data from IDC showed a “slight decline” of one percent in shipments, while revenue fell by three percent.
The quarterly results from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker saw wide-format shipments decline by around one percent year-over-year for 1Q2015, while revenue also declined by around three percent. The CAD (computer-aided design) and technical printer segment was described as “a big soft” in the quarter, with shipments down by 1.2 percent year-over-year and toner machines seeing a continued decline in shipments of 14 percent. Inkjets however saw a one percent growth.
In the graphics segment, “across all technologies” shipments were “nearly unchanged”, but IDC noted that “because the mix is changing towards more productive latex and UV-curable engines”, revenues increased by more than $5 million (€4.5 million) in the quarter. With regards to OEMs, HP remains the “top supplier of wide-format digital printing systems worldwide”, thanks largely to its “strength” in the CAD/technical sector and its “dominance” in latex, along with a “competitive” UV share.
Canon in turn remains second with a market share of 21 percent to HP’s 41.4 percent, though this includes the combination of Canon and Oce machines. Epson maintained its placing in third with 19 percent market share, and IDC added that it is “seeing nice growth” in both dye-sublimation and technical” markets, with its eco-solvent inkjets relaunched this spring.
Finally, Roland and Mimaki are fourth and fifth: the former thanks to its “strength in the eco-solvent market and growing presence in UV and dye-sublimation” with a market share of 3.4 percent; and the latter surpassing Ricoh with a market share of 2.7 percent. Ricoh lost its place due to a “decline in its wide-format toner-based printer shipments”.
Phuong Hang, IDC’s Programme Director for the Worldwide Large Format Printer Tracker, commented: “The first quarter got the year off to a strong start with key wide-format printing technologies like latex, UV, and eco-solvent inkjet showing nice growth overall. Latex really stood out in the quarter with shipments up over 55 percent compared to the first quarter of last year. Some decline in shipments is expected, however, because the average rated speed of wide-format printers is increasing, providing the capacity needed to replace older technologies with fewer new units.”