Printing Outlook is the BPIF's quarterly printing industry trends survey, compiled primarily from an online survey of BPIF members. It covers topics such as: your top business concerns, orders, output, price levels, capacity, costs, margins, investment, pay reviews, productivity, late payment and payment terms, public sector procurement, Web-to-print and paper & board prices and supply.
We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Canon, we'd like to thank Canon for their support - this will ensure all survey respondents receive a printed copy of Printing Outlook.
As well as reporting on the BPIF's latest quarterly survey of trends in the printing industry, Printing Outlook now incorporates:
- UK headline economic data
- CBI forecasts and assessment
- Paper and board consumption statistics from the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) and sector insight from EMGE (paper industry consultants)
- Printing Ink sales volumes and values from the British Coatings Federation (BCF)
- Energy sector commentary from Schneider Electric
- The latest print and printed packaging Red Flag Statistics and Financial Health statistics compiled especially for the BPIF by Red Flag Alert and Begbies Traynor
- Insolvency statistics for the printing sector
- Advertising sector data and analysis from the Advertising Association / Warc Expenditure Report and the IPA Bellwether Report
Printing Outlook is widely reported in the trade press, and feeds into the Bank of England and their provision of data to the Monetary Policy Committee. It is required reading for many suppliers to and investors in the industry, and is used by the BPIF to help represent the interests of our industry to other trade associations, the CBI, Government and the European and worldwide printing industries.
BPIF members can download the full report below; Printing Outlook press releases are available here.
PRINT INDUSTRY OUTPUT, ORDERS AND CONFIDENCE ALL FLATLINED IN Q2 - ONLY MARGINAL IMPROVEMENT FORECAST FOR Q3 DESPITE CONTINUED COST STABILISATION
Challenges for the UK's printing and printed packaging industry have continued into the second quarter of 2023 as orders and output did not rebound following poor performances in the previous two quarters. The previous forecast was that Q2 would experience an upturn in industry performance, this expectation has been thwarted following a fragile economic performance, prolonged concerns over inflation levels, for both consumers and businesses, and the continued upward trajectory for interest rates. Printers are focussing on controlling costs, increasing productivity, and managing sales more effectively. Cost pressures are easing but lower prices may be required to encourage output and orders to grow in Q3; and where pricing goes is a critical concern for many.
The latest Printing Outlook survey reveals that less than one-third (30%) of printers managed to increase their output levels in the second quarter of 2023, whilst over two-fifths (43%) were able to hold output steady. That left 27% that experienced a decline in their output levels. The resulting balance (the difference between the ups and the downs) was therefore +3, well below the over-optimistic +34 that was forecast, but a little improved from the -3 experienced in Q1. This lacklustre outcome at least reverses Q1's negative report, but it has clearly been a tougher quarter than was expected three months ago.

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