45 Issue 258 - April / May 2025 email: editor@signlink.co.uk DIRECT-TO-OBJECT PRINTERS GETTING DIRECT TO PROFIT WITH DIRECT-TO-OBJECT PRINTERS One of the fastest growing markets in the industry, direct-to-object printing presents a wide range of opportunities. Here, we speak with several manufacturers to find out how best to go about securing new, profitable work While the direct-to-object (DTO) printing market is still in its relative infancy, there is simply no way one could miss the rate at which this sector is expanding. A recent report by Future Market Insights valued the segment at more than $3.00bn (£2.38bn) in 2024, with this set to hit $4.00bn by the year 2034. Driving this growth is not only increasing demand from customers around the world but also new developments from leading manufacturers within the sector. New products are coming to market at a steady pace, offering those in and around DTO access to solutions than can help them gain an advantage in the market. In this feature, SignLink catches up with some of these manufacturers and suppliers to find out where the main opportunities lie for sign companies and wide-format printers keen to make further inroads into DTO, as well as how their latest technologies can support them in their quest. Exciting Developments Up first to comment is Nick Macfarlane, regional sales representative for the UK and Ireland at DTO specialist Inkcups. According to Macfarlane, we have now moved beyond the hype about the potential of DTO and instead are seeing it start to make inroads into multiple different markets, particularly packaging, promotional, and consumer print-on-demand. “This growth is being driven by numerous different factors, among them a growing emphasis on more environmentally friendly production methods, the seemingly unending increase in consumer demand for individualised products and experiences, and, of course, DTO printing’s suitability for cost effective on-demand printing,” Macfarlane explains. Macfarlane goes on to say there is a growing number of print and signage businesses investing in DTO printing capabilities to enable them to offer complementary products to customers, such as exhibition specialists moving into branded merchandise or hospitality décor printers adding customised glassware and candle holders to their offerings. “These moves aren’t laden with as much risk as entering a completely new market, because businesses can sell existing customers something that they may already be buying, or considering buying, elsewhere,” he says. Macfarlane also highlights another key
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