The thermal inkjet printer market size is estimated to be worth USD 2.82 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to reach a value of USD 4.22 billion by 2035. Sales are projected to rise at a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period between 2025 and 2035. The revenue generated by thermal inkjet printer in 2024 was USD 2.71 billion.
The applications for printing and labeling within the food & beverage industry account for a large-scale utilization of thermal inkjet printers and thus, during the assessment period, food & beverage industry is expected to capture more than 42% of the total market share in the end-use segment of the global thermal inkjet printer market.
This is because of stringent food safety regulations that require accurate and precise printing of essential information such as manufacturing and expiry date, nutritional information, batch number, barcode, etc. on various food and beverage packaging solutions.
Thermal Inkjet Printer Industry Forecast
| Attributes | Key Insights |
|---|---|
| Historical Size, 2024 | USD 2.7 billion |
| Estimated Size, 2025 | USD 2.8 billion |
| Projected Size, 2035 | USD 4.2 billion |
| Value-based CAGR (2025 to 2035) | 4.1% |
Among substrate types, thermal inkjet printers are considered more appropriate for paper rather than plastic sheets, glass, and metal. Paper substrate requires thermal inkjet printers due to their capabilities to offer high resolution with durable prints, possessing good ink adhesion. Thermal inkjet printers are very suitable for paper, as it can offer flexibility in their demand particularly for packaging and labeling application
The thermal inkjet printer market is expected to grow profitably in the forecast period. It will create an incremental opportunity of USD 1.51 billion and rise 1.5 times its current value by 2035.
Don't pay for what you don't need
Customize your report by selecting specific countries or regions and save 30%!
The below table presents the expected CAGR for the global thermal inkjet printer market over several semi-annual periods spanning from 2024 to 2034.
| Particular | Value CAGR |
|---|---|
| H1 | 4.0% (2024 to 2034) |
| H2 | 4.2% (2024 to 2034) |
| H1 | 3.9% (2025 to 2035) |
| H2 | 4.3% (2025 to 2035) |
In the first half (H1) of the decade from 2024 to 2034, the business is predicted to surge at a CAGR of 4.0%, followed by a slightly higher growth rate of 4.2% in the second half (H2) of the same decade. Moving into the subsequent period, from H1 2025 to H2 2035, the CAGR is projected to decrease slightly to 3.9% in the first half and remain relatively moderate at 4.3% in the second half. In the first half (H1) the market witnessed a decrease of 10 BPS while in the second half (H2), the market witnessed an increase of 10 BPS.
Need for Precision Printing with Thermal Inkjet in Pharma Packaging
Medical and pharmaceutical packaging is rapidly adopting thermal inkjet printers due to their ability to offer high-resolution printing that produces small and detailed images. They can print dosage instructions, batch numbers, barcodes, and QR codes directly onto packaging or medical devices.
Contact-free technology makes it much more hygienic and contamination-free, a major parameter in any medical industry. Another factor pushing their further use is compliance with serialization and traceability regulations, as they afford unique identifiers that help fight counterfeits as well as increase safety for patients.
Furthermore, thermal inkjet printers can function quickly with fast-drying inks that are tough, contributing to their suitability for the application by reasonably ensuring that printed information will remain intact throughout the supply chain, making them indispensable within pharmaceutical and healthcare environments due to precision, compliance capability, and effectiveness.
E-commerce Surge Accelerates Demand for Thermal Inkjet Labeling Solutions
The increase in the e-commerce industry has led to demand for efficient label printing machines such as thermal inkjet printers. The study of UNCTAD in year 2022 claimed that there has been a rise of up to USD 27 trillion in global revenues generated by online commerce. Online retailers use shipping labels, product tags, barcodes and invoices at a good printing speed and quality for proper logistics management and inventory management.
These tasks are best completed using thermal inkjet printers due to their high resolution, quick print speeds, and capability to print directly onto various materials like packaging and labels without requiring additional labels or ink ribbons. Thermal inkjet printers have become a cost-effective printing solution with the rapidly booming e-commerce sector, mainly in global markets, in dealing with a high volume of shipments and orders.
Maintenance Costs and Competition May Hinder Thermal Inkjet Growth
The thermal inkjet printer market may face competition from established printing technologies like laser and impact printers. The thermal inkjet printer market will face challenges as these technologies dominate certain industrial applications, with robustness in extreme environments and reliability making them preferred for high volume and harsh conditions.
Another factor is that thermal inkjet printers typically require maintenance in the form of replacing printheads or unclogged nozzles. Such occurrences may possibly lead to downtime during operations and may consequently lead to a general increase in operating costs. Such factors can deter businesses from using thermal inkjet printers, especially if an economy-efficient solution is desired.
Principal Consultant
The global thermal inkjet printer market recorded a CAGR of 3.0% during the historical period between 2020 and 2024. Market growth of thermal inkjet printer was positive as it reached a value of USD 2.71 billion in 2024 from USD 2.37 billion in 2020.
In the past few years, the thermal inkjet printer market grew steadily due to the increased demand for high resolution, on-demand printing that has been in high use in packaging, labelling, and logistics. Further, improvements in printhead design and ink formulations have yielded higher efficiency and quality, spurring adoption in the market with an increase in e-commerce as well.
The demand is expected to increase sharply in the upcoming years with the growing thrust on sustainability as well as the increasing needs of complex printing solutions across pharmaceutical, automotive, and consumer products. Automation with IoT would further increase applications in smart packaging and product traceability.
Tier 1 companies comprise market leaders capturing significant market share in global market. These market leaders are characterized by high production capacity and a wide product portfolio. These market leaders are distinguished by their extensive expertise in manufacturing across multiple packaging formats and a broad geographical reach, underpinned by a robust consumer base.
They provide a wide range of series including recycling and manufacturing utilizing the latest technology and meeting the regulatory standards providing the highest quality. Prominent companies within tier 1 include Videojet Technologies Inc., InkJet, Inc., Domino Printing Sciences plc and Docod Precision Group Co., Ltd.
Tier 2 companies include mid-size players having presence in specific regions and highly influencing the local market. These are characterized by a strong presence overseas and strong market knowledge. These market players have good technology and ensure regulatory compliance but may not have advanced technology and wide global reach. Prominent companies in tier 2 include Squid Ink., United Barcode Systems, ATD UK., HSA Systems A/S, BENTSAI, ProMach, Classic Industries and Canon, Inc.
Tier 3 includes the majority of small-scale companies operating at the local presence and serving niche markets. These companies are notably oriented towards fulfilling local market demands and are consequently classified within the tier 3 share segment. They are small-scale players and have limited geographical reach. Tier 3, within this context, is recognized as an unorganized market, denoting a sector characterized by a lack of extensive structure and formalization when compared to organized competitors.
Get the data you need at a Fraction of the cost
Personalize your report by choosing insights you need
and save 40%!
The section below covers the future forecast for the thermal inkjet printer market in terms of countries. Information on key countries in several parts of the globe, including North America, Latin America, East Asia, South Asia and Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and MEA is provided. Canada is anticipated to remain at the forefront in North America, with a CAGR of 3.7% through 2035. In Western Europe, Spain is projected to witness a CAGR 3.3% by 2035.
| Countries | Value CAGR (2025 to 2035) |
|---|---|
| USA | 2.8% |
| Germany | 2.0% |
| China | 4.0% |
| UK | 2.4% |
| Spain | 3.3% |
| India | 4.8% |
| Canada | 3.7% |
Thermal inkjet printer market in the Germany is expected to have a CAGR of 2.0% in the forecast period.
The packaging sector in Germany, mainly for food and beverage manufacturing, has increased the demand for high-quality and effective printing solutions. TIJ printers are gaining popularity to print directly onto flexible and rigid packaging materials, thus eliminating the need for a separate label. This avoids material cost and minimizes waste.
With the call for speedy, economical, and environmentally friendly solutions for packaging increasing by the day, these printers are becoming imperative in terms of the smoothing of production processes while enhancing the operational efficiency.
The growth of packaging industry and trend of smart packaging in Canada offer a lot of opportunities for the expansion of the thermal inkjet printer market in the country. The country is anticipated to record a CAGR of 3.7% during the evaluation period.
There is now a trend of smart packaging adoption in the Canadian market, most especially on products such as food, electronics, and cosmetics. The main cause for this is the necessity of consumers for packaging to be more participative, informative, and sustainable. Most importantly, thermal inkjet (TIJ) prints play an important role herein because these printers can print on different substrates ranging from paper to plastic or metal.
QR codes, RFID tags and variable data are printed directly onto packaging providing better traceability, consumer engagement, and personalized marketing. The flexibility provided by TIJ makes it possible for manufacturers to make changes in a very short time to meet the change in demand and to abide by compliance requirements, and once again, again emphasizing the importance of these printers in this emerging smart and sustainable packaging trend.
The section contains information about the leading segments in the industry. In terms of ink type, aqueous/water-based inks are estimated to account for a share of 42.8% by 2035. By printer type, desktop thermal inkjet printer is projected to dominate by holding a share of 51.1%by the end 2035.
| Ink Type | Aqueous/Water-Based Inks |
|---|---|
| Market Share (2035) | 42.8% |
Out of multiple ink types, aqueous/water-based inks are expected to lead the ink type segment in the thermal inkjet printer market with a market share of 42.8% over the forecast period.
Water-based inks are versatile, economical and ecologically friendly. Due to this reason, aqueous inks are now dominating the thermal inkjet printing market. These are mainly comprised of water as a solvent, thus they are much safer from both user and environmental safety aspects compared to solvent-based inks, which release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment.
These inks give very sharp, high-resolution prints; therefore, they are perfectly suited for high-volume applications such as printing packages, labels, and documents. They can be used on very many different substrates, particularly porous types such as paper and cardboard, which are used in industries like e-commerce and retailing.
Water-based ink allows production during rapid drying, while advances in pigment technology have helped provide more durability. These factors cumulatively make aqueous/water-based ink inks the preferred choice over other types.
| Printer Type | Desktop |
|---|---|
| Market Share (2035) | 51.1% |
Desktop thermal inkjet printers are estimated to lead the printer type segment in the thermal inkjet printer market and account for market share of 51.1% till 2035.
Desktop thermal inkjet printers are used popularly across the globe because they are low-cost, user-friendly, and small-sized devices. High-resolution printing is offered at low prices, making them perfect for small or medium-sized businesses, retail, or office setups. Its compactness allows for setup in limited spaces, and this factor is a critical one in many environments, such as ever-growing e-commerce logistics, healthcare and packaging.
They are very user-friendly and require no technical skills to use. It can also fulfil variable data printing tasks such as barcoding, labelling, and document printing. These printers are also less in maintenance cost and more energy-efficient, thereby reducing operational costs and attracting more businesses.
Key players of thermal inkjet printer industry are developing and launching new products in the market. They are integrating with different firms and extending their geographical presence. Few of them are also collaborating and partnering with local brands and start-up companies for new product development.
Key Developments in Thermal Inkjet Printer Market:
In terms of substrate, the thermal inkjet printer market is divided into paper, plastic sheets, glass and metal.
By ink type, the thermal inkjet printer market is segmented into aqueous / water-based inks, solvent-based inks, UV curable inks and phase change ink/ hot melt inks.
In terms of technology, the thermal inkjet printer market is segmented into thermal bubble inkjet printing and piezoelectric inkjet printing.
By printer type, the thermal inkjet printer market is segmented into industrial, desktop and portable.
End users in the thermal inkjet printer market include food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care & cosmetics, electrical & electronics, chemical, automotive and other industries. The food industry further includes bakery & confectionary, dairy products, fresh produce, baby food, pet food, ready to eat and other food products. The beverages segment include alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages. The homecare sector is sub-segmented into toiletries, laundry care, personal hygiene and air fresheners.
Key countries of North America, Latin America, East Asia, South Asia and Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa are covered.
The thermal inkjet printer industry is projected to witness CAGR of 4.1% between 2025 and 2035.
The global thermal inkjet printer industry stood at USD 22.8 billion in 2024.
Global thermal inkjet printer industry is anticipated to reach USD 35.4 billion by 2035 end.
South Asia & Pacific is set to record a CAGR of 5.0% in assessment period.
The key players operating in the thermal inkjet printer industry are Videojet Technologies Inc., InkJet, Inc., Domino Printing Sciences plc and Docod Precision Group Co., Ltd.
Explore Packaging Insights
View Reports
Thermal Inkjet Printer Market
