The start of another year brings the annual tradition of dusting off the crystal ball and seeing what trends, technologies and regulations will impact the printing industry. This year, we talked to six of the top subject matter experts at PRINTING United Alliance to gain perspective on their individual areas of expertise. Here is a closer look at what they’re watching, and how it may impact the printing industry as 2026 unfolds.
Top Market Trends
Lisa Cross, the principal analyst of Alliance Insights, shares some of the overall trends she sees throughout the various research projects she and the team undertake throughout the year. When it comes to the trends that had the biggest impact in 2025, it likely won’t surprise anyone what tops her list.
“The most influential forces impacting the printing industry in 2025 have been artificial intelligence (AI), tariff pressures, and postal rate increases,” she says. “AI has captured significant attention across the industry as printers move from curiosity to early adoption, while rising tariffs have increased operating costs and postal rate hikes have added further pressure to mail-centric print segments — forcing more focus on efficiency and return on investment.”
Convergence, AI, and automation were her overall top three picks for what had the most impact in 2025, and will continue to heavily influence the industry in 2026.
“Connected automation will be a strong competitive differentiator,” she notes. “The shift from stand-alone automation to fully connected workflows will have a significant impact on the industry. Many printers have already automated individual processes, but growing margin pressure and labor constraints are making end-to-end integration increasingly critical. Our survey research indicates that printers using connected, data-driven workflows see higher productivity, fewer errors, and greater business resilience — underscoring that automation delivers its strongest returns when the entire production process works as one system.
Read the full article on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
