SGIA has released its first-ever Industry Technology Adoption Survey, which offers an in-depth look at how different types of technology is being used by graphic producers, garment decorators, and industrial printers.

The executive summary notes that “For the past several years we’ve been on a fast-track for digital equipment sales as screen-printing companies added digital capability. As it pertains to the mid-size and larger graphic producers, we are through the adoption phase of digital imaging. We’ve crested the top of the bell curve. Today, much of the digital imaging equipment sold to these companies replaces older digital equipment or adds capacity.”

According to the US report, 50 percent of graphic imagers use both screen printing and digital imaging processes, while only five percent are screen-only facilities and 46 percent are digital-only. The report shows that screen printers will continue to add digital technology, but most digital printers will not be adding screen printing capability.

The Industry Technology Adoption report suggests that screen printing (which was once the primary technology for the SGIA community) can now be regarded as an important value-added capability. For certain types of products, multi-technology graphics producers that use both digital imaging and screen printing have a competitive advantage over those companies that only use digital imaging. Researchers note that “The use of offset lithography has proven valuable to some graphics  producers, especially those doing substantial point-of-purchase production.”

The 45-page report lists the biggest changes graphic imagers expect to see either in their business or the technology over the next five years as well as some of the problems that need to be immediately solved.

Charts in the report show:

• Products that are co-produced by businesses.

• Resolution by product.

• Maximum substrate size a business can print on (broken out by product).

• Maximum finished product size for a business (broken out by product).

• Products by company technology mix.

Some of the specialty products featured in the report include architectural signage (wayfinding and façade), directories, awnings, backlit signs, banners, billboards, building wraps, building graphics, construction signs, presentation graphics, pole signs, POP/POS signs, floor graphics, trade-show displays, window displays, indoor wall graphics, safety signs, traffic safety signs, vehicle graphics, fine art reproduction, decal/stickers, flags, plaques, awards, and trophies.

SGIA members can access the full Industry Technology Adoption Survey at SGIA.org, Keyword:Survey.http://www.sgia.org/surveys_and_statistics/

SGIA is an international association for specialty imaging, using processes such as screen printing, digital printing, sublimation, and pad printing. For more information about the organization and membership, visit: http://www.sgia.org/about_SGIA/