The screen printing market is expected to grow from USD 4.873 billion in 2025 to USD 9.527 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 14.35%.
Screen printing is a technique where a mesh is utilized to move the ink to a substrate, with the exception of regions where a blocking stencil has made the substrate impermeable to the ink. Currently, screen printing is frequently done with synthetic threads. Polyester is the most widely used type of mesh nowadays. The screen printer has access to nylon and stainless steel special-use mesh materials and the outcome and appearance of the finished design on the material depends on the type of mesh size used. The method is employed not just for printing on clothing but also for printing on decorations, clock and wristwatch faces, inflatables, and a variety of other products. Multi-layer circuits can be constructed using thin ceramic layers as the foundation and conductors and resistors as the key components. Wafer-based solar photovoltaic (PV) cells have silver meshes screen printed on both the front and back of the cells. The entire rear surface is then covered in an aluminium paste for surface reflectivity and contact resistance.
The thickness of the print is one of the variables that may be changed and regulated in screen printing. This makes it practical for several printing procedures for electronics, solar cells, etc. Although careful printing is necessary to ensure a decreased breakage rate on increasingly thin and large solar wafers, high throughput at the printing stage increases the throughput of the entire cell production line. It is also used in automation to efficiently print numerous copies of the screen pattern on clothing. These machines are faster and employ electric motors or pneumatic pressure produced by air compressors to rotate and elevate or lower pallets, reducing a lot of the physical labour from the process. As a result, operator fatigue is much reduced and outcomes are more reliable. Printed circuit boards can also be manufactured employing screen printing.
Product security is one of the expanding fields where screen printing is used. Labels and other packaging materials are coated with microscopic taggants that are applied using screen printing. These taggants are designed to thwart counterfeiters and, when scanned, reveal private brand information. As such, security printing usage is anticipated to grow in this market. Additionally, government initiatives to incorporate more security printing for different applications have also boosted the market. In January 2023, to reduce the use of counterfeit currency, De La Rue, a printing company that produces notes in Guernsey, declared that new security elements would be added to the island's banknotes. New £5, £10, and £20 notes will include the enhanced security threads. The banknotes would first be introduced on the island before being released to the rest of the globe. The three leopards on the coat of arms and the money symbol are predicted to change from dark to light when the notes are rotated in any direction due to a new holographic design. Smooth ink coating, abrasion and moisture resistance, and other features ensure that screen printing stands out in the market compared to other printing processes. Due to the ideal ink layer thickness, this technique shines in applications requiring characteristics like weather (outside) resistance, moisture, abrasion, and chemical resistance. As such, it makes screen painting a reliable resource for several printing applications.
Most of the demand for screen print labels in North America derives from the apparel, food, and beverage industries. The market's expansion is facilitated by partnerships and developments from numerous regional and international companies. The Natron-SilTex AS Series screen printing silicone inks for socks and gloves were introduced by Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc. in August 2022. This range of silicone ink produces an appearance that is high density, high gloss, and anti-slip on printed cotton, polyester, nylon knit, and wool.
Additionally, Europe also accounts for a significant portion of the market due to the presence of several screen printing firms and their efforts to launch new innovative products. Heidelberger and its Swiss subsidiary Gallus introduced new technologies for the label printing market's expansion in September 2022 in their 'Your Partner for Label Solutions' exhibit, which included the brand-new, fully digital Gallus One label printing machine. The Labelmaster press platform is the foundation of Gallus One and it has a width of 340mm, a resolution of 1,200 DPI, four colours plus white, and a print speed of up to 70 m/min as a reel-to-reel UV inkjet digital in-line label press.
| Report Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Market Size in 2026 | USD 4.873 billion |
| Total Market Size in 2031 | USD 9.527 billion |
| Growth Rate | 14.35% |
| Study Period | 2021 to 2031 |
| Historical Data | 2021 to 2024 |
| Base Year | 2025 |
| Forecast Period | 2026 – 2031 |
| Segmentation | Press Type, Method, Ink Type, Geography |
| Geographical Segmentation | North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific |
| Companies |
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