The year 2025 emerged as a watershed moment for the global printing industry, marked by decisive exits, strategic consolidations, technology realignments, regulatory challenges, and new growth engines beyond traditional print. Each headline told a story of an industry adapting to economic pressure, digital disruption, and evolving customer expectations. Together, these ten developments reveal how print is reshaping itself for the future.
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Fujifilm & Konica Minolta Confirm Joint Venture Name and Date
Capping the year, Fujifilm Business Innovation and Konica Minolta confirmed the launch of Global Procurement Partners Corp. The joint venture aims to centralize procurement, optimize costs, and strengthen supply chain resilience—symbolizing a future where collaboration and efficiency are as important as product innovation.
HP to Cut Jobs Amid Financial Growth and Tariff Pressures
Balancing growth with cost discipline, HP Inc. reported stable revenues while announcing further workforce reductions. Tariff pressures, restructuring initiatives, and a sharper focus on AI-powered PCs reflected the difficult trade-offs many global print leaders faced while navigating margin pressure and geopolitical uncertainty.
Barcode Label Printer Market Expected to Grow Drastically
While office print struggled, industrial and label printing gained momentum. The global barcode label printer market showed strong growth potential, driven by e-commerce, logistics automation, regulatory compliance, and IoT integration. Emerging markets, particularly in Asia-Pacific, stood out as key growth engines, reinforcing the industry’s shift toward specialized and application-driven printing.
Ricoh Banned from Using ETRIA as Trademark in Europe
Regulatory and branding challenges emerged when the EUIPO rejected Ricoh’s application to use the ETRIA trademark in Europe, citing similarity to an existing German brand. The ruling forced Ricoh to reconsider its branding strategy for the European market, illustrating how intellectual property decisions can directly influence global expansion plans.
Brother Accused of Print Quality Degradation with Third-Party Toner
The consumables debate resurfaced strongly in 2025 as Brother Industries faced allegations that firmware updates degraded print quality when third-party toner was used. Although Brother denied intentional wrongdoing, the controversy reignited industry-wide discussions around firmware control, customer rights, and OEM dependence on consumables revenue in a tightening market.
China Printer Market Faces Continual Challenges in 2025
Market realities came into sharp focus as IDC reported another year of decline in China’s printer shipments. Economic uncertainty and cautious spending weighed heavily on laser and dot matrix printers. However, the rise of ink tank printers and business inkjet solutions offered a counterbalance, driven by lower operating costs, remote work trends, and changing SMB preferences—showing that demand is evolving rather than disappearing.
OKI Joins Ricoh’s ETRIA Venture
Strategic collaboration deepened further when Ricoh confirmed OKI joining its ETRIA joint venture, alongside Toshiba Tec. With OKI’s Thailand manufacturing facility transferring to ETRIA, the alliance aims to strengthen engine technology, streamline manufacturing, and improve competitiveness in multifunction printers and label printing—signaling a shift toward shared development models.
Canon Announces Industry’s First HarmonyOS-Compatible Printers
Technology localization made headlines as Canon announced that 31 of its printer models had achieved HarmonyOS NEXT certification. In close collaboration with Huawei, Canon became one of the first global printer brands to align fully with China’s domestic operating system ecosystem. The move reinforced the growing importance of OS compatibility, security, and localization in regulated and enterprise-heavy markets.
Xerox Completes Acquisition of Lexmark
Industry consolidation took center stage when Xerox officially completed its acquisition of Lexmark. Valued at $1.5 billion, the deal strengthened Xerox’s position across major print segments and expanded its global manufacturing and distribution footprint. With a combined presence in over 170 countries, the acquisition underlined how scale, portfolio depth, and global reach have become critical for long-term competitiveness.
Mitsubishi Chemical to Exit Toner Resin Business
The year began with a clear signal of structural change as Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation announced its decision to exit the toner resin business. After more than 30 years in polyester resin production for printer toner, the company cited shrinking print demand, rising raw material costs, and limited long-term profitability. This move, following a similar exit by Mitsui Chemicals, highlighted a deeper transformation in the consumables supply chain and raised concerns about future sourcing stability for OEMs and toner manufacturers.
Covered By: Imaging Solution / Printing Industry
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