Inkjet has changed how printers define themselves. For the last 40 years five categories described the print industry. Companies would say their primary purpose was transactional, direct mail, financial, commercial or specialty print. Print buyers, procurement teams, lines of business staff, and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) sought services based on the category the company fit in.

Many for-profit and in-plant print mail operations have made significant investments in production inkjet. Each organization arrived at their decision after prioritizing the most relevant impact to their operation. The primary factors cited in the decision to move to inkjet include:

Production print providers across industry segments gathered at the Hunkeler Innovation Days (HID) Conference in Switzerland. Attendees were there to make decisions about new investments in print, workflow and finishing. While predominantly a European show, US attendance also increased over 2019.