More than 1,300 print shops across the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain reported real optimism about the sector’s prospects in March 2022, with almost half (49%) predicting an increase in their revenues on 2021 levels.

The survey, carried out by kit manufacturer Roland DG and released in late September, revealed that 37% of print shops thought that the industry would have recovered completely by the end of 2022.

The optimism comes on the back of the difficulties of 2021, where just a third (33%) reported an increase in turnover.

In their forecasts for 2022, however, just 14% of print shops expected a decline in revenue.

Stephen Davis, marketing director at Roland DG EMEA, said that while the industry continues to navigate a tough, complex trading environment, the steady return of key industries like travel, tourism and hospitality were clearly having a positive impact on the print sector’s confidence.

Many of the printers surveyed were looking forward to growing their business with strategic purchases: 43% planned to buy at least one printer, cutter or engraver.

This focus on expansion was also mirrored in the companies’ three-year objectives. Nearly a third (30%) said their focus was on increasing production capacity, and 21% wanted to expand with new technologies, or with new applications using existing equipment.

Zoe Deadman, managing director at KCS Trade Print, told Printweek: “I think these predictions show the natural optimism of the print industry, an industry learning to build resilience and bounce back despite multiple challenges in recent years.”

Six months on from the survey, new challenges like the Royal Mail strikes have appeared, and old ones, like inflation, have become more difficult.

Deadman added: “With any luck we will have learnt some magic formula to see us through the fallout of Trussanomics!”