Printers have been part and parcel of the PC explosion that began in the early 1980s, with consumers using monochrome dot matrix printers. Through the 1990s, the market was buoyed by sales of color inkjet printers, allowing many consumers to print at home in color for the first time.

From 1999 to 2004, volume sales have been propelled by increasing numbers of households with PCs and digital cameras, as well as by low prices on new high-quality inkjet photo printers, color multi-function printers, and small-size, high-speed, monochrome laser printers.

Printers have been part and parcel of the PC explosion that began in the early 1980s, with consumers using monochrome dot matrix printers. Through the 1990s, the market was buoyed by sales of color inkjet printers, allowing many consumers to print at home in color for the first time.

From 1999 to 2004, volume sales have been propelled by increasing numbers of households with PCs and digital cameras, as well as by low prices on new high-quality inkjet photo printers, color multi-function printers, and small-size, high-speed, monochrome laser printers.

Unfortunately, the rapid erosion of prices in all three areas has led to declining sales by value from 2001 onward from $3.6 billion in 2001 to $3.1 billion (projected) in 2004. The saving grace for the market is steadily increasing sales of ink cartridges, although Mintel’s research finds that consumers are concerned with the high cost of ink, and that this is impacting usage of printers. Eventually consumers are likely to take ink costs into greater consideration, resulting in diminished at-home printing and a potential increase in sales of third-party ink refills.

While the industry faces challenges based on price erosion and consumer concern over printing costs, two products stand on the horizon that are likely to restore the printer sales into a rapid growth market. These products are portable photo printer docks and low-cost color laser printers.

Printers are the focus and concentration of this report. Any printer that can print photos from a PC, digital camera, or memory card is included, so long as the product is sold to a consumer or a small office/home office environment. Machines intended for professional purposes or primarily sold to corporate entities are not the subject of this report.

Products covered include inkjet and laser printers, including monochrome laser printers, portable and standard inkjet photo printers, and multi-function printers, which function as a printer, fax machine, scanner, and copier.

These products are bought through traditional retail channels for home use including home office applications. Other retail channels include the Internet, mail order, catalogues and computer resellers.

Accessories (toner, ink cartridges, cables) are not the subject of the report, but are discussed as relevant. Sales figures do not include sales of toner, cartridges or printer cables. Printing services are not included in this report.

A number of U.S. consumer intelligence reports covering other related sectors have been published or are in preparation, including the following:

Emerging Technologies, Volume 3—U.S., consumer intelligence, October 2004

Emerging Technologies, Volume 2—U.S., consumer intelligence, September 2004

Emerging Technologies, Volume 1—U.S., consumer intelligence, July 2004

Digital Cameras—U.S., consumer intelligence, April 2004

Film & Film Processing—U.S., consumer intelligence, March 2004

Youth, Young Adults and the Wireless Market—U.S., consumer intelligence, October 2003

Home Telephone Products—U.S., consumer intelligence, September 2003

Mobile Phones—U.S., consumer intelligence, August 2003

PC Aftermarket Peripherals & Components—U.S., consumer intelligence, July 2003

Batteries—U.S., consumer intelligence, March 2003

Cameras and Camcorders—U.S.., consumer intelligence, October 2002

Home Videos—U.S., consumer intelligence, July 2002

Home Audio—U.S., consumer intelligence, June 2002

Home Personal Computers—U.S., consumer intelligence, May 2003

Video, Computer and Internet Games—U.S., consumer intelligence, September 2002

Educational Software—U.S., consumer intelligence, July 2003

Portable Audio Players—U.S., consumer intelligence, May 2002

Online Music—U.S., consumer intelligence, February 2002