Framingham, Massachusetts-based technology analysis firm IDC reports that global large format printer shipments were up slightly in the first quarter of 2016. The report says they grew 1.2 percent, year-over-year compared to the same quarter last year, while hardware revenue grew by almost 7 percent.

According to the firm’s Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker report, shipments in the large format CAD/Technical printer market segment grew 1.6 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, while hardware revenue in that segment was up by more than 13 percent.

On the large format graphics side, total shipments grew by just 0.6 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of this year while revenue grew 2.8 percent in the same period. The report says the durable graphics segment fueled that growth as shipments of large format printers that serve the durable graphics market grew by more than 9.5 percent worldwide in the quarter, continuing a trend from 2014 and 2015. UV-curable inkjet, Latex, eco-solvent, and dye-sublimation inkjet printers led the way.

The reports says the top five suppliers worldwide in 2015 all kept their place in the first quarter of this year. In order they are HP Inc., Canon (including Océ), Seiko Epson, Roland DG, and Mimaki.

Manufacturer Highlights:

HP had nearly twice the total market share of any other vendor in the large format business overall due to its dominance in the large format CAD/technical and Latex segments.

Canon, when combined with Océ, grew its share of total large format printer shipments from 18.8 percent in the first quarter of 2015 to more than 20 percent in this year’s first quarter.

Epson is transforming its large format printer product line, launching new eco-solvent printers in the fourth quarter of 2015 that have helped the company grow its share of large format printer revenue in the first quarter of this year. However, the decline in the company’s low-end aqueous inkjet printers has reduced market share so far in 2016.

Roland DG was the fourth-ranked supplier of large format printers worldwide in terms of total shipments in the first quarter of this year, but remains the top supplier in the durable graphics printer segment.

Mimaki was the number five supplier of large format printers worldwide in the first quarter of this year and grew its shipments and market share with the launch of new printers in the UV, eco-solvent, and dye-sublimation segments.

While not cracking the top five, Mutoh barely missed it and continues to grow in both units shipped and revenues.