2026 will not be the year of experimentation—it will be the year of operational reality.
As digital printing matures across labels and packaging, Keypoint Intelligence’s 2026 Predictions report reveals a market entering a more disciplined, outcome-driven phase of adoption. Momentum remains strong, but the rules are changing.
Growth in digital print is shifting decisively toward mainline production, where productivity, uptime, and workflow integration matter more than novelty or specialty applications. Converters are no longer asking if digital fits—they are asking where, how, and at what scale. At the same time, global brand owners are playing a larger role, particularly in labels and corrugated packaging, pulling digital deeper into standardized, high-volume production environments.
Yet technology alone is no longer enough. The report highlights software connectivity as a critical enabler—and constraint—of digital scale, with fragmented workflows increasingly limiting efficiency and ROI. Investment decisions are becoming more selective, driven by clear operational necessity rather than future potential. Buyers are prioritizing solutions that solve immediate challenges around labor, cost pressure, predictability, and throughput.
The analysis also points to a growing AI adoption gap: brands are moving quickly, while converters lag due to data and integration readiness. This imbalance is already reshaping expectations across the supply chain and will influence OEM, software, and converter strategies moving into 2026.
For industry leaders, the message is clear: success in 2026 will be defined less by breakthrough technology and more by alignment—across workflows, portfolios, and the broader packaging ecosystem.
Download the full report to understand what these shifts mean for converters, OEMs, and brand owners—and how to position for growth in a more disciplined digital future.