The global printing machine market is dominated by Europe. It is home to global manufacturers such as Heidelberg, Manroland and KBA, among many others. However, the fastest-growing region, Asia-Pacific, is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.2% during the next decade. Growing demand in China, India and other Asian countries is primarily driving the growth of the industry. However, the demand for printing machines is not limited to the continent. In addition, the growing demand for printed products across various industries is a factor in the growth of the industry in this region.
In the 18th century, Friedrich Koenig, who had moved to London, came up with a more powerful printing machine. In 1807, he met Thomas Bensley, who was interested in the project and secured funding for it. In 1809, he designed a machine that used a steam engine to feed the paper into a cylinder, which could print 5,000 to 12,000 pieces per hour. A year later, Bullock and Hoe developed a folding device that enabled newspapers to be folded automatically without any human intervention.
The process of offset lithography is another form of printing. This process relies on the principle of water and oil not mixing. The image area of the plate is lined with grease, while the non-image part is kept wet. The greasy ink sticks to the greased image areas, while the water-soaked non-image parts stay wet. To maintain the quality of the printed product, offset press operators must carefully control the flow of water and ink.