AI in the Printing Industry: From Curiosity to Competitive Advantage

Two leading print industry researchers, Nathan Safran, VP of research, and Lisa Cross, principal analyst, both with Alliance Insights (formerly known as NAPCO Research), which operates under the umbrella of PRINTING United Alliance, shared findings from their newest and most extensive AI study to date—research they describe as the first deep dive into how artificial intelligence is truly reshaping print. Their presentation took place during the 2025 PRINTING United Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Alliance Insights publishes numerous reports each year across Printing Impressions, Packaging Impressions, Wide-format Impressions, and other industry channels, Safran said. He encouraged industry professionals to join the Alliance’s business panel, a short quarterly survey that gives participants access to non-public data from the organization’s chief economist, Andy Paparozzi. “You help us produce research for the industry,” Safran noted. “It’s really not a major commitment. Ten minutes, four times a year, and you get insights we don’t publish anywhere else.”

A New Era of AI in Print

“Welcome everyone,” Cross began. “This is our first time talking in depth about our latest research study, and we’re really excited about it.” The centerpiece of the presentation was their new report, “AI Adoption in the Printing Industry: From Curiosity to Competitive Advantage.” The study incorporates survey data from 300 printing companies and includes 16 in-depth interviews with executives across the commercial, packaging, in-plant, apparel, and wide-format sectors. The survey was sponsored by both Print ePS and Koenig & Bauer.

“We believe AI is reshaping the printing industry as it is every other industry,” Cross said. “But it’s doing so in an entirely new way—by creating competitive advantages that extend beyond faster presses, cheaper inputs, and more efficient workflows.”

According to the findings, she said, AI is elevating print businesses through smarter operations, sharper customer insights, and innovative approaches to creativity and automation. “It’s one of those tools that applies to every single aspect of your business,” Cross emphasized. “From writing an email, to running your presses, to color management, to writing proposals, to shipping things out the door.”

Where AI Is Already Making an Impact

In their study, printers reported applying AI across customer communications, estimating, prepress, workflow automation, marketing, and operations. Many are already achieving measurable ROI from these efforts, even with limited experience. On average, respondents had been using AI for just 1.5 years, and roughly one-quarter had not yet adopted any AI at all.

Some don’t even realize they are using it. “AI is in a lot of the equipment we use every day, and we don’t think about it,” Cross noted.

The industry’s sense of AI’s significance, however, is overwhelming:

• 85% say AI is critical to staying competitive
• 83% say AI is unlocking new business opportunities
• 42% believe companies without AI “will not survive”

And the interviews as part of the survey reinforced the urgency. Some quotes:

• “If you’re not doing AI, you’re either ready to retire or should move on.”
• “In three to five years, if you’re not ready, you won’t survive this industry.”
• “If we don’t learn to use AI at all, we will be left behind.”

What Printers Are Using—and Why

The most common entry point is generative AI for design and copy, a low-risk way for owners and employees to experiment with AI-powered creativity. “A lot of company owners became familiar with AI that way,” Cross said. “And they’re encouraging staff to use it too.”

Key benefits cited include:

• Increased production efficiency
• Improved output quality
• Reduction of repetitive tasks
• Faster proposal generation
• More targeted sales messaging
• Expanded ideation and creative options
• Better decision support through conversational AI

One executive described turning a “one-to-four-hour task into a simple drag-and-drop hot folder that automates the entire process,” Cross shared. Another said automation reduced headcount in one department by 25% and 15% in another, which is a reflection of AI’s value amid ongoing labor shortages.

The Skills Gap—and Why It Matters

Staffing emerged as both a challenge and an opportunity.

• 87% said AI skills are highly desirable
• Yet 87% are not actively hiring for those skills
• And 63% believe AI will not reduce staffing levels

“There are anomalies like that in the research—people saying, ‘Yes, this is important,’ but also saying, ‘No, we’re not doing it yet,’” Cross said.

Barriers Are Real—but Shrinking

Companies reported predictable obstacles: lack of in-house expertise, difficulty integrating systems, lack of industry-specific tools, and uncertainty about where to begin. Many of these barriers, Cross emphasized, “are already disappearing” as tools mature and more printers gain experience.

Leaders vs. Laggards: What Sets Them Apart

Safran then shifted to the section he called “the tactical heart of the study”: identifying what AI leaders do differently.

The findings were striking:

• 46% of leaders have a clear AI roadmap (compared to 9% of laggards)
• 91% of leaders assign explicit responsibility for AI initiatives
• Leaders encourage cross-departmental experimentation
• Laggards are far less likely to evaluate tools—or even be “on the field,” as Safran put it
• 28% of leaders have established cross-functional AI committees

Safran shared how PRINTING United Alliance itself modeled this behavior. At first, departments were simply told to experiment. Later, a centralized group surveyed each division to identify pain points, and then created a structured AI roadmap. “Any project without an owner is destined for failure,” he noted. “Someone has to spearhead the process.”

Leaders also tend to use multiple AI tools, consult experts, and adopt a culture of continuous testing.

Most importantly, they enjoy dramatically higher benefits—from efficiency gains to better customer experiences, improved data insights, and enhanced automation.

“They’re not just doing more with less,” Safran said. “They’re making better decisions, serving customers more effectively, and positioning themselves for the future.”

Use Cases: From Global Platforms to Small Shops

Large companies like R.R. Donnelley, Safran shared, are launching comprehensive AI platforms, analyzing millions of documents, streamlining workflows, and enhancing compliance. But smaller organizations are innovating as well.

One mid-sized commercial printer with $17 million in revenue uses AI as a competitive equalizer in estimating, job prep, and customer communications. Others are automating blog posts, training videos, and even podcasts.

“This is a trend we’re watching closely,” Safran said. “We’re seeing companies shift from relying on off-the-shelf tools to developing their own solutions.”

The Takeaway: The Future Is Accelerating

Cross concluded with a reminder: “Next year, the state of AI will be vastly different.” Safran echoed the sentiment, noting that budgets, adoption rates, and internal structures will evolve quickly as ROI becomes more visible.

The message from the research is unmistakable: AI is no longer optional in the printing industry. It is central to competitiveness, creativity, and long-term survival. Or, as one interviewee put it: “AI’s not going away. Get started. Learn fast.”