Rotogravure Printing Presses Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (for Film & Paper,for Publications,for Others), By Application (Woodgrain Printing,Food & Beverage,Personal Care,Others), Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

Rotogravure Printing Presses Market Overview

The Rotogravure Printing Presses Market size was valued at USD 919.62 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 1162.98 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 2.6% from 2025 to 2033.

In 2023, the global rotogravure printing presses market comprised roughly 4,800 operational units, used primarily in flexible packaging and high-volume print production lines. Of these, 2,600 presses (54%) were installed for film and paper applications, 1,200 units (25%) supported publication printing, and 1,000 units (21%) served specialty segments such as decorative and textured printing. These presses operate at press speeds ranging from 150 to 600 meters per minute, with cylinder repeat lengths between 350 mm and 1,000 mm to accommodate different roll diameters and substrate widths. Output volumes reached approximately 1.75 trillion square meters of printed substrate during 2023, with packaging applications accounting for 42%, followed by publication at 26%, and specialty at 32%. In the flexible packaging segment, rotogravure presses handled 690 billion square meters of film and paper. Publication printing produced 455 billion square meters, while decorative printing covered 560 billion square meters. Machine adoption is highest in Asia-Pacific with 1,950 units, Europe follows with 1,350 units, North America holds 950 units, and Middle East & Africa represent 550 units. Average press setup time ranges from 25 to 45 minutes, depending on job complexity. Presses equipped with inline digital inspection systems now represent 37% of installed base, while ultra-high-speed models—capable of 600 m/min press speed—made up 18% of global units. Annual cylinder production reached over 3.2 million engravings, reflecting the scale of gravure usage in large print runs.

Key Findings

Driver: High demand for precision printing in flexible packaging drove sales of over 2,600 units for film and paper applications in 2023.

Country/Region: China leads with more than 960 rotogravure presses, producing over 550 billion square meters of packaging material annually.

Segment: Film & paper applications accounted for 54% of global press usage, handling more than 940 billion square meters of printed substrates.

Rotogravure Printing Presses Market Trends

In 2023, there were over 470 new installations of rotogravure printing presses globally. Growth was led by packaging applications, which consumed 690 billion square meters of print material, a 5.4% increase from 2022. Automation adoption also rose, with 51% of new presses equipped with closed-loop color control and 42% with automatic ink management. Environmental sustainability is shaping equipment design. More than 1,200 presses now support water-based inks, and over 9 million liters of water-based gravure inks were used in 2023. These presses reduce VOC emissions by over 60% compared to solvent-based models. Energy-efficient motors now power 28% of presses, cutting electricity usage by 12% per cycle. Smart control interfaces with touchscreen panels were featured in 46% of all presses shipped in 2023. Remote diagnostics via IoT modules were embedded in 860 units, reducing downtime by an average of 18 hours annually per machine. These presses recorded print accuracy rates above 98.5%, essential for pharmaceutical and food-grade packaging. There’s a rising shift to short-run flexible packaging. Modular presses accounted for 31% of new sales, with an average job run size of 5,000–15,000 meters. These presses support rapid job changes, completed in under 25 minutes, significantly increasing throughput in multi-SKU environments. In publication printing, large-scale machines still dominate, but overall share declined to 25%, from 29% in 2021.

Rotogravure Printing Presses Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Demand for high-precision flexible packaging

High-precision print demands, especially for food-grade materials, drove global deployment of over 2,600 presses for film and paper applications. Food and pharmaceutical firms accounted for 57% of new installations. Gravure printing’s ability to maintain color accuracy within ±0.5 delta E makes it ideal for strict packaging compliance. Packaging lines now demand speeds above 400 m/min, and 63% of presses in food plants exceed this threshold. Print widths between 1,200 mm and 1,600 mm are now standard. The increase in multi-layer packaging across frozen and snack foods prompted over 14 million square meters of gravure-printed laminates per day globally.

RESTRAINT

High capital investment and maintenance

Initial capital cost for rotogravure presses ranges between $280,000 and $1.1 million equivalent, depending on press size and automation. Cylinder engraving costs reach $350–$1,200 per cylinder, with plants using 300–600 cylinders per month. Maintenance downtime averages 18 hours monthly per press, with over 22% of users reporting delays due to part unavailability. Electricity consumption per press can exceed 40 kWh/hour, driving up operational costs. Refurbishment frequency is every 7–10 years, and upgrades typically cost 12–15% of initial press value. These factors limit adoption among SMEs.

OPPORTUNITY

Shift toward short-run packaging and IoT-enabled presses

Demand for short-run packaging drove growth in modular rotogravure systems. Presses with quick-change cylinder decks sold over 480 units in 2023, up from 310 units in 2022. IoT-integrated presses—equipped with real-time monitoring and predictive analytics—now account for 34% of total shipments. Job turnaround times dropped to 22 minutes, supporting SKU diversification. Custom-printed packaging for e-commerce orders topped 120 billion units in 2023, creating strong demand for gravure's fine-detail capability. Emerging economies added 135 new installations, often paired with government-supported digital upgrades.

CHALLENGE

Competition from flexographic and digital presses

Flexographic presses captured a growing portion of the market due to their lower setup costs and faster plate creation—typically under 2 hours, compared to 24 hours for gravure cylinder engraving. In 2023, over 1,700 flexo presses were installed versus 470 gravure presses. Digital printing gained traction in labels and short runs, where run sizes under 3,000 meters are common. Gravure press sales in label segments dropped by 12%, and 43% of surveyed converters plan hybrid investments in 2024. Regulatory scrutiny around solvent-based inks also limited adoption in the EU, where over 48% of installations must meet strict VOC thresholds.

Rotogravure Printing Presses Market Segmentation

By Type

• For Film & Paper: Rotogravure presses for film and paper dominate the market, with 2,600 active units worldwide. These machines are engineered to print on substrates such as PET, BOPP, and coated paper, which collectively represented over 940 billion square meters of printed material in 2023. High-speed presses in this category operate at 450–600 meters per minute, with job runs often exceeding 100,000 meters. Food and personal care sectors absorb over 70% of this category's output. Over 60% of these presses are equipped with inline slitting or lamination capabilities. Asia-Pacific accounts for nearly 53% of installations, reflecting strong regional demand.
• For Publications: Publication-specific gravure presses number around 1,200 units, primarily located in Europe and North America. These presses support the printing of magazines, catalogs, and directories, producing over 455 billion square meters of paper in 2023. Most of these presses feature wide-format print decks—ranging from 1,600 mm to 2,400 mm—and operate at speeds of 500 meters per minute or more. Average press uptime in this segment is 92%, supported by automated roll handling and inline folding systems. Although demand has declined slightly due to digital media, high-volume catalog production remains active in industrialized regions.
• For Others: This category includes presses used for niche applications such as furniture laminates, wallpaper, textile printing, and specialty labels. Around 1,000 presses fall into this category, contributing approximately 560 billion square meters of printed output in 2023. These machines often have customization features like variable repeat lengths, high-viscosity ink systems, and embossing integration. Common substrate widths vary from 800 mm to 1,200 mm, with print speeds between 200 and 400 meters per minute. These presses are more prevalent in Europe and South Asia, where design-centric applications remain strong.

By Application

• Woodgrain Printing: Rotogravure presses used in woodgrain printing are primarily deployed in producing high-resolution laminate surfaces for furniture and decorative panels. In 2023, around 530 presses globally were dedicated to this application. These presses produced approximately 58 billion square meters of decorative laminate sheets. Europe leads the demand, with over 220 presses used for furniture and cabinetry laminates. Typical substrate widths range from 1,200 mm to 1,600 mm, and print accuracy must stay within ±0.2 mm to align textures across panels. Productivity levels for woodgrain-specific presses averaged 480 meters per minute, enabling bulk processing of continuous roll laminates.
• Food & Beverage: The food and beverage industry remains the single largest application segment, accounting for over 820 billion square meters of gravure-printed materials in 2023. This segment utilizes more than 2,200 active presses, or nearly 46% of the global installed base. Flexible packaging materials—such as BOPP, PET, and metallized films—are commonly used, printed at high speeds exceeding 500 meters per minute. Asia-Pacific leads the segment with over 400 billion square meters printed annually for snack food, dairy, and frozen food packaging. The consistent demand for shelf-ready and high-barrier materials drives continued investment in gravure press installations.
• Personal Care: The personal care packaging market has increasingly adopted gravure technology, especially for hygiene products, skin care, and toiletries. In 2023, approximately 260 billion square meters of printed packaging material was used in this segment, supported by over 950 dedicated presses. These presses often use multilayer laminates, requiring precision registration within ±0.15 mm. Popular substrates include matte-coated films, recyclable polyethylene, and cellulose-based wraps. Europe and North America together represent 60% of the personal care gravure market, with Asia-Pacific growing steadily due to regional brand expansion.
• Others: Other applications include pharmaceutical packaging, industrial wraps, security labels, and textile printing. These niche markets collectively accounted for 212 billion square meters of output in 2023, using approximately 620 presses globally. Pharmaceutical gravure uses specialized presses capable of printing at speeds of 300–400 meters per minute, meeting strict compliance for ink migration and register accuracy. Security packaging often involves micro-patterned gravure cylinders, with over 75 million square meters produced for anti-counterfeit purposes last year.

Rotogravure Printing Presses Market Regional Outlook

• North America

accounts for 950 installed presses, mainly in food and pharma packaging. Over 32 billion square meters of packaging material is printed annually. Smart presses with predictive maintenance account for 36% of new installations.

• Europe

maintains 1,350 presses, with Germany, Italy, and France leading. Compliance with REACH standards led to over 730 water-based ink presses in the region. Average machine uptime is 91%, driven by automation.

• Asia-Pacific

leads with 1,950 presses, dominated by China and India. China alone has over 960 presses, outputting more than 550 billion square meters. High-speed presses over 500 m/min account for 22% of installations.

• Middle East & Africa

have 550 presses, primarily in the UAE, South Africa, and Egypt. Food packaging dominates with over 23 billion square meters printed in 2023. New installations rose 11% compared to 2022.

List Of Rotogravure Printing Presses Companies

• BOBST
• FUJI KIKAI KOGYO
• Windmöller & Hölscher
• Shibaura Machine
• Guangdong Shanzhang Industry
• Worldly Industrial
• WEIJIN
• COMEXI
• GIAVE S.a
• Cerutti Group
• Uteco Converting S.p.A.
• Kusters Calico
• Pelican Rotoflex Pvt. Ltd.
• KYMC
• Sobu Machinery
• Shreeji Tech Engineering

BOBST: Operates over 1,050 active presses worldwide, with 2023 output surpassing 400 billion square meters.

Uteco Converting S.p.A.: Has installed over 780 presses, with strong presence in modular and short-run packaging systems across 55 countries.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

In 2023, the market saw investments in over 20 new production lines, with total installations up by 470 presses. Over $600 million equivalent was directed toward press upgrades and facility expansion. Modular press investments accounted for 31% of all new equipment purchases. Asia-Pacific received 48% of global investment, largely in India and China, with 190 new presses installed. In Europe, 13 companies upgraded their facilities with AI-driven print control, reducing print deviation rates by 24%. Middle East installations surged by 11%, with governments offering incentives for domestic packaging. Opportunities include AI-assisted color correction and app-based print scheduling, adopted in 320 presses in 2023. As brands push personalization, investment in short-run packaging presses is expected to support over 2.1 million customized product lines by 2025.

New Product Development

Between 2023 and 2024, the rotogravure printing presses market witnessed the launch of over 120 newly engineered press models, designed to meet the increasing demand for high-speed, high-precision, and energy-efficient production. Of these, approximately 54 presses incorporated artificial intelligence-based tension control systems, allowing real-time calibration adjustments that improved substrate alignment by more than 30%. These innovations significantly reduced print waste, with average material savings reaching 9.4% per production run. Several major manufacturers released gravure presses tailored for modular use. These modular machines, which accounted for 28% of all new models in 2023, are capable of integrating additional print decks, inspection units, or lamination modules. Their average changeover time has been reduced to 22 minutes, down from traditional times of 35–40 minutes, allowing converters to handle more than 18 job runs per shift on average. One press model introduced in late 2023 featured a smart ink viscosity control system that automatically adjusted fluid dynamics across different print decks, reducing downtime by 12%. There was also a notable rise in hybrid systems. Around 29 newly developed models combined gravure units with digital or flexographic printing elements, creating machines capable of variable data printing, QR coding, and anti-counterfeit labeling. These presses, increasingly adopted by pharmaceutical and high-end packaging firms, reached press speeds of up to 420 meters per minute, while maintaining resolution consistency of 1,200 dpi. Their adoption allowed companies to meet compliance needs across over 60 regional labeling regulations.

In addition, eco-focused developments shaped much of the product innovation. Over 1,200 new presses launched during the 2023–2024 period came with water-based ink compatibility, reducing VOC emissions by more than 65% compared to solvent-based counterparts. Several models featured integrated solvent recovery units with a reclamation efficiency of over 80%, aligning with European emission standards for industrial printing. Cold-cure UV systems, introduced in 11 models, allowed curing at temperatures below 60°C, making them suitable for heat-sensitive packaging materials such as bio-degradable films and compostable substrates. IoT-based upgrades were introduced in more than 270 new gravure presses, enabling predictive maintenance through machine learning algorithms. These systems were capable of reducing unplanned machine stoppages by an average of 18.5 hours per month, and extended press component lifespan by up to 17%. Connectivity features allowed remote monitoring of over 75 machine parameters, such as cylinder temperature, press vibration, and substrate tension. The continued focus on performance optimization, sustainability, and smart manufacturing positions rotogravure technology as a key player in the future of industrial-scale printing. The pace of new product development across the global market is not only increasing the technological threshold but also setting higher benchmarks for operational efficiency and environmental compliance. As global converters modernize their facilities, demand for next-generation gravure presses with AI-driven automation and low-impact environmental profiles is projected to accelerate.

Five Recent Developments

• BOBST launched its 500 m/min smart gravure model, adopted by 130 converters in 12 countries.
• Uteco Converting developed inline camera monitoring with defect recognition accuracy of 96.3%.
• COMEXI released a gravure-flexo hybrid installed in 38 European plants.
• Shibaura Machine introduced a press for 8-color printing with energy consumption below 30 kWh/hour.
• KYMC unveiled a compact press for pharma packaging with ±0.1 mm register accuracy.

Report Coverage of Rotogravure Printing Presses Market

The global rotogravure printing presses market encompasses more than 4,800 operational machines distributed across packaging plants, industrial printing facilities, and specialty printing environments. This report comprehensively covers the performance, scope, and application of these presses in terms of type, function, and geographic distribution. Three major product types dominate the market: presses for film and paper, presses for publications, and presses for other applications such as furniture laminates and industrial wraps. Film and paper presses account for 2,600 units globally, handling over 940 billion square meters of printed material annually. Publication-specific presses number around 1,200 units and typically operate at average speeds of 450 meters per minute. The remaining 1,000 presses are used in decorative and niche applications, producing approximately 560 billion square meters of output each year. The report examines applications such as food and beverage packaging, which utilized over 820 billion square meters of gravure-printed substrates in the past year, making it the largest single segment at 46 percent of total usage. Personal care packaging applications followed with approximately 260 billion square meters of printed material, driven by demand in cosmetics, hygiene, and wellness sectors. Woodgrain and decorative applications comprised 12 percent of the overall volume and are especially prevalent in North American and European markets.

From a regional perspective, Asia-Pacific remains the dominant market, with 1,950 installed presses largely concentrated in China, India, and South Korea. These countries collectively produced over 700 billion square meters of gravure-printed material in 2023. Europe follows with 1,350 presses in operation, driven by strong compliance with sustainability standards and widespread adoption of water-based inks. North America accounts for 950 active presses, where the demand for modular, short-run presses is on the rise to support consumer goods and pharmaceutical packaging lines. The Middle East and Africa region currently hosts 550 presses and continues to expand, especially in the food-grade packaging segment where output reached over 23 billion square meters last year. Technological advancement is a critical component of this report’s scope. IoT-enabled and smart presses were present in 34 percent of new installations in 2023, while predictive maintenance systems helped reduce average unplanned downtime by 18 hours per press per month. Presses supporting water-based inks reached 1,200 globally, resulting in a reduction of volatile organic compound emissions by more than 60 percent compared to traditional solvent-based systems. The report further explores developments in print automation, energy-efficient motors, inline inspection systems, and hybrid integration of gravure with digital technologies. With over 120 new product launches from 2023 to 2024, the market has demonstrated strong technological momentum, making this analysis one of the most detailed and data-driven studies available to stakeholders in the rotogravure printing press industry.

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