For years, experts predicted a “paperless office.” As of 2025, that hasn’t happened – printing remains essential to many operations. This post debunks that myth with recent data and examples, showing that printing is alive, well, and evolving, not disappearing.
The Paperless Office: Myth vs. Reality
Despite advances in digitization, companies still rely on printed documents for many tasks – from legal compliance to client communications. “Despite the widespread adoption of digital technologies, the paperless office remains a myth for many organizations,” one industry expert noted in 2024. Sectors like legal, finance, healthcare, and education still depend on hardcopy documents due to regulations and the need for tangible records, so a fully paperless workflow isn’t practical for them.
Printing by the Numbers: A Global Perspective
Tens of millions of printers are still sold each year – nearly 22 million devices shipped in Q4 2024 alone. The printer hardware market yields tens of billions in annual revenue, while the broader print sector (including packaging) is about $910 billion globally. Trillions of pages are still printed worldwide each year.
Why Businesses Still Need Printing
Printing remains critical in various business domains:
-
Logistics & Packaging: Every shipment and product package uses printed labels, barcodes, or branding. The packaging printing market is booming – projected to grow from $474 billion in 2024 to $508 billion in 2025, driven by e-commerce and brand needs. Physical labels and packaging remain vital for supply chains and marketing.
-
Healthcare & Legal: From hospitals to law firms, physical paperwork remains commonplace. An average lawyer, for instance, prints 20,000–100,000 pages per year because courts and clients still require hard copies.
-
Marketing & Retail: Print marketing still packs a punch. 82% of consumers trust print ads most when making purchase decisions. Retailers continue to use direct mail, catalogs, and in-store signage – tangible media that often engage customers more than digital ads.
Evolving, Not Dying: Printing Tech Advances
The printer industry is adapting to the times. Modern smart printers feature IoT connectivity – they can monitor their own status, integrate with cloud systems, and auto-replenish supplies. Sustainability is another focus: manufacturers now offer energy-efficient models, refillable ink systems, and eco-friendly inks to cut waste. Labeling is going high-tech as well: businesses are adopting digital label printers for on-demand packaging and shipping labels – a segment growing over 5% annually– allowing flexible, low-waste printing in logistics and retail. Print technology is evolving to be smarter and greener, not disappearing.
Conclusion: Print’s Future in a “Paperless” World
In many organizations, printers and paper still play irreplaceable roles. Business owners should see printing as an evolving asset that supports operations, compliance, and marketing. The future isn’t about eliminating paper entirely, but about using it where it adds value and printing smarter and more sustainably. In a world of digital noise, the printed page holds its own – the printer industry isn’t dying, it’s adapting for the long haul.
For a free consultation contact us at https://wa.me/971569981942 or call us at +971 56 998 1942
