Across publishing, marketing, and commercial print, 2026 is shaping up as a year defined by agility and confidence. Sarah Lesting of WAN-IFRA highlights the need for super-flexible production and smarter automation to manage shorter, more personalised runs while navigating shifting distribution models and rising costs. Beatrice Klose of Intergraf and Malcolm Smith of Konica Minolta both stress the importance of sustainability transparency and greater industry confidence in print’s environmental credentials, particularly as scrutiny grows around the footprint of digital technologies and AI. For Trewin Restorick of Sizzle, resilience, authenticity, and circularity will be essential watchwords, with printed media offering trust and permanence in an era of political turbulence and digital misinformation.

On the marketing front, optimism is equally strong. Rachel Aldighieri of the DMA points to sustained growth in direct mail spend and highlights print’s advantages in trust, transparency, and freedom from digital ad fraud. Mark Cross of JICMAIL reinforces this, positioning mail as a “super touchpoint” that drives digital engagement and delivers disproportionate outcomes when integrated intelligently into campaigns. Amanda Griffiths of Marketreach echoes the theme of unity and collaboration, noting that mail’s proven ability to build trust positions it as a critical strategic channel rather than a legacy add-on. Taken together, the outlook for 2026 suggests not a defensive year for print, but one of measured confidence—where automation, integration, and sustainability combine to reinforce print’s enduring value in a rapidly evolving communications landscape.

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