In the development of the printing industry, gravure printing has always held a significant position. As a printing method based on engraved image-carrying cylinders, it provides high-quality printing solutions for numerous industries with its high precision, high speed, and excellent color reproduction capabilities. From flexible packaging to tobacco and cosmetic packaging, and from wallpaper to publications, gravure printing is widely applied.

However, in recent years, with the rapid development of digital and flexographic printing technologies, as well as increasingly strict global environmental regulations, gravure printing is facing unprecedented challenges. Many industry insiders have wondered: In 2025, will gravure printing still be commercially sustainable? Can it continue to bring stable profits to enterprises? This article will deeply analyze the profitability of gravure printing in 2025 from multiple perspectives, including market status, cost structure, advantages, and challenges.

1. 2025 Gravure Printing Market Overview

Despite the fierce competition from other printing technologies in the wave of technological innovation, gravure printing still occupies an important position in specific high-end markets in 2025. In the Asia-Pacific region, countries such as China, India, and Vietnam still regard gravure printing as one of the mainstream processes in the packaging and printing sector. Taking China as an example, according to relevant industry data, in subdivided markets such as food and pharmaceutical packaging, the market share of gravure printing has remained at a high level for many years.

In terms of market application, the demand for gravure printing is relatively stable. In fields with high requirements for printing quality, such as food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, label printing, and decorative materials, gravure printing remains the preferred choice.

Today, consumers have increasingly high requirements for food packaging, paying attention not only to the visual effects but also to safety. Gravure printing can accurately present exquisite patterns and clear text, and the inks it uses can meet the strict safety standards for food packaging. The same applies to pharmaceutical packaging: clear and accurate drug information and beautiful packaging designs rely on the high precision of gravure printing.

A well-known pharmaceutical manufacturer has stated that they have long used gravure printing for drug packaging because it ensures the accurate transmission of drug information and the exquisite texture of the packaging.

In terms of regional distribution, in emerging markets with low labor costs and large order volumes, investments in gravure printing equipment can achieve faster cost recovery and maintain good profit margins. These regions have vigorous market demand and prominent large-scale production needs, where the advantages of gravure printing in mass production are fully utilized. For example, in some industrial parks in Vietnam, many packaging enterprises undertaking international orders have achieved efficient production and considerable economic benefits through gravure printing technology.

2. Cost Structure and Profit Factors

The cost structure of gravure printing has its own characteristics, which largely determines its profit model. It is undeniable that the initial equipment investment for gravure printing is high, especially the plate-making cost, and the engraving fee for gravure cylinders is quite expensive. However, in mass production, its unit printing cost is far lower than other printing methods. Gravure printing cylinders have a long service life and can withstand millions of impressions, making them particularly suitable for long-term repeated orders.

Once an enterprise obtains stable long-term orders, the plate-making cost can be amortized over a large number of impressions, thereby reducing the unit cost and expanding the profit margin. A large packaging and printing enterprise shared their experience: after undertaking a long-term packaging order from a well-known beverage brand, through gravure printing, as the order volume accumulated, the unit cost significantly decreased, and profits increased accordingly.

In terms of ink and material costs, the development of water-based gravure inks has brought new changes to gravure printing. With the enhancement of environmental awareness, water-based gravure inks are increasingly used, which reduces the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This not only meets environmental requirements but also reduces the additional costs of VOC emission control. Enterprises do not need to invest heavily in waste gas treatment equipment and related technology research and development, effectively reducing operating costs. According to incomplete statistics, after adopting water-based gravure inks, some enterprises have reduced environmental protection costs by approximately 30%.

In addition, modern gravure printing machines have achieved high-speed and intelligent operation, which greatly saves labor costs and improves unit hourly output value. The application of automation technology makes the printing process more efficient and precise, reducing errors and losses caused by manual operations and further enhancing the profitability of gravure printing. In some highly intelligent printing workshops, the number of workers has decreased by nearly half compared to the past, while production efficiency has increased by more than 40%.

3. Core Competitiveness of Gravure Printing

Outstanding printing quality is one of the core advantages of gravure printing. It can finely restore image details with natural dot transitions, making it highly suitable for brand printing with extremely high color requirements. For high-end cosmetics, luxury goods, and other brands, the visual effect of packaging is directly related to the product’s market image and consumers’ purchase decisions.

Gravure printing can perfectly present the unique style and high-quality requirements of brand designs, meeting the strict standards of brands for packaging. An international well-known cosmetics brand has always used gravure printing for its product packaging, and the exquisite patterns and delicate colors have added significant value to the brand image.

Gravure printing also has significant efficiency in long-run printing. For orders ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of impressions, gravure printing is fast and highly stable. Compared with other printing technologies, in large-scale production, gravure printing can complete orders more quickly and ensure the consistency of printing quality, which is extremely attractive to enterprises requiring a large number of product packages.

A large food enterprise, after comprehensive comparison, finally chose gravure printing for its product packaging, valuing its advantages in long-run printing to quickly and high-quality meet the enterprise’s production needs.

The durability of gravure printing equipment should not be underestimated. If gravure presses and steel cylinders are well maintained, they can be used for many years, with low long-term depreciation costs.

This means that after investing in equipment, enterprises can benefit from it for a long time without the need for frequent equipment replacement, reducing equipment update costs and further safeguarding the enterprise’s profit level. Many printing enterprises with decades of history still have gravure printing equipment that runs stably and creates value for the enterprise after careful maintenance.

In terms of sustainable development, gravure printing is also actively exploring directions. The technology of environmentally friendly water-based gravure inks is increasingly mature, making gravure printing gradually conform to the trend of green manufacturing.

As global attention to environmental protection continues to increase, enterprises using environmentally friendly inks can not only meet regulatory requirements but also enhance their social image and win consumer recognition, thereby bringing more business opportunities. Some enterprises that took the lead in adopting environmentally friendly water-based gravure inks have already stood out in market competition and won the favor of more customers.

4. Main Challenges and Profit Risks in 2025

Despite its many advantages, gravure printing faces numerous threats in 2025. Restrictions from environmental regulations are one of the important challenges it confronts. In regions such as Europe and America, there are strict restrictions on VOC emissions, and traditional solvent-based gravure printing faces higher environmental protection costs. Enterprises need to invest funds in technological transformation and equipment upgrading to meet environmental requirements, which undoubtedly increases operational costs and compresses profit margins.

A printing enterprise with business in Europe and America stated that to comply with local environmental regulations, they invested a large amount of funds in equipment transformation, which had a certain impact on the enterprise’s profits.

The market trend toward multi-batch, small-batch, and personalized production has led to an increase in short-run orders, which also poses a challenge to gravure printing. Gravure printing struggles to flexibly respond to the needs of small-batch and personalized orders, and its high plate-making costs cannot be effectively amortized in short-run orders, leading to compressed profit margins.

In contrast, flexographic printing has lower equipment costs and faster plate-making, while digital printing is completely plate-free, making it more suitable for personalized and variable data printing. This has impacted the market share of gravure printing. In some small-printing-order markets, flexographic and digital printing have gradually occupied a larger share.

In addition, the rise in labor and operating costs is also an issue faced by gravure printing, especially in developed countries in Europe and America where labor costs are high, making it more difficult for small gravure enterprises to maintain profitability. Enterprises need to find a balance between cost control and production efficiency improvement; otherwise, they will face profit difficulties. Some small gravure enterprises in Europe and America have had to downsize or even close down due to the inability to bear high labor costs.

Conclusion: Gravure Printing Remains Profitable but Requires Focus and Transformation

In summary, in 2025, gravure printing is not “outdated” but needs to reposition itself in the changing market. Although facing challenges from environmental regulations, market demand changes, and competing technologies, as long as enterprises can clarify their own advantages, focus on high-value-added mass production areas, and actively address environmental and technological challenges, gravure printing remains a business direction worthy of investment with sustainable profit margins.

Enterprises can increase investment in environmental protection technologies and automated production to improve production efficiency and reduce costs; strengthen cooperation with customers, deeply understand market demands, and lay out in advance to adapt to market changes. Through these measures, gravure printing enterprises are expected to maintain a good profit situation and achieve sustainable development in 2025 and beyond.