The tactile printing market in Europe is expected to grow from US$ 342.11 million in 2021 to US$ 553.67 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2021 to 2028. Employers at small and medium-sized enterprises provide employment opportunities to a diverse range of candidates, accommodating physically disabled contenders in the workforce. Consequently, sectors such as marketing, business management and administration, human services, health science, and agriculture are extensively employing visually impaired aspirants at a large scale. Several other sectors employing visually impaired individuals include non-profit organizations; local, state, and federal governments; and self-employed entrepreneurs. Legislative changes and civil right laws also positively impact the career opportunities of visually impaired individuals. Therefore, tactile signage boards and maps are in high demand to assist these people at workplaces. Tactile graphics also help provide education to visually impaired populations as they may get excluded from educational, practical, and recreational information. Therefore, as per the tactile printing industry professionals, proficiency, and abundant availability of tactile graphics, coupled with advancements in related technologies, could more opportunities to visually disabled individuals to succeed in their desired fields. As a result, tactile graphs, illustrations, and drawings are being incorporated in books published for these people. The tactile printing technology is also being used for printing graphics on products such as games, Braille wristbands, Braille musical cards, pins, switches, visiting cards, location labels, stickers (Braille tactile custom stickers), greeting cards, recorders, calculators, and Braille calendars, which is contributing to the growth of the Europe tactile printing market. Additionally, rising demand from industries for innovative packaging is among the other factors driving the market growth.

Based on end user, the industrial segment led the Europe tactile printing market in 2020. Tactile printing is being used in labeling and packaging applications in across industries such as automotive; beverages, beer, and wine; spirits and chemicals; cosmetics; health and beauty; data processing and warehousing; and food and contract packing/manufacturing. Among these industries, tactile printed labels and packages are largely used in the food & beverages industries, and the industries in Germany are the major contributors to the Europe tactile printing market. This is attributed to the use of standard and unique custom-printed labels for the marketing of meat, bakery, grocery, deli, snacks, and condiments, with high preference to aesthetic appeal and sustainability. Moreover, the cosmetic industries in APAC are significantly contributing to the tactile printing industry. The pharmaceuticals industries are also focusing on incorporating tactile/Braille labels. As per a European law, all medicines must have the name displayed in Braille with tactile symbols on the labeling. In addition, in the healthcare sector, tactile printing is used for manufacturing hospital labels, laboratory/pharmacy/practice labels, syringe labels, and histological sample labels. However, there is a lack of momentum toward the increased usage of tactile printing for labels used in the pharmaceuticals industry.
Germany, Spain, the UK, Italy, and France are among the notably affected European countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses are suffering from financial crises as they either had to suspend their operations or reduce their activities substantially in the initial stages of the pandemic. Europe has one of the world’s robust food & beverages industries. Hence, business lockdowns and travel bans led to the slowdown of the growth of this sector in 2020, and the impact is likely to continue to some extent in 2021. Moreover, disruptions in supply chain in the region led to imbalance in the demand and supply of products in 2020. Various countries in Europe, such as Italy, Spain, France, the UK, and Germany, have implemented drastic measures and travel restrictions to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. According to the EU legislation, Braille text and tactile labeling are mandatory on pharmaceutical products. However, suspension of business activities has affected product launches and new investments in various European countries, thus impacting the growth of the tactile printing market. In addition, disruptions in raw materials and equipment supply chain further worsen the conditions for tactile printing solution manufacturers in this region. As per a survey by the British Plastics Federation (BPF), ~80% of the surveyed packaging companies from the UK are expecting a drop in turnover, while ~90% of them have anticipated issues in supply chain.
The overall Europe tactile printing market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. The process also serves the purpose of obtaining an overview and forecast for the Europe tactile printing market with respect to all the segments pertaining to the region. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic. The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders, specializing in the Europe tactile printing market. Altix, American Thermoform, Canon Inc, Index Braille, Kanematsu USA, Konica Minolta, Inc., Roland DG Corporation, Sturdy Print & Design Ltd, and ViewPlus Technologies Inc are among the key players operating in the market.