Smithers Declares a New Era of Security Printing

According to a new market report ¹ by security printing consultancy firm Smithers, the global security printing sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, driven by accelerating technology, stricter regulation, and shifting geopolitics.

The report, titled ‘The Future of Global Security Printing to 2030’, describes how an industry that was once focused on producing secure physical items – including banknotes, passports, ID cards, and tax stamps – is rapidly evolving into an integrated ecosystem where physical documents and digital trust systems must work as one. By 2030, the sector will be defined, not by print volumes, but by its role at the heart of national and international security infrastructure, says the report.

Regulatory change is proving the most powerful force reshaping the industry. Across all major markets, governments are formalising rules that bind physical documents to digital infrastructure at scale. This includes requirements by an increasing number of revenue authorities for excise management systems that combine printed tax stamps with production monitoring and secure track and trace systems, across multiple product categories.