What’s In Store For The Paper Industry In 2026

Print in 2026; what do the next 12 months have in store for the paper, publishing and marketing industries? We asked some of their leading experts. 

Sarah Lesting, Director of WAN-IFRA

The print publishing world in 2026 needs to be super-flexible in how we produce and get our publications out the door as the market keeps changing and we need to keep up!

On the print side, it looks like the big industry shake-up, where companies have merged or closed, is calming down, but being quick on our feet is still the key to staying healthy. So we need to focus on making the most of what we already have and bring in AI and smart automation to easily manage the growing trend of smaller, custom print jobs like personalised runs.

More importantly, we have to keep reminding everyone that print is a premium, high quality product that really grabs attention. We also need to be open and honest about our sustainability efforts and how we’re doing environmentally – our readers and customers absolutely demand this now.

On the distribution side, getting our publications to readers is getting tricky. We’re facing rising costs at the same time as people are changing how and where they pick up a physical paper or magazine. So we have to take a fresh, nimble look at our supply chains and streamline logistics for reaching global audiences, while serving those hyper-local reading habits.

Rachel Aldighieri, CEO of the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

Although the DMA has a media-neutral perspective on the usage of different marketing channels, there’s no denying that print will continue to tick a lot of the boxes when it comes to decisions on where to allocate budgets in 2025. Data from WARC and the AA has shown that direct mail ad spend has grown four quarters in a row, and we’re confident that growth can be sustained next year.

Recent DMA reports on the value of measurement, creativity and customer data have painted a positive picture of print marketing effectiveness. A highly trusted medium with transparent measurement and unburdened of issues of ad fraud prevalent in digital channels, print continues to drive the types of customer engagement and response rarely seen elsewhere.

Our upcoming ‘Value of Super Touchpoints’ report will build on this narrative and highlight that direct mail and door drops are drivers of short-term and long-term effectiveness.

Mark Cross, Engagement Director of JICMAIL

My hope for 2026 is that the deepening audience behaviours with mail in a digital world, acting as a trusted, multisensory connection to real world or digital action, is matched by a rediscovery of these audience norms and patterns by marketers who too often take a restricted digital only view of their challenges.

For a long succession of data releases, JICMAIL data has demonstrated how mail is increasingly acting as a ‘super touchpoint’, driving digital engagement, online purchases and consumer attention.

We believe there is a big opportunity in 2026 for marketers to think in terms of ‘super touchpoints’ to focus on those touchpoints that are delivering disproportionate outcomes and, in doing so, unlock new value by synchronising the power of human touch within their digital journeys.

Will 2026 be the year of mail as the super touchpoint? There’s every reason to think so.

Beatrice Klose, Secretary General of Intergraf

I am convinced that the years ahead will confirm print’s enduring value in an increasingly digital world. Across Europe, print continues to offer something screens cannot: trust, focus and inclusivity. Print’s strength lies in deep reading, comprehension and permanence – qualities that are indispensable in education and culture.

When it comes to key trends, I see automation and AI-driven workflow optimisation enabling shorter runs, mass customisation and greater efficiency. Printers are integrating print with digital tools such as smart packaging and augmented reality to create richer, more interactive experiences. Sustainability will remain central, with print products benefitting from Europe’s highly circular paper value chain. In addition, the growing use of Intergraf’s recommendations on the measurement of carbon footprint will increase the sustainability and image of our products. Print products are the perfect example for the circular economy.

The future of print lies in combining its unique strengths with innovation, digital integration and sustainable business models.

Malcolm Smith, Category Manager – Professional Print at Konica Minolta

We need to be more confident as an industry when we talk about our collective green credentials as we could be pushing at an open door. There’s a growing awareness that digital isn’t as green as it’s made out to be, and marketing organisations are becoming more aware that they need to invest in print to drive engagement rather than relying on digital channels.

I also think that governments across the world will be watching the under-16 social media ban in Australia and may look to replicate similar legislation. For us in print, this has the potential to be a massive opportunity and we’ll be watching the story unfold with interest to see how our industry responds.

Amanda Griffiths, Head of Client Communications Management at Marketreach

My role is to prove why mail in all its forms remains one of the most effective channels. Looking forward to 2026, I am excited to see the industry becoming increasingly better positioned to deliver this.

The industry has never been so unified and collaborative. This shared focus, whether on sustainability, integration or creativity, has made us confident and positive, and collaboration will see mail move towards being integrated fully in marketing strategy and planning, as well as communication systems and, of course, delivery. Our focus will be on making mail part of every solution, building its recognition as a critical channel choice.

In 2025, Marketreach proved the power of trust for brand building, showing mail as the most powerful channel for building trust. In 2026, we will send this message to every corner of the UK marketing world, guaranteeing that mail is seen as a unique and powerful channel.

Trewin Restorick, Founder of Sizzle

This year will be a year of uncertainty for the sustainability agenda. The politicisation of terms such as net zero will increase, resulting in a slowing of legislation and increased caution in green claims from companies. However, we will also see increased pressure on essential resources such as energy and water, the growing impact of extreme weather and the public understanding that climate change is a significant challenge.

For paper packaging, the watchwords should be resilience, authenticity and circularity. On resilience there will be increased scrutiny on whether the water and energy demand of data centres is sustainable, giving the paper industry an opportunity to demonstrate that it has a more durable approach. The growth of AI will lead to more people questioning the authenticity of information and placing greater trust in printed matter. On circularity, there will continual public disquiet about the throwaway society, and the industry can demonstrate how it’s part of the circular economy.

The industry should accept there will be political turbulence but understand that sticking to strong sustainable principles is essential to building a viable and resilient business.

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