The number of people who work out of their homes, who telecommute, and who work for virtual companies has caused a massive proliferation of home computers. The growth in the number of personal computers in home offices has led to a similar growth among inkjet printer placements. In addition, due to low prices and higher capabilities and speeds, inkjet printers are also being placed into businesses of all sizes at a rapid rate.

The overall growth of the population of inkjet printers has driven another large market: desktop inkjet media. While most of the media running through inkjet printers is uncoated, plain paper, the increased access to color, the increased use of images, and the increased use of recreational software applications has driven the specialty desktop inkjet media market forward.

The emergence of photo quality printing from inkjet printers is one of the primary drivers of the specialty media market. All major printer OEMs, including Canon, Epson, HP, and Lexmark have printers that boast high resolution or dedicated photo-printing capabilities and, dedicated photo printers from companies like Canon, Epson, or HP enable users to print photos directly from digital cameras without using a PC.

The figure below illustrates CAP Ventures’ forecast for the specialty media market. The early market was dominated by coated papers, photo papers, card stock, label supplies, and transparencies. Today, media that complements digital photo printing is experiencing explosive growth.