New figures show that printing and design companies in both the US and the UK have been harnessed by the coronavirus crisis. In the US confidence is slowly returning, but in the UK industry is bleak.

American research by Napco Research shows that the first three quarters of 2020 turned out significantly worse than the same period a year earlier. A majority of 78.5 percent of companies saw revenue drop, with an average of 26 percent. At the end of the year, the outlook seemed better: in December, for the first time since March, a small majority of graphic entrepreneurs reported an increase in activity.

In the United Kingdom, the fourth quarter of 2020 was a disappointment, as more print shops saw their volumes fall rather than rise. The balance came to negative 9, which, according to the BPIF graphic Federation, resulted in four consecutive negative quarters being reported for the first time. Expectations for the first quarter of 2021 are also negative, although according to BPIF this is partly due to usual seasonal influences.