Quick Statistics

The subsector's revenue for the year 2008 was approximately $95.8 billion USD, with an estimated gross profit of 29.85%. Import was valued at $6.2 billion USD from 208 countries. The subsector also exported $6.8 billion USD worth of merchandise to 153 countries. Adding import value to and subtracting export value from the subsector's shipment value, the total domestic demand for the subsector in 2008 was $95.1 billion USD.

Reference

Industries in the Printing and Related Support Activities subsector print products, such as newspapers, books, labels, business cards, stationery, business forms, and other materials, and perform support activities, such as data imaging, platemaking services, and bookbinding. The support activities included here are an integral part of the printing industry, and a product (a printing plate, a bound book, or a computer disk or file) that is an integral part of the printing industry is almost always provided by these operations.

Processes used in printing include a variety of methods used to transfer an image from a plate, screen, film, or computer file to some medium, such as paper, plastics, metal, textile articles, or wood. The most prominent of these methods is to transfer the image from a plate or screen to the medium (lithographic, gravure, screen, and flexographic printing). A rapidly growing new technology uses a computer file to directly 'drive' the printing mechanism to create the image and new electrostatic and other types of equipment (digital or nonimpact printing).

In contrast to many other classification systems that locate publishing of printed materials in manufacturing, NAICS classifies the publishing of printed products in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet). Though printing and publishing are often carried out by the same enterprise (a newspaper, for example), it is less and less the case that these distinct activities are carried out in the same establishment. When publishing and printing are done in the same establishment, the establishment is classified in Sector 51, Information, in the appropriate NAICS industry even if the receipts for printing exceed those for publishing.

This subsector includes printing on clothing because the production process for that activity is printing, not clothing manufacturing. For instance, the printing of T-shirts is included in this subsector. In contrast, printing on fabric (or grey goods) is not included. This activity is part of the process of finishing the fabric and is included in the NAICS Textile Mills subsector in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills.

6-digit Industries Within This Subsector

323110 Commercial Lithographic Printing
323111 Commercial Gravure Printing
323112 Commercial Flexographic Printing
323113 Commercial Screen Printing
323114 Quick Printing
323115 Digital Printing
323116 Manifold Business Forms Printing
323117 Books Printing
323118 Blankbook, Looseleaf Binders, & Devices mfg
323119 Other Commercial Printing
323121 Tradebinding & Related Work
323122 Prepress Services

5-digit Industries Within This Subsector

32311X Printing
32312X Support Activities for Printing

Subsector Report

323XXX Printing & Related Support Activities