Abstract
Introduction
The potential market for printable and organic electronics in signage is
immense. In theory, printed electronics could replace certain parts of both
the graphic signage and the electronic signage business. However, for the most
part, this report focuses primarily on electronic signage. This is, in itself,
a huge business; electronic signs are increasingly peppering the urban
landscape in high profile trials and installations. It is also a very diverse
business, covering a broad range of products from small black and white
pricing labels to huge multicolor public information displays. The fact that
the electronic signage market is extremely fragmented dilutes the revenue
opportunity, but at the same time means that there are plenty of niches and
segments - each with their own value positions - where printable and organics
electronics can profitably be deployed.
On the supply side of the equation there are also plenty of new technologies
that are vying for the opportunities in the signage market. These include
OLEDs (both as backlighting and as upscale displays), Ch (cholesteric) LCDs,
EPDs (electrophoretic displays), ECDs (electrochromic displays) and FEDs
(field emission displays). EL technology falls into the printed electronics
category and is not exactly new, but has enjoyed a little bit of a renaissance
in recent years. All of these technologies compete with the moving target of
LCD technology and the recently established ILED technology. However, picture
of the electronic signage market is a very fluid one. The capabilities of the
technologies will evolve over time, and tradeoffs will not be those made a few
years from now. Different technologies will have an impact on different
signage market segments, with success in each segment determined by many
factors, but primarily by the needs of each segment for scalability, power
consumption, color, substrate flexibility and a few other factors. One
constant is that the opportunities for printable and organic electronics
generally fall into three categories; the (backlighting), the and the
(printable batteries, thin film photovoltaics, etc., which may have some role
to play in powering signs.) In this report, we will not be primarily concerned
with the third of these opportunities.
Over time, technologies that succeed in small area signage will, we believe,
be fueled to grow to larger sizes; especially those technologies that are
highly scalable, can grow in size through modular tiling, or both. Any new
technology aimed at electronic signage will find that more mature display and
lighting technologies have already established positions in signage. All in
all, though, the signage market is in flux and most segments are wide open to
new printed and organic electronics technologies.
View Cart
