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Both the inkjet and laser markets were down in the UK during 2014 according to analyst IDC.
The UK saw a year-on-year decrease in the printer market and recorded an 8.6 per cent decline overall in Q4 2014.
As a result the UK lost its rank from the second to third largest market in Western Europe.
In contrast, the UK saw a 26.3 per cent increase in the business inkjet market, while the laser market decreased by 7.6 per cent when compared to the same period last year.
Laser printers also continued to decline with double-digit figures being registers.
Delphine Carnet, senior research analyst in IDC’s Western European imaging hardware devices and document solutions group, said: “While the inkjet segment has been associated for a long time with the consumer market, business inkjet proved to be a game changer, with excellent growth for the past seven quarters.
“It is a real alternative to laser and is slowing the decline of the inkjet market.”
The research also showed that overall Western European hardcopy market declined year-on-year by 0.8 per cent in Q4 2014.
The German market also increased by six per cent, while France’s inkjet demand remained flat.
