Printing Producer Prices Rise 41.6% Since 2019
An analysis of federal data finds commercial printing prices climbed far faster than consumer prices while industry employment fell by more than a fifth.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Inflation
Live Poll
Have printing and stationery costs risen faster than general prices for you since 2019?
WeddingTemplates reported that producer prices for commercial printing work rose 41.6% from September 2019 to September 2026, compared with a 31.2% rise in U.S. consumer prices over the same period. Over that span, seasonally adjusted printing and related support employment declined from 424,800 jobs to 335,800 jobs.
Why it matters
The gap between producer and consumer price growth points to cost pressures concentrated in the printing sector itself, which can affect businesses that buy printed materials. The employment decline suggests the sector has shrunk even as prices have risen.
Producer prices for commercial printing rose 9.2% in 2021 and 14.8% in 2022, with a 2.8% increase in the 12 months to September 2026, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics series data. Digital printing prices rose 62.2% over the seven-year period, while lithographic printing rose 30.5%.
The players
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the U.S. economy.
WeddingTemplates
WeddingTemplates is a company that publishes wedding-related templates and printable materials, and it released the analysis of printing price and employment data.
The details
Digital printing producer prices increased 62.2% and flexographic printing rose 59.2% between September 2019 and September 2026. Paper producer prices rose 10.2% between December 2025 and September 2026, according to the same Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Timeline
September 2019: Baseline period for the seven-year comparisons.
2021: Commercial printing producer prices rose 9.2%.
2022: Commercial printing producer prices rose 14.8%.
September 2026: End point of the seven-year comparisons and the 12-month price change.
November 3, 2026: WeddingTemplates published the analysis.
Macro View
The printing price series rose far faster than the consumer price index between 2019 and 2026, with most of the gap concentrated in the 2021 and 2022 increases. The divergence shows how sector-specific cost shocks can move well ahead of broad inflation measures.
Businesses that buy printed materials such as invitations, labels, and packaging may face higher costs for those products. Consumers who purchase printed goods may see the effects of these producer-level increases in retail prices over time.
The takeaway
Tracking sector-specific producer price indexes alongside consumer prices can reveal cost pressures that broad inflation figures may not show.
Further reading
Explore more on Inflation trends affecting producer and consumer prices across the United States.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Timmins Daily Press.
Live Poll
Have printing and stationery costs risen faster than general prices for you since 2019?
