~ by Ryan Hildebrand, Senior Vice-President of Trade Books
We live in a world where screens rule…phones, laptops, tablets. It’s easy to think that print is fading away. But here’s the truth…print is thriving, and digital is helping it get better.
NORTH AMERICANS STILL LOVE BOOKS
Canadians are still buying books…lots of them! According to BookNet Canada, readers buy an average of 3.6 new books per month, with two of those being print books. The Canadian book market was projected to hit $1.54 billion in 2025, and by the end of 2026 it’s expected to climb past $3.2 billion, thanks to steady growth in print and digital formats.
The US tells a similar story. Print remains the most popular format, with 65% of Americans reading a print book in the last year, and annual print sales consistently topping 700 million units. Looking ahead, the US book market is projected to reach about $42 billion in 2026, up from $40.4 billion in 2024.
WHY PRINT FEELS DIFFERENT
Screens are convenient, but nothing beats holding a real book! The weight, the texture, the smell, the sound of turning pages…it’s an experience that digital can’t replicate. That’s why print books remain the go-to for gifts, keepsakes, and genres we love to savour, like cookbooks and art books.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR PRINT?
Print is getting creative. Think augmented reality features that bring pages to life or hybrid models where you buy the print book and unlock bonus digital content. The future isn’t about choosing between one or the other, it’s about enjoying both.
Digital didn’t replace print…it gave it a boost. Today’s presses look more like high-tech computers than the noisy machines of the past. They’re clean, efficient, and powered by software that makes printing smarter. From automated finishing lines to advanced inkjet presses like the HP PageWide T250, Friesens is about embracing both craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.
Bottom line, print isn’t going anywhere. It’s evolving, adapting, and finding new ways to stay relevant in a digital-first world.
