By Fábio Carvalho
The Latin American web-to-print market may be far more ready for growth than many people realize.
Here are my thoughts on some misconceptions, operational habits and strategic gaps that are slowing broader POD and web-to-print adoption across the region:
What’s holding web-to-print back in Latin America compared to the US and Europe?
In a global market worth $34.3 billion, the same players from 10 years ago still dominate Latin America, and none have scaled the way we’ve seen in Europe and the US. After more than five years leading operations and supply chain at Cimpress, and the last two years in marketing and sales driving renewed growth, the reasons became clear: Market leaders are paying the price of building everything from scratch — especially technology — which makes operations expensive and slow. And no one has truly managed to put all the pieces together or sustain a clear strategy like we see in more mature markets.
At the same time, no new players have entered in a meaningful way. For a long time, this situation made sense: expensive technology, complex logistics, high investment, and a market not ready for digital.
The market has matured. The mindset hasn’t.
Demand exists. The market just doesn’t know how to capture it.
In March 2026, I attended ExpoPrint Latin America, the largest printing and converting event in the region. It takes place every four years — like drupa — and just celebrated its 20th anniversary, with over 50,000 visitors and 450 exhibitors.
One thing stood out: Almost none of the 25+ global web-to-print software companies were there. Not even local ones.
At drupa 2024, they were all present.
Latin America is still treated as a secondary market, but the data tells a different story:
- POD in Latin America is growing 25.2% annually (Straits Research)
- Digital printing in Brazil is growing 11.9% annually (6W Research)
- The global web-to-print market is expected to grow from $34.3B to $57.5B by 2034 (Expert Market Research)
Latin America still represents a small share, but tools like SimilarWeb and Semrush show that the few active web-to-print companies in Brazil already generate over 5 million monthly visits.
So, demand is there. There’s plenty of room to grow. Yet the same companies from a decade ago still lead, with much slower progress than in mature markets. And very few new players are making a real impact.
Why?
5 beliefs holding web-to-print back in Latin America
After more than seven years leading the largest W2P operation in Latin America — and part of a global leader in mass customization — conversations with entrepreneurs and industry leaders made the barriers obvious:
1. “I thought launching the platform would be enough to generate sales.”
This is the most common belief, but the platform is just one piece. Without strong digital marketing, a well-structured catalog, a solid customer journey and integrated operations, it becomes a storefront with no visitors — or visitors who don’t convert.
Digital marketing is often overlooked. It should follow proven e-commerce practices.
One simple but powerful example: building your product portfolio based on SEO. Each product is a page, a set of keywords, a chance to bring in organic traffic. Most companies define their portfolio based on what they can produce. The ones that start from what the market is already searching for gain a strong marketing advantage without increasing ad spend.
2. “Web-to-print is B2C. It’s not for my business.”
This closes the door too early.
B2B in Web-to-Print works differently from traditional print sales. It’s not about quotes and approvals. It’s a configured platform, automated orders and repeat customers without needing a salesperson. In fact, most W2P revenue comes from B2B.
3. “E-commerce logistics are too complex.”
This used to be true. Not anymore.
Logistics solutions and partners have improved massively over the past decade — technology, tracking, integrations, regional expertise. In many ways, they now match the best markets globally.
4. “There are no affordable web-to-print technologies.”
Also not true anymore.
W2P solutions are now global, modular and constantly improving. There are options for every stage — from beginners to advanced operations — with features comparable to top players. The cost of entry has never been lower.
5. “It takes a huge investment to run a web-to-print business.”
Most people calculate this wrong.
Many print businesses already have idle capacity that could generate revenue. The biggest investment — digital equipment — has already been made by most medium and large printers. The incremental cost to start selling online is much lower than expected.
These beliefs reinforce each other:
- Platforms don’t sell on their own — but many expect them to
- The market isn’t just B2C — B2B is where most revenue is
- Logistics used to be a problem — it isn’t anymore
- Technology is accessible and mature
- The biggest investments are already done
Brazil is still 5–10 years behind the US and Europe in W2P adoption.
If I were starting a web-to-print business today ...
Based on experience on both sides of the business, I would focus on three things:
1. Start with a lean portfolio: 15–25 high-demand products with good margins and real operational feasibility. Expanding too early hurts both operations and marketing.
2. Treat digital marketing as the engine: From day one: SEO, paid media, and email focused on conversion.
3. Define your logistics partner early: Logistics slows down more businesses than technology. Solving it early creates a real advantage.
The difference between web-to-print companies that scale and those that stall isn’t technology, logistics or capital. It’s knowing how to put the pieces together — and running the business with a clear digital strategy and discipline. That’s what’s missing for this market to grow in Latin America.
