Soft Touch Film Market

Soft Touch Film Market Overview

The global soft touch film market is estimated to expand at a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period 2022-2032. Increasing emphasis on the promotion activities across industrial and commercial sectors and surging applications of soft touch films in electronic packaging is projected to create high revenue generation opportunities for the growth in the global soft touch film market.

Soft touch films are relatively thin matte films made of plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and others that provide a velvety and soft texture. These films have scuff-resistant surface that enhances and protects the appearance of the substrate product. They are primarily designed for one side lamination and are available in three type of coatings – water-based, solvent-based, and FDA compliant soft touch coatings.

Demand for soft touch films is increasing at a rapid pace, on account of their ability to enhance textural feel and minimizes glare while preserving the color of the image. Also, these films provide a vivid and exceptional color clarity that surpasses any other standard matte laminating films along with adding a premium feel to the luxury product packaging. This is estimated to augment the sales of soft touch films in the global market.

In addition to this, end users are increasingly shifting their preference towards adopting these scuff-resistant ultra-matte soft touch films from traditional films. This is attributed to their benefits such as premium finish, fingerprint resistance, protection from tonner chipping, enhance gripping, and others. Hence, increasing usage of soft touch films in printing cards, brochures, pamphlets, and others is projected to favor the demand in the global soft touch film market.

Which are Some Prominent Drivers Spearheading Soft Touch Film Market Growth?

Soft touch films have superior tactile properties making them highly resistant to scuff, protecting the product during production, handling, and shipping activities. These films are designed for superior quality graphic media which can be used for ultraviolet (UV) inks and hot stamping. Driven by this, soft touch films are garnering huge traction across the printing & publishing sector for applications such as corporate brochures, postcards, boxes, premium prints, and others. This is estimated to bolster the sales of soft touch films in the global market.

Over the past couple of years, a substantial rise in sales of books such as novels, poetry, and storybook are being witnessed across the globe, owing to the surging trend of reading and growing customer spending on self-learning, creating strong demand for coating & laminating products.

For instance, according to a study published by the Publisher Weekly Magazine, nearly 825.7 Mn units of books were sold across the U.S. in the year 2021, which is 8.9% more in comparison to the 757.9 Mn books sold in 2020. As soft touch films are extensively used in book covers, dust jackets, and others for enhancing the overall look and feel of the book, accelerating sales of books are estimated to create lucrative sales opportunities in the global market.

What are the Challenges Faced by the Soft Touch Film Market?

Despite several advantages associated with the use of soft touch films, increasing overall cost of the products, decreasing the brightness of the substrate colors, and availability of low-cost substitutes such as conventional gloss and matte films are factors hindering the sales in the global market.

In addition to this, implementation of stringent norms & regulations by governments and numerous regulatory organizations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific regarding the use of plastic such as polypropylene, and polyethylene is restraining the growth in the soft touch film market.

Why is North America Emerging as an Opportunistic Soft Touch Film Market?

Future Market Insights states that North America is anticipated to continue dominating the global soft touch film market during the forecast period 2022-2032.

Surging customer inclination towards adopting sophisticated products which involve luxury packaging, growing trend of corporate brochures, and increasing application across electronics packaging are augmenting the demand for soft touch films across the U.S. and Canada. Hence, leading players in the market are focusing on launching novel products to cater to this increasing demand.

For instance, in 2020, Toray Plastics (America), Inc., a U.S.-based innovator of synthetic fibers and lamination announced launching its new polyester film, Lumirror®STM Soft-Touch Matte film, with advanced matte-coated polyester film technology. A multiplicity of such new products launches is projected to augment the sales in the North America market.

How is Western Europe Contributing to the Growth of the Soft Touch Film Market?

FMI reveals that Western Europe is estimated to account for a significant share in the global soft touch films market over the forecast period 2022-2032.

As the trend of reading is creating deeper inroad, especially among the millennials, numerous publishers and famous writers, poets, and novelists are aiming at launching new books, resulting in fueling the demand for protective and scuff-resistant films.

For instance, in 2021 famous writer Richard Osman along with the publisher Penguin announced launching two bestselling books of the year - The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, selling more than 1 Mn copies and 114,200 copies, respectively. As soft touch films are extensively used in these premium books, a slew of such new books launches is expected to favor the sales in the Western Europe market.

Market Competition

Some of the leading players in the global soft touch film market are Taghleef Industries SLU, Avery Dennison Corporation, Flexfilm Limited, Doro Tape (UK) Ltd., Jet Technologies, DUNMORE Corporation, Ampacet Corporation, Cosmo Films, Ltd., Pragati Corporation, and others.

Attributed to large number of market participants, increasing new launches products, capacity expansion strategies, the market for soft touch film is highly competitive.

Scope of Report

Key Segments Profiled in the Soft Touch Film Market Survey

By Material:

• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
• Polyethylene (PE)
• Others

By Coating:

• Water Based
• Solvent Based
• FDA Compliant Soft Touch Coatings

By Film Width:

• Below 15 microns
• 15-25 microns
• 25-35 microns
• Above 35 microns

By Application:

• Book Covers
• Postcards
• Premium Prints
• Corporate Brochures
• Electronic Packaging
• Luxury Folding Cartons, Boxes, Etc.
• Dust Jackets
• Others

By Region:

• North America
• Latin America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)
• Japan
• Middle East and Africa