The $40 Billion Security Printing Shift: DOVIDs Move Centre Stage

Smithers’ report, ‘The Future of Global Security Printing to 2030’, projects the security printing market will surge to $39.7 billion by 2030, driven by the shift toward integrated physical and digital trust systems. A key part of this growth is the renewed focus on Diffractive Optical Variable Image Devices (DOVIDs), which are expected to reach $4.39 billion by 2030.

DOVIDs are part of a larger family of optical variable devices (OVDs), which are based on visual effects created by diffraction, such as holograms and KINEGRAMS.

Despite the momentum behind digital solutions, Smithers’ data underscores the continuing necessity of physical authentication. DOVIDs remain pivotal for secure verification. The global DOVID market stood at $3.41 billion in 2020, rose to $3.64 billion in 2024, and reached $3.73 billion in 2025. Crucially, the report states, the annual growth rate is estimated to accelerate from 1.6% (2020-24) to 3.2% (2024-30), signalling a decisive shift as issuers modernise products to counter new security threats.