With the first printed OLED displays fast approaching, market research firm Omdia says that manufacturing costs are 30-35% lower than with the current production method.
Omdia shared its findings in a press release, explaining that equipment and maintenance costs are lower with inkjet printing (IJP) compared to fine metal mask (FMM) production. In addition, less OLED material is required and the manufacturing process is more efficient.
Omdia used a 16-inch OLED panel as its example for the projected 30–35% cost reduction.
- "For example, 16.3-inch OLED notebook displays can be made 66 panels up on a Gen 8.6 substrate, representing 10% more panels than can be produced in an equivalent FMM process," explained Omdia.
OLED in IT devices
Hopefully, these cost savings will be passed on to consumer devices, but it is worth noting that OLED remains a premium display technology compared to LCD panels, which have been mass-produced for decades.
TCL CSOT is the first display panel maker to set up a plant for inkjet-printed OLED, with mass production scheduled for later this year as part of a broader push to transition from LCD to OLED in mid-sized devices such as monitors, laptops and tablets. Inkjet printing may later be applied to TV panels.
Samsung Display and BOE are also currently building new plants to produce mid-sized OLED panels, but these will not be utilizing inkjet printing.
Cheaper OLED panels
OLED panels have already become notably cheaper, and you may have noticed that large OLED TVs in 77 and 83-inch sizes are much more competitively priced today than just a few years ago.
This trend is expected to continue in 2026, as previously reported by FlatpanelsHD.
Inkjet printing has long been seen as a way to help bring OLED into the mainstream after more than two decades of LCD dominance, and it sounds like the industry is finally getting there.
- "IJP machines provide higher productivity, and capital expenses are lower than those of FMM evaporation. This is a key reason why IJP OLEDs can potentially be manufactured at two-thirds the cost of FMM OLEDs," said Charles Annis, Chief Analyst in Omdia.
- "Although inkjet printed OLEDs have historically and continue to face a variety of challenges, particularly regarding ink efficiency and lifetime, continuous incremental improvements in equipment, materials, and process technology mean that inkjet printing is now closer than ever to being widely commercialized."
