Photographic Chemicals Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 To 2025

The global photographic chemical market is expected to grow over the forecast period owing to increasing application base in photographic industry as fixing agents, stabilizers, dying agents, replenishers, reversing agents, starters, and neutralizers. The photographic chemical market can be divided into two segments, business, and consumer. Increasing disposable income and changing lifestyle of people is expected to drive the consumer market. Increasing investment in advertisements and promotional activities by various companies is expected to drive the commercial photographic chemical segment. Increasing usage of print media such as hoardings, for extensive promotions is expected to fuel the photographic chemical market growth over the forecast period.   

Photographic chemicals have hazardous effects on the environment and human health. Digitalization and e-advertising have increased demand for electronic products such as digital cameras and smartphones, creating substitutes for physically developed photographs. Availability of options such as e-storage and cloud computing on various web stores has reduced demand for developed photographs which may restrain market growth over the coming seven years. These factors are expected to restrain the market over the forecast period.  Increasing R&D activities to explore new applications for photographic chemicals are expected to provide new opportunities for market players over the forecast period.

Films and paper used for developing photographs are treated with various chemicals such as selenium dioxide, silver bromide, acetic acid, and cadmium bromide. Photographic papers or films are treated with special chemicals and then the latent image is made visible, permanent, and insensitive to light. The film is first soaked in to the water to swell the gelatin layer to facilitate the action of chemicals and then developer is applied to it. To stop the effect on the developer photographic paper or film is given bath with the dissolved solution of acetic acid and citric acid. Then, to make the photograph light resistant and permanent fixer is applied, the most common fixers used is ammonium thiosulphate. Photographic chemicals market can also be segmented on the basis of photograph processing methods, including black & white negative processing, color processing and black & white reversal processing. Different processes for developing photographs are employed depending upon production levels such as small scale processing and commercial processing.

North America dominated the global photographic chemicals market in terms of consumption. Asia Pacific is the leading producer and is also expected to display the highest demand growth rate over the next seven years on account of emerging economies of India and China. Emerging or underdeveloped countries of APAC such as Bangladesh and Pakistan have less internet and e-media access, due to which print media is still prevalent in these countries. Increasing use of print media such as hoardings and banners for advertising is expected to drive the APAC market. Europe is expected to display decelerated market growth over the forecast period, owing to stringent environmental protection regulations in the region.   

Extensive R& D activities to explore new applications and production processes in order to reduce production costs are expected to drive the photographic chemical market over the coming seven years. Efforts towards bio-based product development to increase photographic chemicals demand in Europe and North America so as to comply with strict regulations regarding environment protection. Advancements in printing technologies are also anticipated to propel market growth over the forecast period.  Intense product promotion in low penetrated markets such as Middle East & African countries is expected to augment photographic chemicals over the coming seven years. Development of infrastructural activities in these regions is also expected to drive photographic chemical market growth over the forecast period.

Major market players operating in the photographic chemical market are NET Corporation, Sinex Systems Private Ltd, Linchen Group, BASF, and Huntsman Corporation.