Consistent innovations and agitation for new technologies have become usual experiences in different phases of the global manufacturing sector. These continuous technologies are geared towards new and faster methods of production, better performance in meeting and satisfying customer demands, such as scheduled delivery times, minimizing costs, consideration of quality parameters, establishing means of maintaining efficient and effective production, and sustainability in a competitive market. In peculiar sectors, the emergence of different phases of digital technology is remarkable. The sectorial offset printing industry is not left out as the experience is very much pronounced in the means and ways involved in the production of printed materials. The aim of the study is to identify the categories of process adoption in the offset printing industry, examine the level of adoption of each category, and investigate the impact of digital printing on the development of offset printing in South West Nigeria, with a view to providing significant information for sustainability in future competitive printing market. The objectives of the study are to identify the categories of process adoption in the offset printing industry, examine the level of adoption of each category, and investigate the impact of digital printing on the development of offset printing in South West Nigeria. The sample sizes for the study areas were selected at random from registered offset printing establishments as follow: Somolu-274, Akure-36 and Ibadan-192. Both primary and secondary data were employed. Survey design was adopted and the data were gathered through structured questionnaire and subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical tools for analysis. The hypothesis derived was tested using chi-square tool. The significant relationship between the variables is indicated by x2 (4) = 43.201, P = 0.000. The study revealed remarkable developments in all the offset printing firms under investigation. Positive influence was noticeable in the adoption of ComputerTo-Plate (CTP) and Direct Image digital processes. However, greater percentage of offset printing firms still adopted only the old German technology while some others adopted digital printing as complementary process. Also, offset printers without digital complementary process confirmed that some volumes of large format, short-runs, Print-on-demand and personalized prints had been lost to digital printing firms outside the offset industry. The study recommended that printing firms still adopting only offset printing, with old technology machines, should embrace the new technological development trend so as not to be left behind in future competitive printing market.

Keywords : Process Category, Adoption, Computer-ToPlate, Direct Image, Digital Printing.