What Ink World does

Ink World is a B2B trade publication serving the global printing ink industry, self-described as the largest trade magazine covering the US$15+ billion global ink market. The publication is owned and operated by Rodman Media, a privately held media company based in New Jersey. Ink World delivers editorial coverage spanning packaging, publication, digital, sheetfed, energy-curable, screen, specialty, and conductive inks, plus an emerging vertical in flexible and printed electronics (displays, photovoltaics, in-mold electronics, RFID/NFC). It serves four named customer segments — ink manufacturers, raw-material and equipment suppliers, commercial printers/converters, and the printed-electronics industry — through verticals-based segmentation.

The core product surface is a monthly magazine in print and an interactive digital edition hosted on the Texterity platform, supplemented by a free website (inkworldmagazine.com), a free monthly eNewsletter, X/Twitter presence (@InkWorldMag), webinars, video content (interviews, event coverage, and short-form VideoBites), and sponsored Partner Perspectives white papers. Ancillary revenue and engagement products include the Buyers' Guide, U.S. Ink Directory, European Ink Directory, Distributors' Guide, Supplier's Guide, an events calendar, market-research content, and a library of eBooks and infographics.

The business model blends a freemium top-of-funnel (free eNewsletter, free website access) with paid print and digital magazine subscriptions, display and classified advertising, and B2B sponsored content for industry suppliers. Global distribution is delivered via print subscription, the Texterity-hosted digital edition, email, social, and live trade-show coverage. The underlying technology is a standard digital publishing platform (CMS-driven website, Texterity-hosted interactive digital magazine, video/webinar hosting, and email automation) with no proprietary AI/ML components, integrations, APIs, or patents disclosed in the source material. The publication has 1–10 employees and operates as a non-listed unit of Rodman Media with no external funding or M&A activity recorded.

Name

Ink World

Legal name

Rodman Media

Website

https://inkworldmagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ink World is a privately held B2B trade publication (owned by Rodman Media) that covers the global printing ink and flexible/printed electronics industries through a monthly print and interactive digital magazine, websites, directories, newsletters, and sponsored content for manufacturers, suppliers, printers, and converters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media and B2B Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• B2B trade publication
• Ink industry news
• Printing ink media
• Industry directories
• Trade magazine publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ink World is the largest trade magazine covering the global printing ink industry, published by Rodman Media. It provides B2B editorial content through print and digital magazine editions, breaking news, market research, supplier directories, videos, webinars, and event coverage targeted at ink manufacturers, raw material suppliers, printers, converters, and the flexible/printed electronics industry.

Product overview

Ink World is a B2B trade publication serving the global ink industry. The company offers a print and digital magazine (Ink World Magazine) with current and archival issues, featuring industry news, market analysis, features, expert opinions, and supplier insights. Additional services include comprehensive industry directories (Buyers' Guide, U.S. Ink Directory, European Ink Directory), market research content, video content, webinars, and event coverage. The publication covers multiple ink market segments including packaging ink, publication ink, digital ink, energy-curable ink, screen ink, specialty ink, conductive ink, and flexible/printed electronics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ink World Magazine

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Paper, Film & Foil Converter (PFFC): Trade publication covering converting operations including paper, film, foil, and packaging — serves overlapping converters and ink buyers with comparable monthly trade magazine and digital editorial.
• Packaging Digest: B2B media brand covering the packaging industry — directly relevant because packaging inks are a major Ink World coverage area, and the publication serves overlapping converters and brand owners with comparable content and directory products.
• Printing Impressions: Long-standing B2B trade magazine for the commercial printing industry, covering technologies, market trends, and supplier news with print, digital, and event channels — the closest direct peer on the printing/inks customer side.
• Labels & Labeling: B2B trade publication dedicated to the labels and label printing industry — a key ink-consuming vertical — with magazine, digital, directory, and event monetization closely mirroring Ink World's model.
• Chemical Week: Established B2B trade publication covering the global chemical industry, with print magazine, digital content, directories, and events. Comparable business model serving adjacent chemical-industry verticals with similar advertiser mix.
• PCI Magazine (Paint & Coatings Industry): Trade publication covering paints, coatings, and raw materials — overlapping supplier-side audiences (pigments, additives, resins) with Ink World's supply chain coverage and using the same B2B ad + subscription revenue model.
• Coatings World: Sister publication within Rodman Media covering the global paints and coatings industry with the same monthly print + digital magazine, directory, and webinar business model — directly comparable in audience, monetization mix, and operational scale.

Broad incumbents

• Plastics News: B2B trade publication from Crain Communications covering the plastics industry — broader industrial vertical with similar editorial, directory, and event products, though Plastics News operates at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Flexible Packaging Magazine: B2B media brand focused on flexible packaging — a key end-use for packaging inks — with comparable trade publication and directory products, though narrower in scope than Ink World.
• Converting Magazine: B2B trade publication covering the converting industry including inks, coatings, and substrates — serves overlapping converter and supplier audiences with a similar editorial and event-driven business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inkworldmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inkworld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ink World