Printed electronics are a relatively new technology for fabricating electronic devices on materials such as paper, plastic and textiles using electrically functional inks in combination with standard printing processes such as screen printing, offset lithography and inkjet printing. Printed electronics have the potential to bring about a revolution in electronic applications. The potentially revolutionary character of printed electronics lies not in their low cost, ease of manufacturing or small size and light weight, but in their ability to facilitate applications that are not feasible or at least uneconomical with conventional silicon-based electronics, such as flexible displays, smart labels, animated posters, and active clothing. 
One of the recent new developments in printed electronics technology is innovations in invisible printed circuit. Invisible electronics will have complete transparency, hiding from sight and possibly light bending may be involved. The total transparency is now also possible with printed transistors and many other forms of electrical and electronic devices. A watch that generates electricity invisibly from a solar cell coating on the viewing glass may be developed soon. This sector is evolving so fast that the entire spectrum of benefits arising has yet to become clear.
Light emitting plastic was first discovered in Europe, at Cambridge University in the UK , and the Dye Sensitized Solar Cell was invented in Switzerland and is now in production. Another form of invisibility is replacing something ugly on the outside of a package such as a barcode with something that will still work when printed on the inside of the package - the printed RFID label. Indeed, some RFID will be printed directly on the inside of a package - even in the glue flap. Starting with the printing of invisible RFID antennas, there is a need for compatible operator friendly software and post press equipment and ecological aspects are also being considered. One impediment is the large number of patents to be navigated. However, work on fast antenna and chip placement (later transistor printing) is proceeding with the objective of RFID hidden in packaging of items offered in shops and pharmacies. This printed electronics will serve such purposes as anti-counterfeiting and making empty shop shelves, due to stock outs disappear. Potential includes replacing ten trillion barcodes yearly that deface consumer goods and improving customer service with what will soon be one trillion postal packages yearly. The potential for this new electronics is huge.

IDTechEx expects the spend on printed and thin film electronics beyond conventional silicon to be US$1.58 bln in 2008. The majority of this is for OLED display panels (US$0.69 bln)- the value of the panel and not the final device. Virtually all of this is non printed and on glass. Second largest by value is photovoltaics (PV) beyond conventional crystalline and amorphous silicon, accounting for US$0.4 bln. This is not organic PV however, which is still some time away from commercialization, but inorganic technologies such as CIGS and CdTe devices. Third largest is not a specific product, but a value for inks for US$0.21 bln, which are used for multiple different applications such as interconnects for switches, membrane keyboards, windscreen heaters. The market for sensors is at US$0.11 bln, which are printed sensors used for glucose meters - approximately 2.2 bln are sold each year. US$50 mln will be spend on electroluminescent displays and US$48 mln on electrophoretic displays (the value of the front plane of the display itself rather than the end device). The market for logic and memory beyond conventional silicon will be just $10 mln this year. Of all the technologies covered in the US$1.58 bln market, only 27.8% of the components will be predominately printed in 2008, rising to 79.6% in 2018. Similarly, in 2008 only 15.7% of the components are on a non rigid substrate (such as sensors and EL displays), rising to 74% in 2018. The greatest opportunity is for devices which can be printed and are flexible

IDTechEx find that most work is taking place in Europe, the USA and Japan. In many respects Europe is in the lead. For instance, the first printed electronics factories are appearing there, but the creation of new companies is low given the huge academic effort going on there. The USA is proving better at creating new companies. In East Asia , while the number of organizations working on the topic is slightly less than the other two continents, it disguises the fact that those companies tend to be huge conglomerates. By spend, we see that in 2008, 56% of the market spend is in East Asia . This is because the biggest component - OLED display modules - are made there and bought by companies making devices, such as MP3 players. However, it disguises the fact that many of the devices are then sold to North America and Europe. Indeed some manufacturing will be moving to East Asia in due course but we also see a higher than expected market in Europe and USA given the dispersed manufacture capability of this new electronics