The document printer market saw world shipments jump almost 12% in the third quarter this year, said analyst IDC, although sale values are still depressed.

Despite challenging market conditions, total shipments for the overall hardcopy market recorded sequential growth of 11.6% in the third quarter when compared to the second quarter, said the analyst.

According to IDC's "Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker" MFP (multi-function products) continue to dominate the hardcopy market, with 17m units shipped in the third quarter - representing 63% of total shipments in the period.

To weather the current economic situation, said IDC, major vendors are maintaining their focus on aggressive pricing, strong promotions, and improving their relationship with channel partners across regions.

Sequentially, all inkjet, monochrome and colour laser printers, and MFP categories experienced positive growth in the third quarter, with monochrome laser printers and MFPs leading the pack with 14% growth over the second quarter.

HP remains the number one hardcopy peripheral vendor worldwide in terms of shipments, with 41% of the market. Canon strengthened its position as the number two vendor, gaining 3% in market share to take it to 19%. Epson in third place, followed by Brother and Samsung, make up the top five suppliers.

Hardcopy peripherals covered in the IDC research include single-function printers, printer-based multifunctional products (MFPs), and single-function digital copiers.