NAICS 323120

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the production-oriented standard U.S. federal statistical agencies use to classify business establishments for economic data collection and publication. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget with partners in Canada and Mexico, NAICS replaced SIC in 1997; the current structure reflects the 2022 vintage. ¹

NAICS 323120 — Support Activities for Printing — encompasses services that enable printing but do not perform the printing itself. Under the 2022 structure, this scope is organized at NAICS 32312, with U.S. national industries NAICS 323121 (tradebinding and related postpress work) and NAICS 323122 (prepress services such as imagesetting and platemaking). ²

• See also on G2X:
  • G2X — NAICS 323121 Tradebinding and Related Work
  • G2X — NAICS 323122 Prepress Services

What this NAICS covers

• Prepress services for printers, including imagesetting, typesetting, and preparation of film or plates. ²
• Platemaking and other image carrier preparation performed for print runs. ²
• Bookbinding, tradebinding, and related postpress finishing for printed materials. ²
• Postpress specialty operations such as die-cutting, embossing, edging, folding, gluing, gilding, indexing, and bronzing. ²
• Sample mounting and other auxiliary binding tasks provided to printers or publishers. ²
• Finishing of printed products performed as a standalone service (without conducting the printing). ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	323121	Tradebinding and Related Work
NAICS	323122	Prepress Services
NAICS	323117	Books Printing
NAICS	32311	Printing

Scope notes and cross‑references

• Establishments printing books or printing and binding books are classified in NAICS 32311 (Printing), not Support Activities for Printing. ²
• Metal engraving services of the type done on metal are classified in the Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities industry (e.g., 33281x series), not in Support Activities for Printing. ²
• Manufacturing photosensitive or blank plates for printing is outside this industry and classified in chemical product manufacturing (e.g., 32599x) or industrial machinery manufacturing (e.g., 33329x). ²
• Document preparation, typing/word processing, and desktop publishing services are classified in NAICS 561410 (Document Preparation Services), not in Support Activities for Printing. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities qualify under NAICS 323120? Printing support includes prepress (imagesetting, typesetting, plate preparation) and postpress finishing (binding, die-cutting, embossing, folding, gluing, gilding, indexing, bronzing). These services support print production but do not perform the printing itself. ²

• How is this different from NAICS 32311 Printing? NAICS 32311 covers establishments that actually print on materials; support-only firms belong in Support Activities. Book printing or printing-and-binding belongs in Printing, while standalone binding or prepress falls under Support Activities. ²

• Are copy shops or desktop publishing included in Support Activities for Printing? No. Photocopying/duplicating copy shops and document preparation (typing, word processing, desktop publishing) are classified in NAICS 561439 and NAICS 561410, respectively, not in Support Activities for Printing. ³

• Under 2022 NAICS, what U.S. national industries represent Support Activities for Printing? The Support Activities for Printing industry is represented by NAICS 323121 (tradebinding and related postpress services) and NAICS 323122 (prepress services). ²

• What PSC codes map to NAICS 323120? Not specified by official sources. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 323120 Support Activities for Printing
• U.S. Census: NAICS Support Activities for Printing — industry definition and cross-references (includes NAICS 323121 and NAICS 323122). ²
• U.S. Census: NAICS overview and structure (NAICS adoption in 1997; current searches include 2022 vintage). ¹
• U.S. Census: 2022 NAICS implementation overview and timeline. ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) overview page (includes NAICS adoption in 1997 and access to 2022 search). https://www.census.gov/naics
2. U.S. Census Bureau — Manufacturing Sectors 31–33: Printing and Related Support Activities definitions, including 32312, 323121, and 323122. https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau — Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (Sector 56) cross-references showing 561410/561439 vs. 32312. https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect56.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (vintage and transition timeline). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html