NAICS 325910

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for grouping business establishments to collect, analyze, and publish economic statistics. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and first adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS is coordinated with Canada and Mexico; the current published vintage is 2022. ¹

Within NAICS 2022, 325910 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing printing inks and inkjet inks. This classification is used across Census economic programs and features cross-references that distinguish it from adjacent activities such as writing inks and toners. ²

What this NAICS covers

NAICS 2022 industry 325910 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing printing inks, including digital inkjet inks. The scope focuses on formulation and production of inks intended for printing applications, spanning traditional analog processes (lithographic, flexographic, gravure, letterpress, screen) and digital modalities (inkjet). It covers finished printing inks, not upstream pigments/dyes or downstream distribution. ²

Included products and activities (illustrative examples)

• Flexographic printing ink manufacturing
• Gravure printing ink manufacturing
• Letterpress printing ink manufacturing
• Lithographic printing ink manufacturing
• Screen printing ink manufacturing
• Inkjet printer ink manufacturing

These examples reflect the industry’s coverage of inks formulated for specific printing processes and are listed as illustrative examples for this code. ²

Exclusions and cross-references (classified elsewhere)

• Writing inks and stamp pad inks are classified under NAICS 325998 (All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing). ²
• Toners for photocopiers and laser printers are classified under NAICS 325992 (Photographic Film, Paper, Plate, and Chemical Manufacturing). ²

How to interpret coverage in practice

• “Printing inks” is tied to intended printing-process use; if formulated for offset/litho, flexo, gravure, screen, or inkjet printing, the manufacturing activity aligns with 325910. ²
• The industry includes inks for digital/inkjet printing as well as traditional processes; “Inkjet printer ink” is explicitly recognized. ²
• The code covers manufacturing of finished printing inks, not raw pigments/dyes or supplies outside “printing ink” (e.g., toners). ²
• Establishments primarily producing writing inks, stamp pad inks, or toners should not be coded to 325910; the primary-activity test and formal cross-references control classification. ²

Typical index entries that map to this industry

• Ink, printing, manufacturing
• Inkjet printer ink, manufacturing
• Printing ink, manufacturing

These index entries appear under the NAICS 2022 listing and are useful cues for scoping keywords in market research tied to printing-ink production. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

How it aligns with procurement: NAICS identifies an establishment’s primary activity (here, manufacturing printing and inkjet inks), while PSC codes classify what the government buys (e.g., bottles of ink, ink cartridges, or chemical specialty supplies). There is no official one-to-one crosswalk between NAICS and PSC for 325910; contracting officials choose PSCs based on the specific line item. Not specified by official sources. ²

Related/adjacent NAICS (official cross-references)

• 325992 — Photographic Film, Paper, Plate, and Chemical Manufacturing: includes toners for photocopiers and laser printers, which are excluded from 325910. ²
• 325998 — All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing: includes writing inks and stamp pad inks, which are excluded from 325910. ²

Commonly used PSCs when buying “ink” products (selection depends on the item’s end use and packaging)

• 7510 — Office Supplies: often used for office ink and related consumables (e.g., stamp pad ink, writing inks, and some ink/toner cartridges), not specific to industrial press inks. ³
• 7045 — ADP Supplies (legacy): historically used for IT-related printer supplies (e.g., cartridges, ribbons); some agencies still code desktop printer inks/toners here depending on local practice. ⁴
• 6850 — Miscellaneous Chemical Specialties: used for chemical specialty purchases; may be applied to certain bulk or specialty printing ink formulations bought as chemicals rather than office supplies. ⁵

Usage notes

• Choose NAICS based on the establishment’s primary activity (manufacturing printing/inkjet inks → 325910); choose PSC based on the specific supply being procured (e.g., bulk press ink vs. consumer ink cartridges). Not specified by official sources. ²
• Toners and writing/stamp inks are procured under different PSCs and are also manufactured under different NAICS per the official cross-references above; ensure solicitations and market research reflect the correct combination to avoid scope creep or miscoding. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are included under NAICS 325910?

  Establishments primarily engaged in formulating and manufacturing printing inks for analog processes (lithographic, flexographic, gravure, letterpress, screen) and digital inkjet applications are classified in NAICS 325910. The code applies to finished printing inks, not upstream colorants or downstream retailing/wholesaling. ²

• Are inkjet printer inks included?

  Yes. “Inkjet printer ink” is an explicit example under NAICS 325910. Whether for consumer/office or industrial systems, manufacturing these inks falls in this industry when it is the establishment’s primary activity. ²

• Are writing inks and stamp pad inks classified here?

  No. Writing inks and stamp pad inks are classified under NAICS 325998, not NAICS 325910, per the official cross-references. ²

• Are laser printer or photocopier toners part of NAICS 325910?

  No. Toners for photocopiers and laser printers are excluded from NAICS 325910 and are classified under NAICS 325992. ²

• Which PSC should I use for federal buys of bulk or specialty press inks?

  Agencies may code bulk or specialty printing inks as chemical specialties under PSC 6850, depending on the item description and packaging. Verify the line-item description and local policy before finalizing the PSC. ⁵

Useful resources

• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022 detail for NAICS 325910: official industry definition, examples (including inkjet printer ink), and cross-references — https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=325910&year=2022
• NAICS 2022 Manual (PDF): full sector/industry definitions, rules, and structure — https://www.census.gov/naics/reference_files_tools/2022_NAICS_Manual.pdf
• NAICS search and index (2022 vintage): keyword lookup for terms like “printing ink,” “flexographic,” or “inkjet” — https://www.census.gov/naics/?year=2022
• NAICS concordances (2017 ↔ 2022): verify changes, continuity, or mapping across vintages — https://www.census.gov/naics/concordances/concordances.html
• data.census.gov — query results for NAICS 325910: Economic Census, County Business Patterns, and related tables — https://data.census.gov/table?q=NAICS+325910
• 13 CFR 121.201 (SBA size standards by NAICS): small business size thresholds applicable to manufacturing codes such as 325910 — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121#p-121.201
• SAM.gov opportunity search (printing inks): live solicitations and awards with keyword filter — https://sam.gov/search/?index=opp&keywords=printing%20ink
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual: official PSC definitions and selection guidance — https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
• PSC references commonly seen with ink buys (psctool.us):
  • PSC 6850 — Miscellaneous Chemical Specialties: https://psctool.us/search?psc=6850
  • PSC 7510 — Office Supplies: https://psctool.us/search?psc=7510
  • PSC 7045 — ADP Supplies: https://psctool.us/search?psc=7045
• Census Business Dynamics and County Business Patterns (CBP) program pages: methodology, update cadence, and data access by NAICS code — https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html
• USAspending advanced search (by NAICS): explore historical obligations tagged to NAICS 325910 and related keywords — https://www.usaspending.gov/search
• Census API developer hub: programmatic access to NAICS-tagged data (e.g., CBP, Economic Census) for custom dashboards — https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets.html

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS official site (resources and 2022 vintage): https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS detail for NAICS 325910 (Printing Ink Manufacturing): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=325910&year=2022
3. PSC 7510 — Office Supplies (psctool.us): https://psctool.us/search?psc=7510
4. PSC 7045 — ADP Supplies (psctool.us): https://psctool.us/search?psc=7045
5. PSC 6850 — Miscellaneous Chemical Specialties (psctool.us): https://psctool.us/search?psc=6850