Division 18: Printing and reproduction of recorded media

Section C, Manufacturing. 5 subcategories with ISTAT's explanatory notes and the ATECO 2022 codes they come from.

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  1. 18Printing and reproduction of recorded media

    This division includes printing of products (for example, newspapers, books, periodicals, business forms and greeting cards), printing on T-shirts and other types of material, and associated support activities (for example, bookbinding, plate-making services, data imaging). The support activities included here are an integral part of the printing industry, and a product (a printing plate, a bound book, or a computer disk or file) that is an integral part of the printing industry is almost always provided by these operations.

    The ownership of the input material is irrelevant to the classification of printing and reproduction of recorded media activities. Division 18 covers explicitly the processing activities.

    Processes used in printing include a variety of methods for transferring an image from a plate, screen or computer file to a medium (for example, paper, plastics, metal, textile articles, wood). The most prominent of these methods entails the transfer of the image from a plate or screen to the medium through lithographic, gravure, screen or flexographic printing. Often a computer file is used to directly drive the printing mechanism to create the image or electrostatic and other types of equipment (digital or non-impact printing).

    Offset printing processes are also included.

    Though printing and publishing can be carried out by the same unit (for example, a newspaper), it is less and less the case that these distinct activities are carried out in the same physical location.

    This division also includes reproduction of recorded media (e.g. compact discs, video recordings, software on discs or tapes, records).

    Excludes

    • publishing activities, see section JJ
    • manufacture of products with a 3D printer, see corresponding classes according to the product and material used
  2. 18.1Printing and service activities related to printing
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    This group includes the printing of products (for example, newspapers, books, periodicals, business forms and greeting cards), printing on T-shirts and other types of material, and associated support activities (for example, bookbinding, plate-making services, data imaging). Printing can be done using various techniques and on different materials.

  3. 18.11Printing of newspapers
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Excludes

    • photocopying activities, see 18.1218.12
    • publishing of printed matter, see 58.158.1
    • operation of photocopying machines for photocopying as a self-service, see 82.1082.10
  4. 18.11.0Printing of newspapers
  5. 18.11.00Printing of newspapers
    From ATECO 2022: 18.11.00 Stampa di giornali (all from here)
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Includes

    • printing of newspapers

    Also includes

    • printing of other periodicals, appearing at least four times a week
  6. 18.12Other printing
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Excludes

    • printing of textile fabrics as an intermediate process within the manufacture of textiles, see 13.3013.30
    • manufacture of stationery (e.g. notebooks, binders, registers, accounting books, business forms), when the printed information is not the main characteristic, see 17.2317.23
    • publishing activities, see section JJ
    • publishing of printed matter, see 58.158.1
    • advertising design activities, see 73.1173.11
    • operation of photocopying machines for photocopying as a self-service, see 82.1082.10
    • engraving onto metal, glass, wood, etc., see corresponding class according to the material used

    Implementation rule

    • This class covers exclusively printing services activities, not goods.
    • The material printed is typically copyrighted.
  7. 18.12.0Other printing
  8. 18.12.00Other printing
    From ATECO 2022: 13.30.00 Finissaggio dei tessili, degli articoli di vestiario e attività similari (in part) · 18.12.00 Altra stampa (in part) · 74.20.20 Laboratori fotografici per lo sviluppo e la stampa (in part) · 82.19.09 Servizi di fotocopiatura, preparazione di documenti e altre attività di supporto specializzate per le funzioni d'ufficio (in part)
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Includes

    • printing of magazines and other periodicals, appearing less than four times a week
    • printing of:
      • books and brochures
      • music and music manuscripts
      • maps, atlases
      • posters, advertising catalogues, prospectuses and other printed advertising
      • postage stamps, taxation stamps
      • documents of title, cheques and other security papers
      • smart cards
      • albums, diaries, calendars and other commercial printed matter
      • beer mats
      • personalised stationery and other printed matter by letterpress, offset, photogravure, flexographic, screen printing, and other printing presses, duplication machines, computer printers, embossers etc., including quick printing directly onto textiles, plastic, glass, metal, wood and ceramics
    • digital printing
    • silk-screen printing on textiles and wearing apparel
    • photocopying of documents
    • decorative printing, e.g. printing of gift wraps, wallpapers, materials for transfer
    • large format printing, e.g. printing of flags, banners, roll-ups, posters
    • printing of invitations for weddings and other events

    Also includes

    • printing on labels or tags (for example, lithographic, gravure printing, flexographic printing, printing signs)
    • laser engraving on textiles
    • activities of printing photographs
    • printing onto glass, printing onto metals
  9. 18.13Pre-press and pre-media services
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Excludes

    • graphic designing of visual content for the communication of information not intended to be printed, see 74.174.1
  10. 18.13.0Pre-press and pre-media services
  11. 18.13.00Pre-press and pre-media services
    From ATECO 2022: 18.13.00 Lavorazioni preliminari alla stampa e ai media (all from here)
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Includes

    • composing, typesetting and phototypesetting, pre-press data input into a form suitable for use in various printing processes and representation in other visual media, including scanning and optical character recognition, electronic make-up
    • preparation of data files for multimedia (printing on paper, CD-ROM, the internet) applications
    • plate-making services, including image setting and plate setting (for letterpress and offset printing processes)
    • cylinder preparation: engraving or etching of cylinders for gravure printing
    • plate processing: computer-to-plate (CTP ), also photopolymer plates
    • preparation of plates and dies for relief stamping or printing
    • preparation of:
      • artistic works of technical character (e.g. preparation of lithographic stones and wood blocks)
      • presentation media
      • sketches, layouts, dummies etc.
      • production of proofs
    • preparation of forms for flexography and screen printing frames
  12. 18.14Binding and related services
  13. 18.14.0Binding and related services
  14. 18.14.00Binding and related services
    From ATECO 2022: 18.14.00 Legatoria e servizi connessi (all from here)
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Includes

    • trade binding, sample mounting and post -press services in support of printing activities (e.g. trade binding and finishing of books, brochures, magazines, catalogues), by e.g. folding, cutting and trimming, assembling, stitching, thread sewing, adhesive binding, cutting and cover laying, gluing, collating, basting, gold stamping; spiral binding and plastic wire binding
    • binding and finishing of printed paper or printed cardboard, by folding, stamping, drilling, punching, perforating, embossing, sticking, gluing, laminating
    • finishing services for CD-ROMs
    • mailing finishing services (e.g. customisation, envelope preparation)
    • other finishing activities (e.g. die, sinking or stamping, Braille copying)
  15. 18.2Reproduction of recorded media
  16. 18.20Reproduction of recorded media
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Excludes

    • reproduction of printed matter, see 18.11, 18.1218.1118.12
    • software publishing, see 58.258.2
    • production and distribution of motion pictures, videotapes and movies on discs or similar media, see 59.11, 59.12, 59.1359.1159.1259.13
    • reproduction of motion picture film for theatrical distribution, see 59.1259.12
    • production of master copies for records or audio material, see 59.2059.20
  17. 18.20.0Reproduction of recorded media
  18. 18.20.00Reproduction of recorded media
    From ATECO 2022: 18.20.00 Riproduzione di supporti registrati (all from here)
    ISTAT explanatory notes ›

    Includes

    • reproduction from master copies of gramophone records, compact discs and tapes with music, or other sound recordings
    • reproduction from master copies of records, compact discs and tapes with motion pictures, and other video recordings
    • reproduction from master copies of software and data on discs and tapes

Source and disclaimer

The code you find here has no legal value, like the one from ISTAT's own navigator. You can use it as a reference when you register or change a VAT number with the Business Register or the Italian Revenue Agency. If in doubt, ask your accountant. ISTAT's official ATECO navigator.

Data: ISTAT, ATECO 2025 classification, CC BY 4.0 licence. We reorganised the files for search without changing the text of codes and notes, except for the capitalisation of section titles. CC BY 4.0

ISTAT files used

ATECO documentation on istat.it