Demand for Brother printer ink may spike after the company secured its position as the fourth biggest supplier in the worldwide hardcopy peripherals market last year.

The vendor, which shipped almost two million units during the final quarter of 2010, saw 94 per cent year-on-year growth in its laser supplies sector, according to the International Data Corporation's (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker.

It finished last year with a 5.1 per cent share of the market, moving ahead of Samsung. Both companies held a five per cent portion at the end of 2009.

The figures represent more good news for Brother, which earlier this month was given a 100 per cent rating by The Ethical Company Organisation for its strong environmental credentials.

HP, Canon and Epson were named the three biggest vendors respectively in the IDC rankings, accounting for over 75 per cent of the market. HP experienced year-on-year growth in all international regions.