All Aboard!
The digital printing train is picking up speed—don’t be left behind.
October 2008 by Chris Mc Loone
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Labelexpo Americas 2008 should have left little doubt in attendees’ minds that digital printing has made major inroads in the package-printing market. This influx is not necessarily representative of other print processes losing market share. Rather, digital printing’s emergence can be attributed to changes in brand owner preferences for shorter runs and the recent surge in regional packaging.
Ken Stack, vice president/general manager of EFI Jetrion, stated in his presentation at Labelexpo that four factors are driving label printers toward digital printing: targeted marketing, localization, time to market, and the supply chain.
All four factors cause brand owners to migrate toward shorter print runs. But, why digital?
According to Jeff Wettersten, director, digital print solutions at Sun Chemical, during his Labelexpo presentation titled, “A Digital Overview,” order sizes are shrinking due to several factors. These include increasing order frequency, content differentiation, shorter runs, and demand for faster and faster turnaround. Traditionally, analog print technologies are designed for longer runs. This means the only way for customers to quickly restock their products is by holding large stocks of pre-printed material or printing uneconomic short re-runs of packaging at short notice.
Digital printing, however, takes advantage of the inefficiencies of traditional print processes by allowing shorter runs, making digital more affordable, according to Stack. It does this through labor, setup, and substrate waste savings.
Wettersten says it best that regardless of previous projections, digital is gaining ground. The technology has reached a threshold of acceptance, and offers a variety of solutions.
Labelexpo digital printing review
Various companies made announcements covering their first foray into the digital printing arena or new product announcements they hoped allowed their companies to become even more deeply rooted in digital printing. Inks, presses, print heads—Labelexpo had them all.
Package printers will instantly recognize names like Sun Chemical, Stork Prints, and Epson, and these industry stalwarts made significant announcements at Labelexpo Americas 2008 regarding their digital printing products.
• Epson America, Inc.: Epson’s seven-color digital solution is intended to make digital short run printing easier and more profitable for converters. The unit integrates -Epson’s MicroPiezo® inkjet technology to create output with smooth gradations and color quality at 720 dpi. Its 7-color (C, M, Y, K, Or, Gr, Mk) water-based ink set produces a wide range of colors. The press also supports off-the-shelf substrates (no precoating required); a wide variety of media stock including semi-gloss, gloss, film and matte, label stock up to 0.013˝ thick; and rolls from 4-13˝ wide. More information is available at www.epson.com/labelexpo2008 .
Ken Stack, vice president/general manager of EFI Jetrion, stated in his presentation at Labelexpo that four factors are driving label printers toward digital printing: targeted marketing, localization, time to market, and the supply chain.
All four factors cause brand owners to migrate toward shorter print runs. But, why digital?
According to Jeff Wettersten, director, digital print solutions at Sun Chemical, during his Labelexpo presentation titled, “A Digital Overview,” order sizes are shrinking due to several factors. These include increasing order frequency, content differentiation, shorter runs, and demand for faster and faster turnaround. Traditionally, analog print technologies are designed for longer runs. This means the only way for customers to quickly restock their products is by holding large stocks of pre-printed material or printing uneconomic short re-runs of packaging at short notice.
Digital printing, however, takes advantage of the inefficiencies of traditional print processes by allowing shorter runs, making digital more affordable, according to Stack. It does this through labor, setup, and substrate waste savings.
Wettersten says it best that regardless of previous projections, digital is gaining ground. The technology has reached a threshold of acceptance, and offers a variety of solutions.
Labelexpo digital printing review
Various companies made announcements covering their first foray into the digital printing arena or new product announcements they hoped allowed their companies to become even more deeply rooted in digital printing. Inks, presses, print heads—Labelexpo had them all.
Package printers will instantly recognize names like Sun Chemical, Stork Prints, and Epson, and these industry stalwarts made significant announcements at Labelexpo Americas 2008 regarding their digital printing products.
• Epson America, Inc.: Epson’s seven-color digital solution is intended to make digital short run printing easier and more profitable for converters. The unit integrates -Epson’s MicroPiezo® inkjet technology to create output with smooth gradations and color quality at 720 dpi. Its 7-color (C, M, Y, K, Or, Gr, Mk) water-based ink set produces a wide range of colors. The press also supports off-the-shelf substrates (no precoating required); a wide variety of media stock including semi-gloss, gloss, film and matte, label stock up to 0.013˝ thick; and rolls from 4-13˝ wide. More information is available at www.epson.com/labelexpo2008 .
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