• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Top Companies
    • Printing Inks
    • Raw Materials
    • Equipment
    • Directories
    • Events
    • Jobs
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Top Companies
  • Printing Inks
  • Raw Materials
  • Equipment
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Columns
    Editorial
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    eBook
    Top Features
    The 2022 Packaging Ink Report

    The UV Ink Market Continues to Thrive

    The Conductive Ink Market is Showing Growth

    The 2022 Resin Report

    EU Chemicals Sector Embarks on Transition Pathway
    Breaking News
    Distributor News
    Financial News
    Industry News
    Ink Manufacturers News
    Market Research
    Mergers and Acquisitions
    New Products
    Personnel
    Price Increases
    Printers News
    Suppliers News
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Weekly Recap: Zeller+Gmelin, Sun Chemical and Kornit Top This Week’s News

    Nazdar Celebrates 100 Years with a New Look

    hubergroup Chemicals Exhibits at Paint India for First Time

    Award for Sustainability: Evonik Receives Platinum Rating Again

    Nazdar Ink Technologies to Showcase Latest Ink Innovations at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022
    Top North American Companies
    Top International Companies
    Conductive Inks and Printed Electronics
    Graphic Arts Coatings
    Inkjet Inks and Toners
    Marking and Pad Printing Inks
    News Inks
    Packaging Flexo Inks
    Packaging Gravure Inks
    Publication Gravure Inks
    Publication Offset Inks
    Screen Inks
    Sheetfed Inks
    Specialty Inks
    UV and EB Inks

    Weekly Recap: Zeller+Gmelin, Sun Chemical and Kornit Top This Week’s News

    Nazdar Celebrates 100 Years with a New Look

    RadTech 2022 Highlights Next Level Formulations

    Nazdar Ink Technologies to Showcase Latest Ink Innovations at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022

    Epson Introduces First Direct-to-Fabric Printer for North America
    Additives
    Energy-Curable Materials
    Flushed Colors and Pigments
    Metallics and Special Effects Pigments
    Resins
    Vehicles and Varnishes
    Waxes

    RadTech 2022 Highlights Next Level Formulations

    hubergroup Chemicals Exhibits at Paint India for First Time

    PETRONAS Chemicals Group to Acquire Perstorp Group

    Ingevity Announces Price Increase for Pine Chemical-Based Products

    Carbon Black Producer Birla Carbon to Increase North American Prices
    Energy-Curing Equipment
    Mills and Mixers
    Testing, Color and QC

    RadTech 2022 Highlights Next Level Formulations

    RadTech 2022 Highlights UV/EB Opportunities in Electronics

    ROSS Mixers Restored to Like-New Condition

    UV Curing System Market Worth $8.6 Billion by 2026: MarketsandMarkets

    byko-visc Offers New RT Rotational Viscometer
    Buyers Guide
    Distributor Guide
    European Ink Directory
    U.S. Ink Directory
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Custom Milling and Consulting

    KRONOS INTERNATIONAL, Inc.

    Hockmeyer Equipment Corp.

    Shamrock Technologies, Inc.

    ALVAR Inc. /ALVAR Resins, Inc
    Industry Events
    Live from Show Event
    Webinars
    Top Events
    Middle East Coatings Show 2022

    Labelexpo Americas 2022
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Departments
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Directory
      • Buyers Guide
      • Distributor Guide
      • European Ink Directory
      • U.S. Ink Directory
      • Trade Associations
    • Printing Inks
      • Conductive Inks and Printed Electronics
      • Graphic Arts Coatings
      • Inkjet Inks and Toners
      • Marking and Pad Printing Inks
      • News Inks
      • Packaging Flexo Inks
      • Packaging Gravure Inks
      • Publication Gravure Inks
      • Publication Offset Inks
      • Screen Inks
      • Sheetfed Inks
      • Specialty Inks
      • UV and EB Inks
    • Raw Materials
      • Additives
      • Energy-Curable Materials
      • Flushed Colors and Pigments
      • Metallics and Special Effects Pigments
      • Resins
      • Vehicles and Varnishes
      • Waxes
    • Equipment
      • Energy-Curing Equipment
      • Mills and Mixers
      • Testing, Color and QC
    • Top Companies
      • Top North American Companies
      • Top International Companies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Expert's Opinion
    • Videos
    • eBook
    • Podcasts
    • Blog
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Jobs
    • Supplier Microsites
      • Companies
      • Literature / Brochures
      • Whitepapers
      • Product Spec Sheets
      • Videos
      • Jobs
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Expert's Opinion

    Digital Drivers in Labels

    With the technology evolving – faster speeds, better quality, increased consistency – the market has embraced the opportunities digital printing permits.

    Digital Drivers in Labels
    Related CONTENT
    • Meteor Inkjet Ltd
    • Huhtamaki Receives EcoVadis Gold Medal for Sustainability Performance in 2021
    • Quad Names Kris Persons SVP of Direct Marketing
    • Xerox Promotes Deena LaMarque Piquion to Chief Marketing Officer
    • Roland DGA Announces Launch of New VersaUV LEC2 S-Series UV Flatbed Printers
    David Pittman03.25.21

    It has been a few decades since the term ‘digital’ first entered the lexicon of the label printing industry. Since then, those at the bleeding edge and adopting when the market was still very much embryonic have been supplanted by a mature customer base deploying tried, tested and refined solutions as digital printing has become commonplace.

     

    With the technology evolving – faster speeds, better quality, increased consistency, etc. – so the market has embraced the opportunities digital printing permits. This has been realized in pressrooms the world over through hardware installations as printers look to respond to 21st Century consumer behaviors, the advent of short runs and ongoing trend for personalization, and brand owner demands new business models to provide just-in-time delivery and minimize waste in the supply chain. This sees many digital adopters in labels now operating multiple lines. They are also embracing the different digital printing technologies and the unique characteristics and capabilities of each to further their ability to respond to today’s business environment and that of tomorrow.

     

    Increasingly, the end-use is driving the choice of technology, be that: challenging substrates as often seen in wines and spirits; durable labels that are resistant to various environmental factors; beer and beauty labels, where achieving the correct look and feel is paramount; or food labels, which must be aesthetically pleasing whilst meeting stringent regulations for food safety.

     

    For most, these digital presses have slotted in alongside flexo and offset machines. There are examples from the early days of this not providing the most effective route to ROI, with the capabilities and capacities of digital printing undermined by attempts to make the technology work within existing workflows. Today, it is widely acknowledged that to make the most of an investment in digital, the ecosystem around the press is as important as the machine itself. This helps get incoming orders through pre-press, onto the print engine, then forwards to finishing and converting in the most streamlined and effective way possible.

     

    The starting point is invariably the correct MIS/ERP, designed to handle the greater number of orders and jobs, the complexities of such work and the amount of data involved, whilst being able to keep up with the press and keep it filed with saleable work. Web-to-print business models are now springing up at an increasing rate, bringing the convenience of e-commerce as experienced by consumers daily to the business-to-business world. While this will not work for all, a growing amount of work destined for digital label presses will likely come from online avenues. This then creates an entirely different structure for label printers who might be more au fait with established workflows that see orders coming through the door and being processed by the pre-press department.

     

    The likely deskilling of the pre-press process will result in a need for companies to find new roles for staff. This can be a boon for many as it creates new growth opportunities, taps up underutilized resources within a workforce, and strengthens the personal development roadmap for staff. This may seem scary to some but it is an inevitable consequence of digital transformation. It should not be feared but be embraced and made a part of corporate strategies for the future.

     

    Similarly, for a period there were concerns about how digital transformation would impact analog print processes and their place in the food chain. Driven in part by the digital industry’s excellent marketing activities and loud vocal presence permeating the supply chain, the furor reached such a fever pitch that there was a brief point in time when the digital printing industry was having to go on record to state, ‘We’re not here to kill flexo.’ In recent years, the flexo industry has staged a ‘fightback’ and gone through a technical resurgence of its own, including efficiency gains, automation of press set-up and better standardization of the process. It has also got more vocal and better at fighting its corner. Its marketing efforts have improved to highlight the strengths of flexo in the 21st Century.

     

    As a result, the reality on the factory floor today is that digital and analog are entirely complimentary print processes. This is realized through the growing amount of ‘hybrid’ options available – ‘full’ hybrid, ‘true’ hybrid, ‘integrated’ hybrid, etc. – that combine the best of both processes, as well as the capacities that have been freed up and created. By taking the burden off a flexo press to print short runs when implementing a digital printing workflow, for example, label printers can increase the amount of volume work they put through their Gallus/Mark Andy/Nilpeter/MPS/BOBST press. Similarly, digital presses are now able to take on longer runs, leaving a flexo press free to produce the highest value jobs, perhaps. This maximizes OEE and hastens the ROI, for both digital and analog hardware. For many label printers, this has now opened up new business opportunities and new markets to them that they may have previously been unable to service.

     

    One such opportunity has been digitally printed flexible packaging. Flexible packaging is a widely spoken about an open goal for label printers. Technical challenges remain in this area given the greater demands placed upon primary packaging and how it relates to established label printing technologies such as UV, although work is ongoing in the supply chain to mitigate and alleviate such concerns. Further, a growing amount of hardware is now available to permit a fast turnaround of digitally printed flexible packaging constructions, printed using either aqueous inkjet or toner technologies and suited to ‘print-for-use’ business models. There remains a need for education amongst label printers as flexible packaging materials and end-uses are entirely different. That being said, it’s likely we’ll see more and more label converters moving into flexible packaging as opportunities present themselves.

     

    Adding value is another area of opportunity for label printers deploying digital. In the ongoing battle to win at the ‘Moment of Truth’ and offer the greatest shelf appeal, more and more systems are being introduced to enhance and embellish digitally printed labels with either post-print analog processes or newer digital-native systems that can apply foils, varnishes and other visual effects, as well as haptic elements to appeal to consumers’ desire to touch and feel.

     

    As such, I believe that the label industry is well placed to embrace the next iteration of digital transformation, coupling its engrained knowledge of digital printing coupled with a capacity to adapt and change. Rather than being fretful, the label industry is looking forward to how digital can future-proof business and is ready to embrace all the opportunities this will present. Let's keep a close eye on this at virtual.drupa! https://virtual.drupa.com/

     

    Suggested For You
    Meteor Inkjet Ltd Meteor Inkjet Ltd
    Huhtamaki Receives EcoVadis Gold Medal for Sustainability Performance in 2021 Huhtamaki Receives EcoVadis Gold Medal for Sustainability Performance in 2021
    Quad Names Kris Persons SVP of Direct Marketing Quad Names Kris Persons SVP of Direct Marketing
    Xerox Promotes Deena LaMarque Piquion to Chief Marketing Officer Xerox Promotes Deena LaMarque Piquion to Chief Marketing Officer
    Roland DGA Announces Launch of New VersaUV LEC2 S-Series UV Flatbed Printers Roland DGA Announces Launch of New VersaUV LEC2 S-Series UV Flatbed Printers
    Kornit Digital Announces Environmental, Sustainability Goals Kornit Digital Announces Environmental, Sustainability Goals
    IMCD US Pays Tribute to First Responders for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 IMCD US Pays Tribute to First Responders for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
    Meteor Inkjet Celebrates Growth with Significant Expansion of Facilitites Meteor Inkjet Celebrates Growth with Significant Expansion of Facilitites
    EFI Reggiani Launches Fastest High-Quality Scanning Digital Textile Printer EFI Reggiani Launches Fastest High-Quality Scanning Digital Textile Printer
    Demand for Sustainable Print Technologies Creates New Opportunities Demand for Sustainable Print Technologies Creates New Opportunities
    The Printing Ink Industry in India The Printing Ink Industry in India
    Tetra Pak Releases Its 22nd Annual Sustainability Report Tetra Pak Releases Its 22nd Annual Sustainability Report
    MCC Receives Silver Medal from EcoVadis for Sustainability Efforts MCC Receives Silver Medal from EcoVadis for Sustainability Efforts
    Avient Acquires Magna Colours, Adds to Screen Ink and Sustainability Portfolio Avient Acquires Magna Colours, Adds to Screen Ink and Sustainability Portfolio
    Agfa to Present Inkjet Solutions at FESPA 2021 Agfa to Present Inkjet Solutions at FESPA 2021

    Related Expert's Opinion

    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Inkjet Inks and Toners | Printers News
      Digitization of Packaging: The Opportunities of drupa!

      Digitization of Packaging: The Opportunities of drupa!

      Digital printing was widely used in labels and packaging in 2019, and it will be further ensconced.
      Sean Smyth, Senior Analyst and Consultant at Smithers 12.14.21

    • Industry News
      The Lab of the Future May Be Here Before We Know It

      The Lab of the Future May Be Here Before We Know It

      Spurred by COVID-19, the momentum for digital tech in lab research is growing and brings a broad digital toolkit that includes AI, robotics, and IoT sensors.
      Cole McCollum, Lux Research Analyst 11.04.21

    • Conductive Inks and Printed Electronics
      3D Nano-inks Push Industry Boundaries

      3D Nano-inks Push Industry Boundaries

      A new, 3D-printable polymer nanocomposite ink has incredible properties — and many applications in aerospace, medicine and electronics.
      Kelley Christensen, Science Writer and Project Strategist, University Marketing and Communications, MTU 09.24.21


    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Inkjet Inks and Toners | Printers News
      Five Tips to Getting Inkjet Investment Right

      Five Tips to Getting Inkjet Investment Right

      The benefits are clear but what are the next steps to evolving your operation?
      Sander Sondaal, Director Commercial Print Sales, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe 08.02.21

    • Breaking News | Industry News | Ink Manufacturers News | Printers News | Suppliers News
      Deep Dive Into Packaging Supply Chain

      Deep Dive Into Packaging Supply Chain

      Soaring freight rates, cargo container shortages, and port congestion have driven up shipping costs.
      Alaina D'Altorio, Content Marketing Specialist, Smith Corona 04.13.21

    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Marking and Pad Printing Inks
      Ink Raises Standard of Continuous Inkjet Coding for Fast-moving Consumer Goods

      Ink Raises Standard of Continuous Inkjet Coding for Fast-moving Consumer Goods

      Markem-Imaje launches EB588 ink.
      Vincent Millot, Consumables Product Marketing Manager, Markem-Imaje 03.15.21


    • Breaking News | Conductive Inks and Printed Electronics
      Particle-Free Conductive Inks as Advantageous Alternative: IDTechEx

      Particle-Free Conductive Inks as Advantageous Alternative: IDTechEx

      A transparent metal salt solution is transformed into metal by a chemical reaction, enabling smooth and thin metal layers to be printed.
      03.12.21

    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Price Increases | Suppliers News
      Raw Material Availability, Prices Hikes May Be 2021’s Biggest Issue for Coatings, Ink Sectors

      Raw Material Availability, Prices Hikes May Be 2021’s Biggest Issue for Coatings, Ink Sectors

      Causing significant disruption to the coatings and printing ink industries in the UK and across Europe.
      British Coatings Federation 03.10.21

    • Breaking News | Industry News | Ink Manufacturers News | Printers News
      Virtual.drupa Conference Area Offers 2,700+ Minutes of Knowledge Transfer

      Virtual.drupa Conference Area Offers 2,700+ Minutes of Knowledge Transfer

      Program focusing on the global trends of Artificial Intelligence, Circular Economy, Connected Consumer and Platform Economy.
      03.09.21


    • Additives | Breaking News | Flushed Colors and Pigments | Ink Manufacturers News | Price Increases | Resins
      Indian Packaging Industry Reeling Under Unprecedented Raw Material Costs Increases

      Indian Packaging Industry Reeling Under Unprecedented Raw Material Costs Increases

      Global disturbances in the supply chain increasing prices for inks, adhesives and UV coatings.
      Rajesh Srivastava, VP, Sales & Marketing, UFlex Chemicals 03.05.21

    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Printers News
      3 Segments of virtual.drupa: Exhibition Space, Conference Area, Networking Plaza

      3 Segments of virtual.drupa: Exhibition Space, Conference Area, Networking Plaza

      virtual.drupa takes place April 20-23, 2021.
      02.25.21

    • Inkjet Inks and Toners | Specialty Inks
      Woodworking Surface Decoration – Digital Horizons Within Reach?

      Woodworking Surface Decoration – Digital Horizons Within Reach?

      From screen, offset and gravure printing, all have been used to create functional and decorative surfaces.
      Ron Gilboa, Senior Marketing Manager at FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. 02.16.21


    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Printers News
      Convergence of Print Markets: Is it Inevitable?

      Convergence of Print Markets: Is it Inevitable?

      drupa 2021 article series: Essentials of Print No. 15.
      Jean Poncet 01.25.21

    • Breaking News
      New Smart Fabrics With Bioactive Inks Monitor Body, Environment by Changing Color

      New Smart Fabrics With Bioactive Inks Monitor Body, Environment by Changing Color

      Bioactive inks printed on wearable textiles can map conditions over the entire surface of the body.
      Mike Silver , Tufts University 11.06.20

    • Breaking News | Ink Manufacturers News | Inkjet Inks and Toners | Printers News
      Digital Print for Corrugated: The Future Condition of Things

      Digital Print for Corrugated: The Future Condition of Things

      drupa 2021 article series: Essentials of Print No. 14
      Nick Kirby 11.06.20

    Breaking News
    • Weekly Recap: Zeller+Gmelin, Sun Chemical and Kornit Top This Week’s News
    • Nazdar Celebrates 100 Years with a New Look
    • hubergroup Chemicals Exhibits at Paint India for First Time
    • Award for Sustainability: Evonik Receives Platinum Rating Again
    • Nazdar Ink Technologies to Showcase Latest Ink Innovations at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    April 2022

    • The 2022 Packaging Ink Report
    • The UV Ink Market Continues to Thrive
    • The Conductive Ink Market is Showing Growth
    • The 2022 Resin Report
    • EU Chemicals Sector Embarks on Transition Pathway
    • Overview of Ink Demand in Asian Ceramic Industry
    • Industry Gears Up for the 2022 American Coatings Show and Conference
    • Defining - Evaluating Impurities, IAS, NIAS, and NLS (Part 2)
    • Needham Group Embraces New Technologies
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Stratum Nutrition’s Patent Portfolio Grows to Europe and Canada
    Coca-Cola to Phase Out Honest Tea Brand by Year’s End, Citing Supply Chain Challenges
    Vitafoods Europe 2022 Attendance Returns to 2019 Level
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    PPG Sets Goals to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Unveils 2021 ESG Report
    Birla Carbon to Present Sustainable Carbon-based Solutions at PaintIndia 2022
    BTC Europe, NXTLEVVEL Biochem to Distribute Biobased & Biodegradable Solvents in Europe
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    Kilo Health Invests 500,000 Euros in Pulsetto
    China to Strengthen Robotic Surgical Market With Second 5-Year Plan
    First Patient Enrolled in Alucent Biomedical's Vascular Scaffolding Clinical Trial
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    A Clean Sweep for AES at FOYA Awards
    Lonza, IBF Partner on Drug Development, Manufacture for Portfolio Cos
    INCOG BioPharma Services Opens Biomanufacturing Facility
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Estée Lauder Promotes Gibu Thomas to EVP, ELC Online
    HipDot Launches Girl Scout Cookie Collection
    L’Oréal Invests in Japanese Beauty Startup, Sparty
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Duke Cannon Supply Co. Inks Five-Year Deal As Official Grooming Partner of the Army-Navy Football Game to be Held on Dec. 10
    Croda Achieves Highest Carbon Management Level in Ecovadis’ New Carbon Scorecard
    OleHenriksen’s “Big Oh Duo” Pairs New Body Skincare and Sexual Wellness Device
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Weekly Recap: Zeller+Gmelin, Sun Chemical and Kornit Top This Week’s News
    Nazdar Celebrates 100 Years with a New Look
    hubergroup Chemicals Exhibits at Paint India for First Time
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    Rotocon wins AI Business Excellence Award
    Quad adds Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press
    Sihl launches materials for on-demand color label printing
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
    Thinx Names Meghan Davis as CEO
    Kimberly-Clark Reportedly Examining Sale of Latin American Tissue
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    James W. Stone Named AANA President
    Tom Hedman Named Senior Principal Scientist at Spinal Simplicity
    ODT's Most Read Stories This Week—May 21
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    Weekly Recap: Graphene Flagship, Japan Display and LG Display Top This Week’s Stories
    Evonik Launches New Processing Aids for PV Wafer Cutting
    NREL Creates Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell

    Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login