Second Digital Label Summit

The second Digital Label Summit took place last month at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona. Attracting 213 delegates from all over Europe and beyond, the expanded summit has continued to get a large amount of positive feedback from label industry representatives who gathered to hear from cross-section of international experts about the latest developments in digital package and label printing.

Following the success of the event last year, it was decided to hold this summit again following the increase in expectations from the package printing and label industry for this technology. The summit this year had a much stronger focus on the direction that digital solutions and applications will take in the future. With new generations of fully-integrated digital presses and high added-value conventional/digital in-line combination presses evolving, as well as an explosion in inkjet technology, the interest regarding these latest advances in the label and packaging sectors is growing considerably. The summit reviewed the latest developments and applications in integrated, in-line, and stand-alone toner and UV-curable inkjet presses for self-adhesive, shrink sleeve, and heat transfer labels, flexible packaging, cartons, pouches, and tubes.

The conference played host to industry experts speaking, putting forward case studies, and sitting on panels to explore new technologies and applications for digital printing of labels, tickets/tags, and flexible packaging. Brand owners also talked about their experiences with digitally printed labels and packs and their expectations for the future developments.

Conference highlights included:
• Digital web-fed printing – state-of-the-art: Michael Fairley summarized the best tips and analysis for digital technologies, solutions, and markets and applications. Along with Bob Leahey of InfoTrends Inc., Fairley gave the audience information and solutions on how to implement the new technologies available.
• Advances in digital print technologies and solutions: This session looked at performance—resolution, web widths, colors, speed, environmental issues; combining materials, inks and technology for optimum inkjet performance; and developing new markets and applications.
• Consumables that influence quality and performance: Kenneth D. Stack, EFI/Jetrion Industrial Inkjet Systems; Christian Menegon, HP Indigo; Lode Deprez, Xeikon; and Adrian Lockwood looked at the nature and performance of digital inks, toners, and drying/curing systems and the use of coatings and varnishes, taking the environment into consideration.
• Benefitting the brand owner: The session used a case study to demonstrate using digital technology to enhance a brand, with the speakers Christian Menegon, HP Indigo and Hans Poortinga, Heineken.
• Overall feedback from delegates indicated that the event proved to be the best place to network and to learn about digital label trends from experts in the industry. The summit gave a timely overview about the digital topics for the future giving label and packaging printers the knowledge to choose correctly on where to invest and how to invest for their companies.

Roger Pellow, Labelexpo Managing Director, said: “This second edition of the Digital Label Summit has again been a success—that digital really is an important part of the future of the industry. The technologies have excelled over the last year with a number of UV inkjet presses being launched and installed since the last Digital Label Summit in 2009. It is clear that the industry’s interest and demand for this technology will continue to grow at a very fast rate. We are pleased to see established businesses embracing these new technologies and seeing printers and brand owners alike expressing their interest in the opportunities and advantages that printing labels and packaging digitally can offer.”