Still Going Strong

Challenges remain

Gravure is enjoying widespread usage in flexible packaging and labeling applications, but gravure printers must keep an eye on flexo, which continues to nip at the heels of gravure in terms of price and quality. What gravure printers are saying, however, is that gravure and flexo have their places in flexible packaging and labeling. “I think gravure is still holding its own in the shrink sleeve market,” says Wolk. “Most of our customers still want the quality in their labels that the gravure process yields. Flexo has made some inroads through plate and ink technologies but still doesn’t rival the gravure printing process.”