Think Ink

Pettifor—Digital printing is getting a lot of attention because everyone realizes that it has great potential and as a market leader, Sun Chemical has invested in a revolutionary FastJet™ process for printing corrugated packaging. However, with less than three percent of the market, it accounts for only a very small part of the packaging market today. Speed and cost are still limiting factors. For at least the mid-term, it’s likely that digital’s primary use will be in customized or short-run applications where it can be more competitive with the processes that can produce lower-cost packages en masse. Inkjet presses using UV-cured inks have potential because they can withstand many liquid or greasy products. If they can speed up inkjet printing, perhaps through the use of fixed-array print heads, it is likely to grow more quickly, as shown in the FastJet process.