A New Window of Opportunity for Digital

As packaging design becomes more complex, Oomen explains digital printing can add other benefits to flexible packaging. For example, more detailed and complicated designs can lead to long setup times on flexo presses and digital printing can streamline that process.

Some converters worry that digital print quality will not match that of conventional, but Oomen says he has found brand owners have been impressed with the quality of digitally printed flexible packaging.

“A digital press is often received very well by end customers. Some say the output looks more like gravure and in some cases it is better than what they usually see,” Oomen notes.

As with any new printing technology, educating customers about what is possible from a graphical standpoint is essential. Printers may find that explaining the Indigo 20000’s capabilities to customers is similar to what the market went through nearly a decade ago when narrow web digital presses first became available.

“With digital printing now being able to address more market segments it’s really dramatic what can be done,” Dollries says. “It’s really more of an education about what is possible to do today, because it really hasn’t been possible to do most of this in the past.”

Where does it fit?

When it comes to flexible packaging, there is obviously still enormous room for growth for digital printing.

Oomen says the majority of the conversions he has seen are on the easier end of the spectrum, and for dry applications like for snacks, power bars, pet food, shrink sleeves and labels. He says there is also a great deal of interest in using digital printing for cosmetic applications because of the color consistency and repeatability that is available on a digital press.

What is clear, though, as flexible packaging continues to impact the consumer packaged goods market, the number of product applications will increase. And as product lines diversify, Oomen explains that adding digital capabilities could become a more attractive decision.

“The increased number of SKUs drives some of this,” he says. “So do custom packaging, new brands, new styles, versions, and flavors. All of it makes digital a stronger, easier solution for converters and printers faced with these challenges.”