Digital packaging has seen good growth in recent years, led by the label segment. Allied Market Research (AMR) predicts that the global digital printing packaging market size will reach $49.9 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2022 to 2031.

MarketsandMarkets believes that sales of digital package printing reached $29.4 billion in 2022, growing to $45.1 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 8.1%.

That growth makes sense to ink industry leaders. Greg Adams, director of digital printing at INX International Ink Co., said that INX’s outlook is optimistic.

“We have been actively involved in the digital packaging market, and plan to continue making further gains in the coming years,” INX’s Adams said. “With our expertise in ink formulation and a focus on developing innovative solutions, INX is well-positioned to satisfy the growing demand for digital printing in the packaging industry. We expect the market for digital packaging to continue growing as brand owners and converters recognize the benefit.”

Mike Pruitt, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc., said that Epson expects to see a switch from labor-intensive equipment to more automated equipment.

“Some digital label presses are engineered with automation capabilities, therefore there will be more jobs run on automated digital as labor is scarce for production on analog,” Pruitt continued. “We will continue to see that companies from all areas of the market are interested in investing in digital technology, and technology in general, that can help to drive their businesses forward. Additionally, I think we will see an increased emphasis on cost-benefit with regard to environmental impact, such as wash-off labels or ocean plastics.”

Pruitt reported that Epson will continue to invest in its SurePress and industrial printing business and place focus on flexible packaging and environmental impact.

“In the past year, Epson introduced two new SurePress digital label presses, the SurePress L-6534VW with Orange Ink and the SurePress L-4733AW, which builds on the success of its predecessor, the L-4533AW, the only prime label press with white ink under $300,000,” said Pruitt.

“As the demand for small batch production and personalized content increases, and we see a proliferation of packaging substrates, Videojet solutions adapt easily to meet speed, code content, resolution, contrast adhesion, and uptime requirements,” said Sherry Washburn, Videojet business unit manager. “Videojet is driving innovation in ink development with formulations that respond to packaging trends, regulations, and manufacturer and consumer needs.

“For instance, the new Videojet 1580 C continuous inkjet printer uses soft-pigmented yellow inks to print with good contrast on dark plastics, metal, and glass,” Washburn added. “One of the new yellow inks, Videojet V4283-E, is designed for condensation resistance, excellent adhesion, and caustic washability for returnable glass bottles and metal kegs. Another new ink, Videojet V4225-E, is ideal for coding on dark plastic substrates commonly found in the auto, personal care, and wire and cable industries, as well as on plastic bottles.”

John Meiling, HP’s senior director of marketing & category management, OEM inkjet for specialty printing solutions, pointed to the growth in e-commerce as a particularly strong opportunity.

“In a largely digital world, the demand for personalization in digital packaging is continuing to grow at a rapid pace in conjunction with the rise of e-commerce. This is especially true for late-stage customization on shipping boxes, for example,” Meiling said.

“As brands continue to find new ways to engage with consumers, personalization can add value and relevance to packaging and the rise of digital printing technologies has made personalized packaging more feasible. In the coming years, the market for solutions that enable meaningful, personalized packaging will likely explode and HP is here to help brands on their journey to embrace the unlimited possibilities of our packaging solutions,” Meiling concluded.