There are many reasons why the digital printing market continues to enjoy rapid growth, and in talking with ink industry leaders, economics, flexibility and new advances are among the keys to this expansion.

Gabriela Kim, global marketing manager – DuPont Artistri Digital Inks, observed that there is a combination of factors that favors digital printing lately. “Among them, shorter runs and personalization are two trends that make digital printing a better fit for printing,” Kim said. “In addition, the current market environment, with cost challenges and substrates shortages, pressures the printers’ profitability.

“That’s when digital printing can come in handy to printers that also work with an analog printer, assigning specific jobs to digital or analog print, maximizing their profitability,” Kim noted. “And sustainability is a key aspect. Digital printing is a more sustainable printing technology with the advantage of on-demand printing that can significantly reduce producing surplus inventory. It uses fewer consumables in the process including very low water usage and generates lesser waste compared to traditional printing processes.”

Mark Goodearl, senior ink product manager for EFI, observed that digital printing offers significant advantages in reducing waste, increasing sustainability and creating new market opportunities.

“So much print is overproduced in the analog world to account for the cost of plates and extended make-readies,” Goodearl noted. “Digital is much more aligned with manufacturing to meet actual demand, plus it aligns well with the data-driven aspects of Industry 4.0 manufacturing.”

Phil Jackman, global product manager, Digital, Sun Chemical, noted that economics and flexibility are the main drivers for digital print.

“Being able to print on demand, with minimal waste and inventory, enables printers to meet challenging customer demands in the most efficient manner,” said Jackman. “Doing so without using plates and cylinders while wasting less substrate and ink can help towards providing a more sustainable offering too. 

“Maximizing the benefits of digital print, such as the ability to produce shorter print runs and personalized print, creates a strong value proposition, leading printers to pursue completely new market and growth opportunities,” Jackman added. “Print-on-demand and web-to-print applications can truly maximize the value to customers through automating and streamlining the process of designing, ordering, and producing printed materials.”

Josh Boivin, inkjet sales for Wikoff Color Corporation, said that improvements in digital print technology are driving adoption of digital printing.

“This can be seen at every level,” Boivin continued. “Printheads and digital machinery manufacturers have improved their offerings and capabilities. Faster print speeds and higher resolutions have allowed digital print to be used in new applications. On our end of the business, digital ink technology is being improved through adoption of new chemicals and additives and closer partnerships with printer manufacturers.”

Jay Larsen, GM and director of R&D for INX International’s digital hardware division, pointed to cost effectiveness of quick-turns and short runs as a key driver for digital printing, in addition to serialization, skilled labor shortages and workflow automation.

“Printers are also becoming faster at the top end of the market and much less expensive at the low-end,” Larsen observed. “This pushes the application of digital into new application areas or closer to the point of use.”

“Speed to market, improved quality, reduced waste and ability to vary content are large factors driving digital growth,” Rich Rindo, VP of sales and marketing for FUJIFILM, said. “Digital allows you to print what you need, when you need it.”

Randy Vandagriff, SVP, Digital Print, Eastman Kodak Company, noted that the growth of digital printing is being fueled by a number of factors.

“Today’s digital presses, such as the KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 Press, which uses KODAK ULTRASTREAM Technology, deliver print quality on par with offset – at full production speeds. There is no longer any reason to rule out digital printing because of quality considerations,” he said. “In view of rising raw material costs and ongoing supply chain issues, the transition to digital from offset can help printers avoid today’s aluminum supply issues and thus mitigate business risks.

“Digital printing also meets the global trend toward greater sustainability,” added Vandagriff. “Digital does not require printing plates, which are mainly made of high-quality aluminum – a valuable resource produced in an energy-intensive process. Likewise, the complex production as well as the transport and storage of printing plates are eliminated. With print runs continuing to fall and deadlines tighter, digital is benefiting from the fact that it requires no lead time for platemaking, can start production with virtually no makeready, and provides advantages over offset in many applications.”

“The growth of digital printing is also fueled by the increasing shortage of skilled employees in various regions of the world,” Vanbdagriff said. “Digital presses are easier to operate than the typical offset press and require less labor per shift. And new workflow software solutions, such as the KODAK PRINERGY On Demand Platform, can streamline digital processes, optimize print quality and make digital print more efficient than ever.”