For years, digital printing advocates have extolled the virtues of bringing inkjet printing to the packaging market, such as printing short runs, personalization and reduced set-up time, among others. The trick has been to overcome certain challenges, and now, digital printers have already carved out a sizable portion of label and narrow web printing, with eyes on corrugated, folding carton and flexible packaging.

It has taken a lot of effort to make headway in these markets, and industry leaders talked about some of the obstacles they have been able to overcome.

Gary Barnes, head of sales and marketing, FUJIFILM Ink Solutions Group, said that the biggest challenge is where people want to progress from digital as a complementary process to full substitution of analog print.

“Wide-width, high-speed digital print systems involve huge investments, and it is difficult to achieve the same ROI versus high run-length established systems,” Barnes pointed out. “Inkjet robustness is yet to prove itself at that scale. Fujifilm is working in all areas of inkjet technology to drive progress. Digital often requires a change in workflow, not just the hardware investment. Companies have to make a conscious decision to be digital.”

Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital division at INX International, noted that there are several key challenges to expand into packaging.

“One is understanding there are many distinct requirements and application areas in packaging,” said Edwards. “For digital to be successful, these applications need to be addressed as such so the new technology provides the performance required. At INX, we have a real advantage by fully understanding customer requirements and application details after decades of experience. This experience allows us to provide the best digital solutions to the customers. 

“Another challenge relates to technology development,” added Edwards. “Technology improvements, especially with single-pass and Direct-to-Object printing, are critical to expansion as they are competing against technology with decades of experience and development. We have the internal capabilities to understand and optimize printing systems, but we also partner with the best companies globally to deliver our ink to the customer.” 

“While digital printing has been around for a long time in packaging—mainly for printing variable data like expiration dates, lot codes, and barcodes—it hasn’t fully replaced traditional analog printing for other tasks,” Olivier Bastien, HP’s business segment manager and future products – coding & marking, Specialty Printing Technology Solutions, said. “This is due to a few reasons: depreciated capital used in big analog printing, inexpensive inks, and availability of skilled labor. 

“However, the landscape is changing,” Bastien added. “The high maintenance costs of keeping old analog printers running, the retirement of experienced workers familiar with them, and stricter regulations on ink formulations are pushing packaging manufacturers and consumers to consider upgrading to digital technology. This shift will not only address future challenges but will also make them more competitive in the long run.”

Simon Daplyn, product & marketing manager, Sun Chemical, observed that some of the key challenges for digital print include the perception of the technology as too expensive, the difficulty of maintaining quality with fast-drying aqueous inks and the fluctuations of the regulatory and compliance landscape.

“The role of ink in the printing process is critical to overcoming each of these challenges, and Sun Chemical has invested heavily in innovating new solutions for water-based technology. While digital inks are generally more expensive than analog inks, some of the hidden costs of inks–such as plate storage and cleaning, waste and production time–can be reduced through digital printing,” he added.

“Combining digital coatings or primers with digital ink sets has opened the door to high speed printing on paper, plastic and other substrates while managing ink consumption, print quality and drying without compromising the quality of process or product,” Daplyn pointed out.

“Another major challenge of the packaging market is the evolving nature of legislation across various market segments and countries, such as the classification of chemicals and regular updates to standards like the Swiss Ordinance,” added Daplyn. “As these regulations change, it is critical that ink suppliers adapt quickly to ensure proper support for customers, converters and brands to help them comply with all application legislation. Sun Chemical is a member of key industry bodies and employs a fully integrated team of regulatory experts to support our internal groups and help customers navigate the changing landscape.”

“While some manufacturers still use hot stamp and manual labeling processes, the vast majority take advantage of digital coding systems,” said Melissa Bosnyak, project manager, sustainable packaging solutions, Videojet Technologies. “These printers and inks are matched to the packaging type to print variable codes and text, while keeping up with packaging line speeds.”
 

Mike Pruitt, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc., noted that the biggest challenge for digital printing in packaging has been ensuring ink adhesion and preventing cracking on high-flex substrates, such as 70% shrink film and squeeze tubes.

“These challenges have been addressed through the development of specialized flexible ink, advancements in surface treatments, such as Corona treatment, and the use of hybrid print solutions combining digital and traditional printing methods,” Pruitt said. “Improvements in printer technology, such as enhanced printheads and LED UV curing systems, have also played a crucial role in overcoming these challenges.”