Carton & Board
Using digital print to respond to the changing demands in the corrugated packaging sector
S
wanline is a trade only supplier of specialist printed corrugated packaging and point-of-sale displays.
As a trade only supplier, Swanline works with sheet plants, point of sale (POS) companies, merchants, litho printers, agencies and carton manufacturers to deliver stand out solutions on shelf and for promotion. Digital printing has created tremendous advantages for the company. “Demand for corrugated packaging is expected to increase by more than four per cent per annum and by 2019 it will be worth an estimated $176bn globally, according to market research company, Smithers Pira. Combine this with the point of sale and display sectors and there is a very large market opportunity for contemporary digital print techniques,” says Nick Kirby, CEO of Swanline Print Group.
Swanline is a trade only supplier of specialist printed corrugated packaging and point-of-sale displays. As a trade only supplier, Swanline works with sheet plants, point of sale (POS) companies, merchants, litho printers, agencies and carton manufacturers to deliver stand out solutions on shelf and for promotion. Digital printing has created tremendous advantages for the company.
PRESENTATION “One very critical aspect of a new product launch is the way the item is presented to customers in store. Brands and retailers have always been focused on product quality and have often missed the potential that packaging and POS displays have to play in driving retail sales. “In an increasingly competitive dynamic
retail space, with crowded shelves and accelerating online competition, brands need to do more to drive attention to their products and this is where digital is really coming in to its own now,” says Kirby. Although the majority of Swanline’s work is POS, about 40 per cent of its digital work now goes to packaging applications. Today runs of up to 2,000 or 3,000 units are often printed digitally rather than litho laminated. The advantage being that digital becomes the enabler of a fast turnaround, high impact solution, useful when customising packaging for key events. Kirby continues: “Digital print is playing a
huge role across the packaging industry by offering vibrant, high-quality text and graphics and unique messaging, enabling designs that can be more responsive to events, locations or promotional marketing demands to engage the consumer. “As corrugated converters, digital print methods offer the promise of being able to produce more customised solutions in shorter runs, with reduced waste, almost on-demand for customers. Brands can have new designs on the shelf within days instead of weeks, enabling them to instantly react to trends in the market place and maximise sales.”
DIGITAL PRINT AT SWANLINE Swanline Print is one of the pioneers in the development of digital print for corrugated packaging and display. The company invested in its first digital press, HP Scitex FB11000, in July 2013 and since then has invested in another HDR press. A recent acquisition, Four Create, based in Warwick, has further strengthened Swanline Group’s digital position. With three Durst roll and flatbed digital printers that will complement the work mix, there are plans for further investment in 2018 including a single pass thermal ink-jet press using water based inks. “At Swanline, we have embraced
digital as we believe offering superfast solutions will create further opportunities. It allows our customers to provide faster prototyping and sampling than their competitors and coupled with the emergence of jobs requiring personalisation or customisation, and the ever-improving capability of the digital OEMs to deliver offset litho standard print, we have a very
30 July/August 2017 Nick Kirby, CEO of Swanline Print Group
powerful offering today,” adds Kirby. “We also recognise digital enables
improved lead times, service flexibility and new print capabilities, as well as opening up markets in the packaging sector that were previously exclusive to shorter run offset litho, post-print flexo and screen print markets. The versatility of the presses has also meant we can print on substrates ranging from corrugate to polypropylene. Ultimately this delivers customer service excellence and production versatility.” Kirby concludes: “Interestingly, despite the
corrugated market being very connected, many players have still not identified the value of digital in their production mix. Today we’re able to take the best of each technology – litho, screen or digital – to deliver the best result for the customer. This can literally mean on a single product the body of the job could be printed screen, the shelves litho and the header digital, maximising the overall performance and impact of the design.”
FUTURE OPTIONS Going forward, the Swanline team will keep a watching brief on all digital options on the market. Swanline views digital as a complementary technology to analog techniques and recognise that its potential is being more fully appreciated by marketers who identify the main benefits of shorter run lengths, reduced inventories and lead times, and speed to market. Customisation is clearly an additional benefit, but this needs to be integrated into an overall logistics plan as it can be extremely costly if not effectively planned and managed.
www.swanlineprint.co.uk
www.convertermag.co.uk
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