Digital Printing
Delivering flexibility in an unpredictable market
It has been a volatile couple of years for manufacturers in every industry. The pandemic has interrupted predictable buying behaviour, while Brexit has disrupted international sales and access to raw materials. Ian Axelsen, business development manager at AA Labels, examines the opportunities an unpredictable market offers for digital printing.
We have seen a 10% increase in demand for shorter order fulfilment times, which is increasing month on month, and a 20% increase in short print runs, coupled with a huge increase in the number of variants per order and a shortening of the time between order frequency.
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This demonstrates the pressure suppliers and producers are under to meet the changing needs of their own customers.
This is where the agile nature of digital printing comes into its own. Quick set-up times and viable short print-run options, with no impact on image quality, will increasingly make it the go-to option for brands adapting to an ever-changing market. Research from Smithers Pira identified the total market output of digital print as 17.4% in 2019 up from 13.5% in 2014, with its share predicted to reach 21% by 2024.
But we believe the shift to digital printing will move up a gear in the post-covid world and are anticipating larger growth than current predictions. Demand for shorter order fulfilment times and shorter print-runs are trends that will continue to drive process change in both customer accessibility and production terms.
Embracing technology is the key to success, as the pandemic has created irreversible changes to working patterns and social mobility. More business purchasers are ordering online, and they have very high expectations. They want automated, easy-to- use ordering processes with fast delivery. Accommodating changing customer demands has meant major expansion for AA Labels, with the introduction of a 12-hour print day and split shifts to fully utilise the printing capabilities of our Canon and HP digital presses.
Digital printing presses are not the fastest by comparison with inkjet and flexographic printing. However, at 30 metres per minute the speed is more than sufficient for the quick turnaround of print jobs, with the added benefit of shorter set-up times.
he biggest change to business behaviour in the printing world has been the increased need for speed and flexibility.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Digital printing also provides the environmentally- friendly qualities that today’s consumers are demanding, giving brands a new way to gain market share. Research from YouGov found that 50% of UK consumers would be willing to pay higher prices for eco-friendly packaging, suggesting that the additional costs associated with digital printing will not impact on sales. This method of printing is more environmentally friendly as dry and wet toners are mineral based, the liquid toner is organic and has the OK Compost biodegradable accreditations for home and industrial usage.
In contract, traditional wet inks are much more difficult to dispose of and fall under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations.
Emissions and waste produced via digital printing are also significantly lower, offering all- round benefits for brands and consumers.
INNOVATION
The combined potential of flexibility and innovation in digital printing is currently underutilised by brands. Specialist inks like fluorescents, metallics and clear coatings are
providing new opportunities for creative designers to produce imaginative packaging. Product labels can generate interest and traction at point of sale. They are the last marketing communication opportunity with the consumer and the closest to the purchase point and yet many brands overlook their potential marketing power.
These techniques offer huge potential for brands to better communicate with consumers via labels and create meaningful engagement. This type of innovation is vital in competitive industries, such as cosmetics and food and drink, where product branding and labelling are constantly competing for consumer attention. There are some very interesting coatings being produced by manufacturers that can produce stunning results on print, accentuating and enhancing designs at relatively small cost in production terms.
For example, digital inks and toners are being developed to include smart options, such as digital signatures and the communication of information, which is very exciting for the label, packaging and print industries.
Xwww.aalabels.com
22
November 2021
www.convertermag.com
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