Digital printing is the fastest growing area of the packaging and label industry for many reasons. If there’s a small change you need to make to an existing label, you can save time and money by choosing digital. Our digital UV inkjet label press has greatly improved our ability to efficiently print quality labels for large and small runs alike.
Inkjet printing has seen incredible growth over the last several years as the technology is continuously improved upon. It also provides exponential ways to customize and personalize labels and doesn’t require plates which reduces set up costs. Continue reading to find out if digital inkjet printing is right for you.
Conventional Flexopress vs Digital UV Inkjet Press
Conventional Flexo presses have long been the standard for label printing. Their fast speeds for large runs and consistent print quality and reliability creates value that can’t be beat. The tides are changing though as digital inkjet printers are becoming more popular because of improved technology, lower cost of ownership, and the added options for customizations. Here are a few key differences between flexopress printing vs digital inkjet printing.
Flexographic printing press:
- Flexible printing plates can be used on a wide range of surfaces
- Historically great for large volume runs
- A wide range of inks are available for different label needs (light-fast, food grade etc).
- Pressure-sensitive, non-pressure sensitive, and many other substrates are available on Flexographic presses
Digital UV inkjet printing press:
- Printing plates aren’t used so less waste is created for short runs
- Better speed, print quality, and reliability
- Decreased production time, Increased run speed, More production capacity
- Improved drop size leads to better overall image quality
- UV ink offers better adhesion and lightfastness (more resistance to fading when the ink is exposed to light)
What it boils down to is the fact that digital printing allows for quick customization on a wide variety of substrates which means you can go from completely blank label material to a fully finished variable color label in a single pass. While our customers love the convenience of digital labels, there are some instances where flexographic presses might be the better option.
Are Digital Labels Right For You?
Digital inkjet presses are becoming a true alternative to conventional flexo presses, but it might not be the best solution for all projects. To find out if you should choose a digital or traditional label printing method, ask yourself these questions:
- Are printing plates necessary to print your label?
- How big is your order and how fast does the turnaround need to be?
- Will the label be exposed to a lot of sunlight?
- Do you need the ability to quickly customize your label?
These questions will help both you and our label experts understand what printing process will benefit you the most. We love digital printing because a wider range of both special materials and standard substrates are becoming more possible with the increasing popularity and competition of digital printing.
Let us know about your project by filling out our Quick Quote form.
