For brand marketers who may not know, and are afraid to ask, here's a quick explainer that covers the basics.
Digital printing is a relatively new technology – but not that new! The first digital presses came to market in the early 1990s.
Digital print technology differs from the the longer-established conventional offset litho and flexo processes in that it isn’t dependent upon the preparation of a separate plate for each print run. All the colours are printed in a single pass. In analog printing, the plates are repeatedly replaced.
This saves cost and time.
Not only can a digital press – many of which are developed by well-known electronics names like HP, Konica Minolta, and Xerox - switch between an infinite number of different impressions without interruption; it will also print precisely the volume of each required, even down to a factor of just one.
The most popular methods include inkjet or laser printers that deposit pigment or toner onto a wide variety of substrates – paper, board, plastic, canvas, glass, metal, marble and more. From postage stamps to building wraps, from labels to corrugated boxes, magazines to sign and display, there's very little to limit the scale and substrate possible.
In many of the processes, the ink or toner does not permeate the substrate, as does conventional ink, but forms a thin layer on the surface that may be additionally adhered to the substrate by using a fuser fluid with heat process (toner) or UV curing process (ink).
Depending on the quality required, this does impact the opacity of the inks, but as digital ink technology advances apace, this will become less of an issue.
ON THE PLUS SIDE
In a nutshell, benefits of digital printing include rapid set-up; minimal waste; reduced inventory; print on demand, increased speed to market... what’s not to like?
For brand owners wanting less SKUs in store for less time, but wanting more variety in products and creativity, they need agility. Digital print, by shortening speed-to-market times and allowing designers greater creative latitude, adds agility to the marketing equation. And importantly, it opens the door to deeper levels of consumer engagement through customisation and personalisation.
Digital print is bringing brands and consumers closer together, as brands increasingly realise, as design guru Silas Amos puts it, "Packaging is media; it's a billboard. It’s just a matter of rethinking what it can do when you can change it daily, and where content can be infinite.”
WHEN DOES IT PAY TO USE IT?
Digital printing does not always make economic sense – it's not ideal for high volume runs where print elements are static.
But it makes sense for short runs and where more changes of artwork are required.
It's also good for piloting and test marketing.
Here's one way of looking at it, according to Jason Beckley, Segment Manager Labels and Packaging, HP Australia: “While cost is of course a consideration, to obtain a true ROI you need to look at all factors in the process – supply chain, waste management, speed to market and most importantly, the consumer's wants and needs. A 'wow' campaign speaks volumes at the checkout. With the level of ROI tracking available, brands can quickly identify the success of a campaign, and where necessary make tweaks to the content almost immediately.”
FAST FACTS:
- The digital printing market is still in its infancy: only 5% of the world's total printing is done digitally.
- Of that 5%, labels and packaging accounts for 4% (source: HP)
- The value of digital packaging print predicted to double between 2013 – 2018 (Smithers Pira)
- By 2018, the global digital packaging print market will be worth US$17 billion (Smithers Pira)
