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Sponsored: There are many benefits to the corrugated converter industry implementing a digital strategy. Digital inkjet printing is one of them. Kissel + Wolf unpacks the common misconceptions about digital inkjet printing to help corrugated converters make informed decisions in their analogue to digital transformation.

Industrial inkjet printing has been around for some time, but while it is well established in the general commercial print and labels printing segment, it is less so in printing on corrugated boards.

The two conventional methods of printing on corrugated boards are flexographic printing and lithographic printing. Depending on the need of the customer and desired result of the end product, one of these printing methods would be chosen.
However, there is a third option for printing on corrugated board: digital inkjet.

Set out below are the common misconceptions about digital inkjet printing, and a clarification from Kissel + Wolf on the true benefits of having a digital strategy.

Misconception#1: Digital Inkjet printing is slow

Early manufacturers of corrugated inkjet printers used multiple print passes to print the image onto the board, making this a slow process. As multi-pass printers have improved in speed and are still being sold, single-pass corrugated printers are running at speeds of up to 180m/min, capable of outputting 17,000㎡/h, allowing for mainstream digital production.

Misconception#2: Digital Inkjet printing has low print quality

Early digital inkjet printers had low-resolution print heads with no redundancy of nozzles, demonstrating low print quality and only able to address a certain market segment. 

Newer digital corrugated inkjet printers with industrial grade print heads, can easily print top quality at 2400 dpi. These industrial grade print heads are long lasting and capable of printing variable droplet sizes between 3 – 18 picolitre, allowing for finer details and solids to be reproduced perfectly.

Misconception#3 Digital Ink is expensive

When comparing the price of flexo and offset ink with digital ink, the price of digital ink will always be higher. However, with more and more digital inkjet printers being installed and the printed volume of digital increasing, the cost of digital ink will decrease gradually.

Designing for digital print helps with reducing ink usage and in return allows for a better brand representation, by changing less appealing solid colours to attractive graphic images.

When printing spot colours on a digital printer there is no need to mix the ink, as the colour management software will automatically do this.

The print heads of the digital inkjet printer will use only the required number of droplets and precisely print the image to the board. Higher-end corrugated inkjet printers have ink circulation systems, allowing for the ‘waste ink’ to be recycled automatically, resulting in zero waste.

When taking all of the above into consideration, digital ink is not more expensive than offset or flexo inks and often represents only a couple of cents per printed board.

Misconception#4 Digital corrugated printers are complicated to run

Not true, in fact quite the opposite, as the operator skill level needed to run a corrugated digital inkjet printer is lower when compared to offset or flexo printers. Digital inkjet printers adjust automatically, and maintenance is very low.

Misconception#5 Digital inkjet printing can’t handle warped board

One of the biggest challenges in converting corrugated board is handling warped board. High-end digital corrugated printers are designed like offset and flexo presses, with robust bottom or top feeder and a highly effective belt-suction transport system.

One of the side benefits of digital compared to other printing processes is that the boards are not crushed during the printing process. The reason for this is that the print heads do not touch the board while printing. This allows for a different box construction and possible savings in fibre material, as the crushing of the board does not need to be taken into consideration.

What are the benefits of implementing a digital inkjet printing solution?

First and foremost, it reduces cost in the production process. Digital inkjet printers use print heads to print the image onto the board, there is no need for plates, zero print waste and no setup cost.

As there is no need for plates and a ‘digital plate’ is created by the computer system, job changeovers are fast and typically take around two minutes.

Short- to medium-run jobs can be produced more economically.

High end digital corrugated inkjet printers are modular, allowing for inline varnish and finishing.

Digital printers can be fully integrated into the customers workflow and ERP system, working towards a more agile and transparent production system, improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness.

Will digital inkjet replace conventional printing on corrugated boards anytime soon? Probably not. However, digital inkjet printing will complement the traditional printing methods and, in some cases, replace short to medium flexo or offset print runs.

For converters, digital inkjet offers a more agile production, reduces cost, and allows them to serve their customers better.

Brands will benefit from faster speed to market and better customer engagement, while utilising targeted messaging.

 

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