Digital Printing: Why Now Is the Time to Take Action

In the package printing industry, doing what is comfortable may sound appealing. But for companies seeking growth, now is the time to venture into new territory. Digital printing and production technologies have solidified their roles as brands reduce their run lengths, increase their SKUs, and explore variable printing and personalization.

Now in its 12th year, the Digital Packaging Summit has served as the premier venue for leaders across the label and packaging spectrum to come together for three days of in-depth learning. Packed with educational sessions, one-on-one meeting opportunities, and case study presentations from the industry’s top vendors, the Digital Packaging Summit offers attendees an ideal opportunity to step away from their day-to-day and gain invaluable insights into how digital technology can benefit their businesses.

Why Now Is the Time for Digital Printing

Part of what makes package printing such a strong industry is its stable demand. With billions of products across numerous market segments needing labels and packaging, this is one segment of the printing industry that has been safely insulated from digitization. What is changing, however, is the quantity of individual jobs package printers are now being tasked with.

Marco Boer, president of I.T. Strategies and chairman of the Digital Packaging Summit advisory board, explains that brand owners have had to become nimbler in their ordering approach. Whether it’s because supply chain constraints are limiting their access to needed materials or they’re launching a new product version or limited-edition packaging design, individual order sizes are decreasing. This has led to challenges such as overworked employees, increased errors, and costly reprints for converters that are solely relying on conventional production technologies.

Conference Co-Chair Marco Boer kicks off the 2025 conference with a 2026 outlook.

“At the end of the day, you can hold onto that flexo workflow, but you’re going to end up losing margin because of the enormous stress that’s being put on the system that is not equipped to handle it,” Boer says. “I think we’ve reached a stage where you have to have digital printing equipment to relieve that stress."

Alliance Insights, the research division of PRINTING United Alliance, publishes an annual study in conjunction with the Digital Packaging Summit, the latest of which confirms the impact these trends are having. The 2025 edition of the study surveyed converters across all packaging segments, along with brand owners spanning several markets. In addition to a majority of converter respondents (53%) reporting increasing customer demand for shorter run lengths, 65% stated a growing need for faster turnaround times.

Assessing Each Packaging Segment

Part of the appeal of the Digital Packaging Summit is that it offers insights for the entire packaging industry, while also recognizing that labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, and corrugated are at different stages of their digital journeys. Throughout the event, attendees attend case study presentations from suppliers serving their individual segments and a deep-dive educational session focusing on their segment.

The label industry is the furthest along, with multiple generations of electrophotographic and inkjet equipment on the market. Despite this, Boer estimates that approximately half of U.S. label converters have not yet installed digital equipment, largely because equipment costs have felt too risky.

For those who have been apprehensive about digital label printing, Boer says entry-level machines at lower price points are reaching the market, opening the door for small and mid-sized label converters to reap the digital printing benefits their larger competitors may have already experienced.

“They’re not under as much stress to fill that machine to capacity in order to get an ROI,” Boer says. “So, their business is going to change. Everybody is going to have to have that versatility that digital printing provides.”

A similar trend could be on the horizon in the folding carton segment, Boer says. While many of the dedicated digital printing platforms on the market are highly productive and offer outstanding print quality, converters have also explored lower-cost, light production toner printers that can handle thicker substrates for low-volume folding carton runs. As this market develops with more dedicated devices that feature substrate handling capabilities, Boer anticipates increased digital adoption in folding carton production.

The flexible packaging segment is in its early stages of digital printing adoption, with electrophotographic equipment — the HP Indigo liquid EP platform in particular — leading the way. Boer says multiple suppliers have also launched inkjet platforms for this segment, though those have yet to become mainstream. However, as inkjet technology for flexible packaging matures, the industry will have significant interest.

Corrugated is another example of a packaging segment early in its digital printing journey, but with more innovation on the way that will make the technology increasingly accessible. Boer says noticeable innovation is happening in multi-pass inkjet printing platforms, which will likely provide a lower entry-level price point. By comparison, single-pass postprint inkjet presses offer high speeds and exceptional print quality, but come at a higher price point.

Hot Topics on This Year’s Agenda

Beyond brand owner trends pushing the need for digital printing, sustainability pressures and new packaging standards have made digital production technology increasingly appealing. For example, GS1, a global standards organization most known for its UPC barcode standard, is shaking up the consumer goods market with its Sunrise 2027 initiative.

The initiative aims to implement 2D barcodes, such as QR codes, replacing the traditional 1D UPC barcode. The benefits of 2D barcodes include enhanced data capabilities and storage, aiding both brands and retailers, and increasing traceability, adding critical security elements to products in the supply chain. Boer says that, at first, the shift to 2D barcodes will likely be static. But as the transition continues, interest in variable 2D barcodes will rise, particularly among product segments in which brands and retailers will want more information. This presents a major opportunity for digital printing, Boer says, as brands may first turn to digitally printed labels as they transition to 2D barcodes on all of their packages.

“I think that will change the dynamics of our industry tremendously,” he says. “It won’t happen this year. But as I look out over the next five years, our industry for consumer goods and beverages is going to change dramatically. Digital printing is going to be a critical tool once we get to that high-value, high-taxation, high-risk area of products.”

As the 12th annual Digital Packaging Summit draws near, Boer says the companies that will weather uncertainty best will be the ones that take action. While it may be comfortable to remain on the sideline, he says digital printing will be a key catalyst of success for label and package printers.

“What will happen as we get beyond this geopolitical chaos and uncertainty, is the converters that have invested are going to be that much more efficient and on the precipice of skyrocketing,” he says.