ICYMI: Three Reasons to Keep an Eye on Digital Packaging Technologies

In all packaging segments, and across all applications, digital printing and production technology has been on the rise, and by most indications, will continue to grow across labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, and corrugated.

From Dec. 1-3, the Virtual Digital Packaging Summit will take attendees through a deep dive of the latest digital technologies available, opportunities across each application, and what to expect in the future. But is digital’s growth in packaging poised to continue? Here are three reasons why that appears to be the case:

1. In a Year of Uncertainty, Packaging Continues to Thrive

There’s no question that 2020 has been a year of upheaval. From an economic standpoint, public health standpoint, and in our day-to-day lives, the impact of COVID-19 can be felt everywhere. The packaging industry however, has not just weathered the storm — it is thriving as packaging demand in several key market segments has increased.

“This is one of the few areas of the printing industry and the general economy that’s doing incredibly well,” Marco Boer, VP of IT Strategies and co-chairman of the Digital Packaging Summit, said in a video interview. “We’re all eating more at home, there’s less institutional packaging. So how do you as a converter deal with that?”

The automation elements that come with the latest in printing technology stand out as a key strategy, Boer said, and the Virtual Digital Packaging Summit will cover the advantages that automation will have moving forward.

2. The Power of Flexibility

Another impact the pandemic has had on brand owners is an increased need for flexibility in their packaging designs and delivery times. By having a digital asset supplementing conventional print, package printers and converters have been able to deliver on these needs, providing the rapid response their customers have required in challenging times.

“Those with digital assets are finding ways to make their businesses more effective, and make things more effective running through their whole plant,” Kevin Karstedt, CEO of Karstedt Partners, and co-chairman of the Digital Packaging Summit, said. “It’s a matter of flexibility. They’re adding flexibility to their operations.”

3. The Ability to Balance

As exciting as the rise of digital printing and production technology has been in the packaging industry, conventional printing technology is still poised to continue taking on the lion’s share of the output across the packaging industry. However, as printers and converters seek ways to balance their short-run work with their high-volume production runs, finding the right digital equipment to supplement their conventional will be highly advantageous.

“The key is balance,” Boer said. “Where can I offload some of these really time-sensitive, frequent runs that are very short run lengths and free up capacity on my conventional equipment? At the same time, as I learn to use that digital equipment better and better in terms of extending my run lengths, what can I do on that digital equipment that actually adds more value than what I could do with conventional equipment?”

For a deep dive into these questions and the potential for what digital printing will bring to the future of the industry, be sure to register for the Virtual Digital Packaging Summit.