Degrava Systems

Labelexpo Americas 2008 should have left little doubt in attendees’ minds that digital printing has made major inroads in the package-printing market. This influx is not necessarily representative of other print processes losing market share. Rather, digital printing’s emergence can be attributed to changes in brand owner preferences for shorter runs and the recent surge in regional packaging. Ken Stack, vice president/general manager of EFI Jetrion, stated in his presentation at Labelexpo that four factors are driving label printers toward digital printing: targeted marketing, localization, time to market, and the supply chain. All four factors cause brand owners to migrate toward shorter print runs.

Variable data in packaging comes in a variety of forms resulting from an assortment of needs. In some cases, the variable data might be beverage labeling indigenous to a geographic area or other targeted marketing materials. In other applications, the variable data comes in the form of 2D or traditional bar coding to help protect a brand against counterfeiting or diversion. And, in still other cases, the variable data exists as alphanumeric coding to authenticate promotional purchases. Digital presses are the engines used to print variable data. “Digital print engines are the most compatible with variable data as they are designed to manufacture data-driven

Century Systems, Inc. Distributor of barcode printers, scanning equipment, thermal ribbons, labels and tags, printing accessories, and label design and printing software. Write 859, Visit www.century systems.com Degrava Systems The Degrava DP8500 was engineered with in-plant printers and converters in mind for an affordable, simple solution that provides a logical bridge between traditional presses and high-end digital systems. Features include automatic color registration, no complex maintenance or cleaning procedures, digital quality and flexibility, and more. Write 860, Visit www.degrava.com Jetrion Jetrion provides digital printing and inkjet expertise, with digital ink, hardware, and integrated solutions for digital printing. Write 861, Visit www.jetrion.com J KODAK The