Technology At Center Stage

Labelexpo is underway and inkjet has been a major story. One exhibitor told me that after surveying 30+ label printers, many want to move from flexo to digital, but speed is an issue. In fact, productivity remains one of the main reasons label printers have not made a wholesale switch.

But flexo is not standing pat through all this. One flexo press manufacturer has developed an entire series of presses to take on the short run jobs considered by many as an area where digital rules.

Most intriguing for me yesterday was the develpment that it is possible to print direct to substrate using digital presses without priming the substrate. Some can also print to pre-diecut labels. The time savings involved with this could end up being one of the productivity pushes the digital press manufacturers have been waiting for to push even further into the mainstream.