Mastering the Digital Print Learning Curve

To be successful, packaging manufacturers should consider how they’ll maximize the different strengths of flexographic and digital printers together, and run jobs based on what makes the most sense for your business. Image courtesy of for Peachtree Packaging & Display.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of new large format digital printers.

By Pete Galbiati, Marketing and Business Development Director for Peachtree Packaging & Display

New large-format digital printers are revolutionizing the packaging industry and bringing digital benefits to the graphic packaging space. Where flexographic (flexo) or lithographic (litho) printing has been the standard for producing redundant high-quality prints at scale, digital printers operate without plates on a single pass, making custom and small jobs possible, fast, and more affordable.

Digital printers offer manufacturers greater flexibility and new opportunities, but mastering the digital print learning curve is not for the risk-averse. As with any new technology, digital printers for corrugated graphic packaging manufacturers are still developing. Understanding the technology’s unique strengths and weaknesses is critical to integrate it with your business model successfully.

Assessing Business Strategy

Color accuracy is a serious business for graphic packaging manufacturers. Image courtesy of for Peachtree Packaging & Display.

Adding a large-format digital printer to your technology stack must start with your business strategy. You must evaluate whether it will complement your current technology and is the right move for your business. Are you growing? Is your volume at or near capacity? Is there a need for the distinct strengths that digital printers provide? Is your company prepared financially? Are your employees ready for the new responsibilities and growing pains the new equipment will require?

Most companies are now familiar with the benefits of digital printers. Running without plates, they significantly shorten turn-around times for customers, albeit at a higher cost than flexo printers. This capacity makes digital printers ideal for running custom jobs or variations with smaller volumes. As a redundant machine, they can be used for order completions or make-ups. To be successful, packaging manufacturers should consider how they’ll maximize the different strengths of flexographic and digital printers together and run jobs based on what makes the most sense for your business.

Many digital printers are available in the $2 to $5 million range from top brands such as Barberan, Domino Printing Sciences, EFI, Durst and HP. You’ll have to evaluate which printer makes the most sense for your business and also consider the company’s support services. Integrating a large piece of machinery into your business model always comes with unexpected adjustments and hiccups. You’ll need experts on staff and on-call to help you through the process.

Human Resources

Speaking of experts, the next hurdle you will face when adding a new digital printer is finding and retaining experts to help operate it. There are abundant specialists in flexo printers and many work as consultants, but a much smaller number are proficient in large-format digital printers. Once you settle on a machine, you should pursue press managers or engineers skilled in your specific technology. These professionals will provide important leadership in software and equipment management and troubleshooting, substrate management, single-pass printing considerations, ink and curing management, color management, workflow optimization, and print job setup.

Your digital printing vendor will also be a critical resource for integrating the equipment with your business. It’s hard to predict every hurdle you may face when adding a new piece of machinery to your plant. Small variations like humidity and temperature can impact your printer’s performance, and there will inevitably be periods that require troubleshooting and adjustments. Your vendor’s support services will be essential.

You will also need to allow time for employee training on the new equipment. Your vendor should be a key resource during this period, as should any new specialists you’ve brought in-house. Most of all, you should expect a learning curve as current employees adjust to working with the new equipment and integrating it into your plant’s workflow.

When adding a new digital printer, it is critical to find and retain experts to help operate the system. Image courtesy of for Peachtree Packaging & Display.

Mastering Color

Color accuracy is a serious business for graphic packaging manufacturers. Logos colors and designs are key brand assets that represent a business to the public and help differentiate it from competitors. Capturing a business’ exact shade or logo on the package and ensuring that shade can withstand the natural elements is critical.

As you begin working with large-format digital printers, you will quickly realize the vast differences when printing color. Flexographic printers excel in color accuracy and consistency, especially for spot colors and brand-specific hues. During production, the inks are stamped to the surface, and complex shades are adjusted with spot touch-ups. The process has been the standard for achieving high-quality colors and graphics. Still, it has weaknesses, such as creating unintentional moiré patterns and the additional costs and time required when printing plates are used.

Digital printers spray ink on the surface using precise stochastic printing technology and can instantly create custom colors and designs. Adjustments are made instantly via software. Older digital printers struggled with achieving consistent color accuracy across different print runs, but new color management systems have minimized this issue, achieving comparable dpi’s (dots per linear inch) to match graphic packaging industry staples. The benefits are 10 to 15 percent less ink use, greater tone and color stability, faster drying speeds, a photographic or contone look and the elimination of rosettes or moiré patterns that can occur with traditional printing.

While these benefits are promising, you’ll inevitably face new challenges that require expert troubleshooting and oversight. Plus, the ink for digital printers costs substantially more than the ink used for flexo printers, so minimizing waste is essential.

Managing Expectations

A final hurdle businesses can expect when adding a digital printer is educating clients about digital print quality. Litho or flexo print has been the industry standard for decades. Brand managers and businesses may be wary of entrusting their brand graphics and colors to a newer printing technology. Showing customers side-by-side comparisons to demonstrate the quality will alleviate concerns and allow customers to trust the process and leave the technology choice to the manufacturer. Customers with small or medium custom jobs will also be thrilled with the new option for fast delivery at a lower cost.

Digital printing technology for graphic packaging is still in the adoption phase, and it will only improve with time. The learning curve is costly, but the capabilities for serving customers and attracting new business will give early adopters a competitive edge. There will always be jobs that belong on the flexo printer and jobs that belong on the digital printer. For manufacturers, having unique machines capable of producing the same product quality with distinct capabilities is an ideal scenario.

About the Author

Pete Galbiati is the Marketing and Business Development Director for Peachtree Packaging & Display, an Atlanta-based manufacturer of award-winning graphic packaging solutions, semi-permanent/corrugated (POP) displays, and direct-to-consumer experiential packaging™. Galbiati has more than 20 years of experience in a wide range of marketing and consumer- driven brand activation projects. For more information, visit www.peachtreepackaging.com