2025 is panning out to be an exciting year for the digital label printing sector, with a range of Press, software and hardware innovations that are giving print businesses greater flexibility to respond to market changes and consumer demands. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main trends shaping label printing and the opportunities they could provide your business.
1. Growth In The Market!
One of the most welcome trends for the coming year is a forecasted increase in demand for digital label printing solutions by over 6% globally between 2023 and 2028. This creates ample opportunities for print management companies who have gone digital over the last few years, with scope for market diversification for companies currently considering investing in a digital press. The growth is fuelled by growing demand for highly personalised small batch labelling in the food and beverage sector, which previously was not cost-effective using flexographic presses.
2. Customisation At Scale
Previously, customers could ask for either volume or customisation, not usually both. However, modern digital label printing technology has made it easier for printers to accommodate this demand by using variable data technology to increase personalisation without big setup costs. A good example of this from the food & drink sector is Coca-Cola’s name-label campaign for its drinks bottles, which has also been replicated by Toblerone and other brands. Limited edition packaging and customised branding for seasonal products and consumer goods is now becoming standard practice.
3. Smart Labels
The Internet of Things is transforming the manufacturing industry at a rapid rate, but what about label printing? In 2025, demand for so-called smart labels is expected to grow in the UK and internationally for use on a variety of products. Smart labels include inbuilt near field communication (NFC) or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies to help logistics businesses and retailers track stock throughout the supply chain, from the factory to the warehouse to the consumer.
For consumer-facing products, meanwhile, QR codes can be included on labels to provide nutritional or regulatory information, authenticate purchases, or give access to localised or time-limited promotions. This makes it possible for producers to purchase visually identical labels for use in different jurisdictions (e.g. the UK, EU, and USA) with a QR code for each region that points to the relevant nutritional and compliance information.
4. Label Printing And Augmented Reality
A progression of the smart label trend is the integration of augmented reality (AR) technology into consumer labels. This comes from a desire for labels to act as access points to immersive digital environments for consumers. For instance, a customer could scan the label on a bottle of wine with their phone, and access a tasting video, cooking tutorials, or even a virtual tour of the vineyard. Digital label printing machinery and software give you, as a provider, greater flexibility to incorporate these details into label print runs to meet your customers’ varying requirements.
Find Out More
If you’re interested in finding out more about our Focus Label range of label printing machines and digital solutions, please send us a message by clicking here, or call us on 01949 836223.
Image source: Canva
