Major changes are set to take place in the packaging printing industry over the coming few years. Innovation will gain pace for both toner types and the inkjet systems that use them. Competitive digital packaging film printing equipment will be seen offering lucrative features and several advantages to consumers. The overall value of the industry is set to increase even more, and by 2020, the market can be expected to be worth nearly £15 billion per annum. This growth will result from the new generation of features added to digital systems, bringing enhanced automation and greater reliability.

The label printing industry has changed a lot in the last decade, and today printing companies that don't adopt digital printing are putting their ability to compete at risk. Here are some of the factors behind the rise of digital printing technology:

Making a business investment in flexographic printing equipment is not a decision to be made overnight. In general, companies don't invest in new kit unless it is necessary, so it can sometimes be a challenge to persuade directors/shareholders to release the capital. However, the technological changes that have taken place in flexo machines over recent years make a compelling business case for not delaying your investment.

Focus Label Machinery Ltd based in Bingham Nottingham is pleased to announce the installation of their modular and flexible hybrid digital inkjet d-Flex to Last Bros in Cheshunt. The group, which turns 70 this year, has installed a new Focus d-Flex hybrid UV digital inkjet press into its Labels division.

2017 has been a hectic and interesting year for the labels/Packaging and textile label printing business. Trends have developed and a lot has changed, often in surprising directions. The long heralded decline of flexographic printing has not only failed to materialise, but the opposite has in fact occurred. Wedded to digital printing technologies in a new generation of hybrid printing presses, flexographic methodologies and technologies are still going strong – offering unparalleled flexibility and productivity to enterprising businesses. Whatever else can be said of this year, whether uncertainty in the market due to Brexit, fluctuating currency prices, and pressure from Chinese manufacturers; it is the companies who have been bold enough to invest in new technological solutions that have reaped the most benefit from these changes.

The label converting process is an important part of label manufacturing. It consists of a number of processes that take place after printing; all with an essential role to play in producing the final labels. Each operation is supported by specialised equipment, which is sometimes used independently, or as modules as part of a larger printing plant.