Foster Packaging launches dedicated digital flexible packaging business

Foster Packaging has invested in an HP Indigo press ws4500 as part of its establishment of the first dedicated short-run digital flexible packaging business in the UK and Ireland.

The new service is called Flexible Express, based in County Louth, Ireland, and will focus on the production of pouches, printed film and bags. Foster Packaging’s aim is to meet the short-run requirements of its customers while at the same time stimulating the market for short-run flexible packaging.

With a presence in South Africa, Kenya, US and The Dominican Republic as well as in the UK and Ireland, Foster Packaging’s business is based on long-run rotogravure printing. Joe Foster, managing director, and business partner Paul Young recognized that their customers either wanted or would benefit from the availability of short-run flexible packaging.

‘We see a strong potential for digitally printed pouches and bags,’ said Joe Foster, managing director, Foster Packaging. ‘We want to create the need for short-run packaging. During a downturn companies look for new ways to market themselves and digitally printed short-run packaging is a great way to do that. Variable data printing enables low-cost origination, quick changes to designs and text, changes of languages, localization and personalization. For example, cafs that have coffee in their own branded bags have a greater ability to build their brands and gain market share.’

Young, with a background in the label market, has watched the development of HP Indigo digital presses for several years, and felt that the time and technology were now right to launch the business based on the HP Indigo press ws4500.

‘The quality of digital packaging printing is something we're very aware of as gravure printers,’ Young said. ‘There are other benefits to digital printing that are important in these challenging times: reduced stock-holding, less substrate waste during printing, less printed waste because you only print what you need, shorter times to market, and the advantages of variable data printing.’

The HP Indigo press ws4500 can handle a wide range of substrates ranging in thickness from 12 to 350 microns, making it suitable for label, flexible packaging and shrink sleeve applications. Driven by an HP SmartStream Labels and Packaging Server powered by EskoArtwork, the press can be integrated with a range of finishing solutions from industry leading HP partners to provide a complete end-to-end solution.

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