Gavin Watson installs HP Indigo 35K

Gavin Watson has installed an HP Indigo 35K digital press at its facility in Blantyre, near Glasgow, as it looks to expand its short-run packaging capabilities.

Completed in July 2026, the installation supports the launch of a new on-demand digital packaging service for short and ultra-short runs. The company said the offering will allow emerging and challenger brands to order commercially viable quantities without committing to the minimum volumes typically associated with conventional production.

The HP Indigo 35K joins an existing HP Indigo 6900 digital press at the site and will be used to produce prototypes, multiple design versions and personalized packaging. Reduced makeready requirements will also enable Gavin Watson to process more individual jobs per shift.

Tom Brown, CEO of Gavin Watson, said: ‘Growing brands shouldn’t have to compromise between exceptional packaging and ordering more than they need. By combining HP Indigo technology with our packaging expertise, we offer a more agile approach to short-run packaging, delivering premium quality, faster turnaround times and the flexibility to produce personalized, on-demand packaging.’

The investment follows growing demand for short-run carton packaging as brands introduce products more frequently, manage a greater number of SKUs and respond to shorter consumer-driven product cycles.

Gavin Watson is also developing its internal expertise in color management, variable data printing, workflow automation and digital press operation. Its production and design teams will collaborate on packaging concepts that the company said would have been more difficult to execute using conventional processes.

Producing packaging on demand is expected to help customers reduce excess inventory, overproduction and the volume of unused packaging made obsolete by changes to products or designs.

Jack North, UK and Ireland HP Indigo packaging sales, commented: ‘With the HP Indigo 35K, Gavin Watson is closing the gap between the speed at which brands evolve and traditional packaging production – enabling brands to think smaller in quantity, faster in execution and bigger in creativity.’

Gavin Watson expects digital production to play a growing role in its business as shorter product cycles, SKU proliferation and sustainability pressures continue to reshape packaging requirements.