The fast changing world of digital printing

There can be few in the world of labels that can doubt the impact that digital print-on-demand color printing has had on both label production and label usage over the past 10 years. Indeed, the latest research indicates that in excess of 2,000 narrow-web digital color press have been installed into the worldwide label industry just since the beginning of 2004. In 2013 digital presses made up more than a quarter of all global narrow-web press installations ‒ probably nearer 30 percent in the most developed markets of Europe and North America.

What’s more, initial forecasts for digital color press installations in the global label industry during 2014 are expected to be approaching ‒ or even in excess of 400 machines. Historically, growth of print-on-demand narrow-web color presses during the first decade of the 21st century were predominately of HP Indigo or Xeikon machines, still today’s market leaders. More recently however, their continuously growing installed base is being rapidly supplemented by the latest generations of higher-speed, higher quality, wider-web (13 to 14 inch web widths) inkjet presses coming from the likes of EFI Jetrion, Domino, Durst, Stork Prints and Epson.

New digital presses and press manufacturers continue to come to the market. Indeed, there were over 40 makes and models of digital press on show at Labelexpo Europe last year ‒ mostly using inkjet technology, whether UV-curing, UV LED or water-based inkjet. Even more inkjet press models, and several upgraded presses, have been announced in recent months, as well as an ever-increasing range of quite sophisticated digital finishing machines.