Labelexpo Asia 2025 review

Labelexpo Asia 2025 was elevated by a series of new initiatives designed to connect and promote business growth, innovation and sustainability. Attendees experienced cutting-edge technology through the Smart Label Trail and Digital Pouch Factory, engaged with a comprehensive educational program featuring expert seminars and masterclasses, celebrated excellence at the Label Industry China Awards, and maximized business connections in the new Global Connect Hub, a dedicated VIP zone designed for international buyers.

Digital press technology

The show was notable for the number of companies showing digital print and embellishment equipment.

HP launched its new HP Indigo 6K+ and HP Indigo 200K presses in the Asia-Pacific region. The HP Indigo 6K+ digital press includes AI-powered tools, including HP Spot Master, allowing a 30 percent increase in speed and a 45 percent boost in productivity compared to the previous model. Label converter Supvan signed for the first HP Indigo 6K+ in China during the show.

The HP Indigo 200K was demonstrated as part of the Digital Pouch Factory, demonstrating a complete workflow from prepress to printing, lamination and manufacturing, including pillow-type packaging and stand-up pouches. Shandong Yaxin signed for its third HP Indigo flexible packaging press at the show. Yaxin installed their HP Indigo 25k in 2021 and a 20000 in 2023. Gao Hui, general manager of Shandong Yaxin said, ‘HP Indigo not only offers advanced printing technology, but also promotes our innovation and business model transformation in the flexible packaging field. In the future, we will deepen our cooperation with HP Indigo and jointly promote the development of digital printing in China.’

Toner technology

Xeikon debuted its entry-level subscription-model press, the Ecolyne, for the Asia-Pacific market, allowing converters to enter the digital market without making a large Capex investment. The 330mm-wide Ecolyne press uses the same core imaging technology as Xeikon’s existing CX-series toner presses, printing at 25 m/min at 1,200 DPI resolution with the ability to run substrates from coated or uncoated paper to PP (white or clear), PET and metallized film. By subscribing to label printing capacity rather than owning the hardware, converters can scale production when needed and sidestep a heavy initial investment.

‘In many parts of Asia, the label printing scene is changing fast,’ said Xeikon president Walter Benz. ‘Small to mid-sized converters also see increasing demand for shorter runs and faster turnaround. They need access to digital label printing capacity now. That’s why we bring Ecolyne to Asia first. We see a strong need here for simple, reliable digital production without the burden of ownership.’

Konica Minolta showcased the AccurioLabel 230 and 400 presses. The latter, its latest full-color digital label press, boasts 39.9 m/min speed, 3,600×2,400 DPI resolution and the IQ 520 intelligent quality monitoring system, significantly boosting production efficiency.

Vorey showed its Color DLP V3 high-resolution wide-format digital label printer, offering a speed of 7.26m/min and 1,200 X 2,400 DPI resolution.

Epson launched its latest water-based inkjet technology with the SurePress L-5034, boasting print resolution up to 1,200 X 1,200 DPI and broad material compatibility. The press is targeted at applications where food safety is key, including food, toy, and medical industries.’

Pulisi showed its WD-790 full-color water-based digital press tailored for flexible packaging. With 1,200 DPI resolution, CMYK+W+W configuration, and speeds up to 60m/min (depending on material), it handles 12 to 80 micron PET/BOPP and 80–350g coated paper substrates.

UV inkjet

Weigang showed its WG S350 Ultra and WG S230 UV inkjet presses. The WG S350 Ultra has a printing speed of up to 60m/min, print width of up to 350mm and print resolution up to 1,200 X 600 DPI. The compact WG S230 digital press can be used both for customized printing and for proofing, with a print width of up to 230mm.

Zonten showcased the ZTD-235 digital press using Epson’s S3200 printhead, with five colors (CMYK+W) covering around 85 percent of the Pantone color gamut. The opaque white allows printing on transparent and metallic materials.

General Inkjet Printing (GIP) showcased its Label Smart and Label Ultra digital presses. The Label Smart series focuses on low investment costs, CMYK + double white configuration. The Label Ultra series features an upgraded 1,200 DPI high-definition printhead.

Pulisi showed its DSMART-220 / 220Pro UV inkjet presses. The Pro version offers 1,200 X 1,200 DPI resolution with a maximim speed of 150m/min. Both models support CMYK and optional white inks.

Arojet showcased the ilabel-330 digital press printing at 1,200 × 600 DPI resolution, and Yutian showed its HGP digital press, with 1,200 X 1,200 DPI resolution.

UPG demonstrated the LQ-MD UV330 integrated UV inkjet press combining printing, laminating, cutting and slitting functions. It is equipped with Epson i3200-U1 printheads supporting CMYK+V+W inks. Also on display was the company’s handheld inkjet marking products.

Grando debuted its GR350S high-speed digital label press and the AJ330E multifunctional digital label printer. The GR350S has a maximum print width of 350mm and a speed of 20–50m/min. The AJ330E integrates post-press modules including lamination, die-cutting, waste removal, slitting, and rewinding. Compatible with UV or water-based inks, it supports a 330mm print width and outputs at 30–50m/hour.

Yintech showcased its digital inkjet label press, featuring a modular production setup integrating coating, printing, varnishing, and hot stamping.

Hybrid technology

Hybrid printing technology, which combines digital printing technology with traditional flexo printing, was a highlight of Labelexpo Asia 2025.

GIP demonstrated its Label Modular series, which is a joint project with flexo press manufacturer Spande. The Falcon series features a movable digital printing platform that can be installed on existing flexo production lines.

Weigang showed the servo-driven ZJR S350 Pro Hybrid flexo/digital press, which uses sleeve technology for the flexo units, which are seamlessly integrated with the digital print engine. The company is one of the few in the industry that offers both conventional and digital printing technologies, giving them a significant advantage in the integration of the two technologies.

Pulisi showed the DPIM-330F UV inkjet press with a new modular design, with customizable flexo modules, hot stamping, spot colors (violet, orange, green), digital cold stamping/varnish, reverse printing, intermittent die-cutting, lamination and defect management systems.

Hanlabel showed its LabStar 330HD hybrid press, which features 1,200 DPI resolution, offers speeds of up to 80–120m/min (max width 322mm) and supports flexible combinations like 8-color digital, flexo printing, cold foil and die-cutting.

Runtianzhi presented the Flora Orca 350 digital press, featuring an integrated modular design with printing, cold stamping, varnishing and laminating. Supporting CMYK+W+OVG output, the machine has a production speed of 75m/min, paired with 1,200 X 1,200 DPI resolution. ‘Equipped with intelligent nozzle compensation technology and an automatic cleaning/moisturizing system, it minimizes maintenance downtime, boosts overall equipment utilization, and is particularly suited to medium- to short-run and multi-batch label orders,’ said Sunny Yu, general manager of Runtianzhi.

Conventional press technology

For conventional printing technology, flexographic press today has the main market share in China, and this technology is also converging towards automation and AI.

Taiyo Kikai showcased the STF-340/STF-440 series flexo printing press with chilled cylinder technology enabling a wide range of materials to be handled, including paper labels, stickers, films and composites, such as PP, PE, PE, with thicknesses ranging from 20 to 300 microns.

Omet promoted the KFlex sleeve-based press featuring the Switch fast-change system, which lets printers adapt press setups to production needs.

Brotech debuted its FFX530 flexographic press in the Asia market, following the launch at Labelexp Europe 2025. The machine features AI-driven closed-loop control designed to reduce manual adjustments during setup and operation. The system automatically handles routine corrections for ink conditions and environmental conditions, allowing operators to focus on monitoring production conditions and managing quality control.

‘The press attracted visitors from China, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas, with over 300 companies conducting technical discussions at the booth,’ shared Ramon Lee, managing director of Brotech. ‘Interest came from converters in labels, flexible packaging, pharmaceutical and food packaging sectors, plus material suppliers, ink manufacturers and inspection system providers.’

Weigang showed its ZJR series flexo press, which is designed for labels, in-mold labels and flexible packaging applications down to 12 microns. Also showing was the ZX series offset press suitable for premium wine labels and short-run projects that demand speed and versatility.

Spande showcased its S7 and S5 flexo presses. The 450mm-wide S7 model was configured with 12-color flexo printing units and dual die-cutting units, with full LED UV and hot-air-drying systems. The S5 flexo press, developed to meet the needs of the mid-range market, was showcased with 12 colors and lamination and cold foil units.

Zonten showed its ZTR-370 and TEBA-450 flexo presses.

Hongsheng showcased the EFLEX-370/430/530Pro and S-300/400 flexo presses. The EFLEX-370/430/530Pro features 37 servo motors (10 printing units and one die-cutting unit). The S-300/400 flexo press is designed for printing on laminated tubes and PET films. It also handles self-adhesive labels, in-mold labels and paperboard.

‘I am very optimistic about the development of flexographic printing technology. Currently, our flexographic printing machines are not only applied in labels but also in other fields such as flexible packaging and folding carton,’ said Ruan Jinshu, CEO of Hongsheng.

Hontec showcased its FlexiCon flexo presses for self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeves, IML and wet-glue labels. The print stations feature dual independent servo motors per unit with speeds up to 150m/min. The company demonstrated an inline folding carton workflow at the show.

Dowell presented the PF series flexo press, designed for printing flexible tube laminates and PET films. It can also print self-adhesive labels, in-mold labels and folding cartons. This machine uses a large chill drum which maintains a constant substrate temperature and achieves a short material path between printing stations. It combines automatic pre-registration technology and a color measurement system, significantly reducing material changeover time and waste.

Qianrun displayed three flagship presses: the S5-370, S6-450, and flexo logistics label press. The S6-450 is configured with dual independent servo motors per print unit, enabling automatic pre-registration, complemented by a UV/LED curing system and water-cooled impression cylinder. The flexo logistics label press boasts a streamlined new design with dual web paths. Equipped with optional lamination, waste removal and folding stations, it achieves full-process logistics label production at 120m/min, including multi-layer label capabilities.

Jmetech showcased the N6 450 fully servo-driven flexographic press with a 27in repeat-length and water-cooled impression cylinder for accurate material transport. It handles a wide range of substrates, from 12-micron PET, 15 micron BOPP and PVC to 20-micron aluminum foil, in-mold labels, toothpaste tubes, various self-adhesives, including clear-on-clear, and paper/cardstock from 30 to 500 g/sqm.

Daba showcased its DBRY-L8370H flexographic press, boasting 28 servo motors in total for this 8-color press, with three motors to each print station.

Semi-rotary flexo is not a new technology, with the key advantage of reducing users' investment in different-sized rollers.

At the show, Rhyguan debuted its RF-330 semi/full rotary flexo printing machine with a 330mm format size.

Wanjie showed the WJLZ350 intermittent flexo press adopting a modular design, which can be combined with processes like offset, screen printing, hot stamping, die-cutting and variable information printing.

Caisheng launched its CS-J380F intermittent flexo press at the show. The machine is designed for small-batch, multi-SKU jobs while supporting medium to long runs at a top speed of 60m/min. It integrates in-line finishing, including die-cutting, cold foil, backside printing, varnishing and lamination, in a single pass.

Hochen showcased its new intermittent flexo press for small-to-medium batch and sampling applications. Its sleeve plate cylinder and direct motor drive ensures stable, low-noise operation, while enabling quick plate changes to cut setup time. The company signed an Indian distributor, Packnology, at the show.

Digital finishing

Digital finishing technology is regarded as a technology with great growth potential, including both digital embellishment and laser/stylus die-cutting technology.

Sapa/DMS showed a range of digital embellishment machines, including the web-fed models DMS330WFR, 330W, and 1050WP2, and the sheet-fed model ST600S2, which offers a diverse range of effects, including spot UV, 3D embossing, cast cure, holograms and Braille. It integrates hot and cold stamping. These machines are widely used in flexible packaging, labels, shrink sleeves and folding cartons.

Reborn displayed its RBJ-Remix 3DW 850 digital embellishment and RBJ-Ares350 digital die-cutting machines.

The RBJ-Remix 3DW 850 features a double-row print head arrangement to support a range of tactile effects. Its advanced water-cooling system ensures compatibility with a wide range of flexible materials for printing and foiling. The RBJ-Ares350 digital die-cutting machine features a water-cooled cutting head and an automated workflow system. The machine offers optional QR code scanning for automatic job changes to streamline production, and it eliminates the need for die plates.

Hongsheng Machinery debuted its first digital enhancement press, equipped with Konica Minolta printheads. Boasting a running speed of 60 m/min, the new system garnered extensive attention from attendees at the event.

Ecoographic displayed its EcoSpark DS 330 digital label embellishment technology, which supports UV spot varnishing, cold foil stamping, braille printing, 3D embossing, and variable data printing. It offers up to 1,440 X 360 DPI resolution, a standard 288mm (extendable to 430mm) printing width and a top speed of 50m/min, with varnish thickness from 180 to 350 microns.

Iecho showcased the LCT2 laser die-cutting machine and the LCS sheet-fed laser die-cutting system. The Iecho LCT2 laser die-cutting machine integrates automatic deviation-correction and automatic waste removal. The platform is suitable for different processing modes such as roll-to-roll, roll-to-sheet and sheet-to-sheet. The LCS Intelligent High-Speed Sheet-Fed Laser Die-Cutting System integrates automatic loading/unloading, conveying, alignment correction and processing. Designed for sheet-fed adhesive materials, it supports full, half and perforation cutting without dies.

Darui displayed its D-S9 and D-J5 digital die-cutting machines. The D-S9 digital die-cutting machine features CCD positioning speed of 0.1 seconds per cut, fully automatic knife pressure adjustment, and mobile remote control. The D-J5 laser die-cutting machine offers a 60m/min max speed, plus functions like laminating, die-cutting, waste removal, sheet cutting and rewinding.

Golden Laser showcased its roll-fed LC-350 and sheet-fed LC-5035 die-cutting machines. The LC-350 integrates three core functions: die-cutting, slitting and sheet cutting. Meanwhile, the LC-5035 is a dedicated die-cutting solution engineered for small-format sheet materials, integrated with a high-precision vision recognition system.

Vorey showed the AuraSpark DM3 UV digital embellishment system, AuraCut A8 die-cutting and AuraCut A6 die-cutting machines. The AuraSpark DM3 UV digital embellishment system eliminates the need for hot stamping plates, enabling spot varnish, 3D embossing, hot stamping and braille. The AuraCut A8 is an eight-blade, single-station, intelligent, high-speed label die-cutter. It enables 10-second job changeovers and reaches a die-cutting speed of 15m/min. The AuraCut A6 is a six-blade die-cutter, with 10-second changeovers and a 12m/min die-cutting speed.

Vicut showcased a full range of digital label die-cutters, from entry-level to industrial-grade. Integrating laminating, die-cutting, slitting, waste removal, and rewinding in one platform, different models offer full-cut/roll-to-sheet versatility. These machines boast advanced CCD positioning with 0.1mm repeat accuracy. Capable of handling stickers, paper, PP, PET and more, they serve the beverage, food, chemical and other industries.

Ada showed its ULC350 laser die-cutter, integrating full-process functionalities including automatic material conveying and automatic waste stripping. It supports roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet processing modes. Targeting non-metallic substrates like self-adhesive materials, PVC films and cardboard, the machine executes full cutting, half cutting and hole punching, making it ideal for personalized customization scenarios.

Rhyguan showed the Plus-330 value-added converting machine, which combines flexo printing, hot stamping, digital embellishment, rotary die-cutting and slitting.

Brotech showed its SDF Plus 370, a smart modular digital label finishing system. Its patented intermittent flexo unit enables quick switching between intermittent and rotary modes, with 330/370/420/520 size options and bidirectional workflow for optimal adaptability. It supports add-ons such as lamination, standard cold foil, inline flatbed hot foil stamping, screen/digital embellishment, plus semi-rotary, flatbed, or laser die-cutting.