Packaging professionals prefer digital print quality to flexo

The recent PACK EXPO in Chicago gave more than 200 packaging professionals an opportunity to compare the print quality of a pair of four-color labels, with identical graphics, printed on a narrow-web flexo press and an HP Indigo digital press.

‘Digital printing has long provided brand owners with supply-chain and multiple-SKU management advantages compared to analog. This survey shows how HP-Indigo digital printing can also offer greater shelf impact and sell-through in consumer product packaging,’ said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Graphics Solutions Business – Americas, HP.

The bottles were placed in a light box for better viewing conditions, and participants had the option of viewing them through a loupe.   The survey participants, who were mix of packaging industry professionals, used terms such as ‘vibrant,’ ‘eye catching,’ and ‘vivid’ to describe their impressions of the HP Indigo-printed product.

The two labels involved in the comparison, for beverage bottles, were produced on white BOPP (bi-axially oriented polypropylene) film, with UV gloss varnish applied after printing. Neither had markings to indicate the printing method used and the bottles were randomly presented to prevent bias.