Book review: Digital Label and Package Printing

It discusses the growth of digital printing and the rapid rise of the installed base of digital presses, examines how digital label and package printing technologies work ‒ whether electrophotographic liquid and dry toner or inkjet ‒ as well as looking at the enhanced requirements that digital printing brings to color management, origination and pre-press, workflow, the demands on substrates, the selection of in-line and off-line digital analog and laser finishing, and at how converters should look to manage and market the digital label and package printing operation.

Substantially re-written and re-edited since the original Digital Label Printing book was published in 2009, this latest version has now been extended to include a chapter on digital package printing and has added an important chapter on laser die-cutting and digital finishing technology, and the opportunities and benefits this can provide. A further chapter reviews current digital press and finishing machines on the market, comparing technical specifications for many of the leading makes and models available.

Press-press strategies for profitable digital printing are clearly set-out in the book, discussing production automation, how to make decisions on whether to go analogue or digital, the importance of color management, the benefits of less wastage, efficiency in short-run production and the latest developments in digital converting.

A chapter on substrate selection examines ink transfer and adhesion, the need for digital top coatings with liquid toner printing, printability with the dry toner electrophotographic process and at inkjet qualified substrates and why some printers may wish to consider their own in-house top coating facilities.

Current thinking on the management of a digital printing plant is also comprehensively set out, looking at the need to invest in new skills and abilities, the changing role of sales and selling, the need for more emphasis on marketing, the key to profitable selling of digitally printed labels and packaging, the demands on workflow automation, and investing in MIS. A final chapter looks at markets and applications for digital and assesses the added-value production and marketing opportunities that digital can provide.

The book is comprehensively illustrated with some 120 diagrams, charts, tables and illustrations and aims to provide a convenient reference source for label and package printing producers looking to invest in digital printing, or have already been operating digital presses for some time but would like to understand the experiences of other printers and industry experts

It is hoped that the detailed text and illustrations will encourage more printers and converters to invest in digital printing and finishing technologies, to have a better knowledge of the opportunities and profitability that digital offers, and a greater understanding of the solutions and applications available so as to meet the continued growth and demand for shorter runs, more versions and variations, multi-language capabilities, sequential coding and numbering, personalization and enhanced brand protection.

The new book, Digital Label and Package Printing – A ‘How to’ guide to terminology, technology, materials, management and performance, is published by Tarsus Publishing and can be ordered at www.labelsandlabelling.com/bookstore, priced at $99 (£59).