Digital print has been around for two decades, but it's still a newcomer relative to other printing methods. As such, digital print providers keep on innovating, pushing the limits of their technology to fulfill changing customer needs. Last year, personalization was digital print's big buzzword, with personalized URLS, QR codes, VDP microsites and landing pages seeing increased demand. This year, it's all about new inks, expanding markets, better equipment and more. Read on for the rundown on what's new in digital print, and how it will affect the industry moving forward.
New Applications, New Markets
As inkjet technology continues to evolve, more and more industries are finding applications for digital print, increasing the number of viable markets for sales. "Digital printing has hit an entirely new trajectory of growth," said Ken Kisner, vice president of business development and CTO for digital division ink technologies, INX Digital, San Leandro, Calif. "3-D printing for manufacturing prototyping uses jettable fluids through industrial inkjet print heads to make amazing 3-D objects that are significantly reducing the time to market for industries such as automotive."
3-D printing, at least on a commercial level, is still in its infancy and may not yet be a realistic option for most digital print providers, but Kisner listed other ways advances in inkjet technology are opening up new markets. "The ceramic tile industry is experiencing its own revolution from rotary screen-printing technology to industrial inkjet where 'frit'-based inkjet inks are being used to decorate the product and fire it at temperatures up to 1200 degrees Celsius," he explained.
Kisner also mentioned the textile industry, particularly in regard to signage. "The advantage of inkjet with short run capability, just-in-time inventory and no setup costs has found a strong foothold," he noted. "Flexible outdoor signage using specialized textiles is taking over much of the industry that has typically used vinyl."
Old Products, New Ways to Print
It's not all about new products, though—many industry staples that have long relied on standard print methods are now going digital. "Printers are finding more traditional print items that can be moved toward digital, allowing customers to order smaller quantities and keep costs low," said Bill Tignanelli, general manager for Macomb, Michigan-based Admore, an Ennis Company. "The traditional flyers, postcards, business cards and envelopes have always been there for digital. Specialty products—for example, plastic cards, static clings, signage, shrink sleeves for bottles, custom labels, custom bags—have found or are finding their way to being able to be produced on digital equipment."
In addition, Tignanelli mentioned packaging, citing advances in digital equipment that allow for larger sheet sizes and thicker paper stock as "game changers in the short-run packaging market." Meanwhile, Kisner noted that food packaging might soon make the shift to digital as well, due to increased demand for food-friendly, low-migration inks. "Over the next several years, I believe we will see more and more inkjet products for various food packaging," he explained. "This will range from folding cartons such as cereal boxes to flexible packaging such as potato chip bags."
Looking Ahead
By all accounts, the digital print segment will experience rapid growth in the coming year—but not without challenges. "Technology is changing so fast that what you buy today in digital could be (or more likely, will be) obsolete in three to five years," said Tignanelli. "Do you invest now or wait just one year? If you play the waiting game, you end up getting stuck in the 'waiting game cycle' of when is the best time to jump in to invest in digital equipment," he continued. "While digital print has driven the cost of manufacturing down in terms of per-piece, there still is a capital investment that the company has to commit to. Depending on the types of digital products a company wants to print, this capital investment can be quite expensive."
Kisner pointed to market saturation as another issue, with the increasing number of digital machines resulting in a decline in price per square foot and, subsequently, stronger price competition. "This puts huge pressure on consumable-goods manufacturers to value-engineer competitively priced products," he explained.
Still, and despite volatile global economic conditions, Kisner remained optimistic. "The European market is under extreme pressure with the economy performing poorly, while the Americas and Southeast Asia are showing much more favorable results," he said. "New markets such as textile, ceramic and food packaging will continue to see strong growth over the coming months and years."