Labelexpo 2025. Evolution of digital labels and packaging equipment!

Labelexpo 2025. Evolution of digital labels and packaging equipment!

In the ever changing and evolving technological advancements in label printing and application processes, change remains constant, leaving very little space to remain complacent. One needs to remain abreast of evolution and stay updated and adopt new developments in whatever way possible. Staying stuck to technologies that are undergoing change, longer than necessary with chance of becoming obsolete,  may bring in a feeling of uncertainty and negativity. 

It does not mean one should immediately forget everything and start changing, but it would be worthwhile to stay abreast and consider accepting indulgence in evolution. In the early 1970s, the author was in process of setting up a factory in the suburbs of Delhi to increase the production of their popular fountain pen inks. Friends in those days cautioned that ball pens are a disruption coming in, however countering that, it was felt fountain pens are here to stay. But what happened is history now, fountain pens are just a show of affluence for some, ball pens rule in mass usage, the fountain pen ink business became negligent and miniscule. Printing technologies in India to produce self-adhesive labels or stickers also transformed from the earliest screen printing manually in sheet form to roll form by letter press, flexo to digital and hybrid. The industry is in that transitional mode of contemplating whether digital will takeover and disrupt. The general opinion in this phase is that both digital and analogue will co-exist as of now. Even digital printing technologies are evolving in multiple tangents. Labelexpo Europe 2025 at Barcelona is around the corner, and it will be good indicator of how the digital label printing and converting is evolving. The author interacted with leading digital label printing equipment providers to understand their presentations at this important show.

At the very outset it is important to understand that while the narrow web label printing has evolved to wider width, it has in its advancement entered the flexible packaging and carton converting arena as well. In the foray into futuristic converting, the digital finishing, embellishment and converting are also undergoing the digital path to evolution. Label printers while considering investments, are not anymore investing into digital presses, limiting themselves to only manufacturing labels, but also considering increasing their capabilities to produce shrink sleeves, pouches, diverse forms of flexible packaging and folding cartons.

HP Indigo: My recent article on Trigon digital Mumbai is an ode to this expanded product range on digital printing and converting. HP Indigo has supported such endeavors and are exhibiting at Barcelona. HP Indigo offers full digital print solutions that enable converters to allocate the right job to the right press. They will showcase the HP Indigo V12 which runs at speeds up to 120 meters per minute and offers full digital print solutions that enable converters to allocate the right job to the right press. Proven to achieve breakthrough milestones in high-volume output, including record-setting runs.

HP Indigo 6K+ that combines a new integrated SmartControlSystem, alongside AI-powered PrintOS tools for greater accuracy, reliability and real-time insights. HP PrintOS, AI-powered solutions and automation software tools to streamline production, boost creativity and accelerate growth. HP PrintOS and HP Nio, users can control workflows form order to shipping, turn data into insight and enhance performance across every operator.

Domino will be at booth 3E91 displaying their latest digital label printing solutions. Ajay Raorane Vice president Domino Printech India LLP says,” With the rise of e-commerce and the government’s push to support startups, we expect Increased demand for quick, high-quality label printing. While India still has a large installed base of conventional printing, the percentage growth of digital appears higher due to a smaller installed base. We feel the trend will grow as more installations happen.” Ajay further expressed that with digital also expanding into flexible packaging, it is a very exciting time for the entire packaging industry. He firmly believes that this is a time of transformation. 

They will exhibit; The Domino N730i, a high-performance 1200 DPI press using their own Brother Bitstar printhead, capable of printing at speeds up to 90 meters per minute. The Domino N610i, monochrome printers, the Domino K600i and the Domino K300, which can print at impressive speeds of up to 150 and 250 meters per minute, respectively. According to Ajay, Digital printing has come a long way. What started as a solution for short runs is now being used for medium and even long runs, where the added value of digital, like variable data printing and image-level personalization, brings real benefits to brand owners.  The presses are getting faster, more reliable, and offer greater profitability for converters. Digital printing can also support sustainability goals by reducing waste, lowering excess inventory, and minimizing obsolescence due to regulatory or consumer changes. This is a time of transformation.

Xeikon will be present in Hall 3 at Labelexpo displaying their Xeikon Titon TX500 20” wide dry toner press, Xeikon PX3300 HD 1200dpi UV Inkjet press, Xeikon LX3000 330mm wide dry toner press. It is a similar range that they displayed at the last Drupa. Vikram Saxena Sales General manager at Xeikon says, “In my opinion buyers for high end digital printing solutions are less, as compared to Europe or North America. Most Indian Label convertors seek low or mid budget digital printing solutions. Lower running cost plays important role for Indian buyers instead of top quality or sustainable solutions.” He further stated that the Indian label printing market will grow by 13.29% CAGR upto 2030 according to Mordor intelligence report and will reach  $4.59 billion by 2030. He stressed the need for awareness regarding sustainability; Indian Label convertors often ignore this point.

Durst Group exhibiting at Labelexpo Europe 2025 Booth E79, Hall 3 showcasing its next-generation digital printing platforms, including both hybrid systems and roll-to-roll configurations. As per the Labelexpo Europe 2025 website, Durst is keeping the details of its new press G3 launch under wraps until the show, describing it as a ‘compact, scalable’ 8-color LED-UV press. Hybrid presses can make use of an almost unlimited combination of digital and conventional print, decoration, and converting units. An example at the Durst stand will be the 9-color 420mm-wide Durst KJET, incorporating the company’s LED-UV inkjet print engine, four flexo units, two multi-purpose lamination units, turn-bar and semi-rotary die-cut.

Durst Indian agent Venkatesh Selvaraj mentions, “The technologies being unveiled are both new and forward-looking, developed to meet the future demands of label converters and the full details will be revealed exclusively at Labelexpo.”

Guangzhou PULISI Technology Co., LTD will be exhibiting at Labelexpo Europe Stand 5D81 displaying Two variants of UV Inkjet Digital Press; 1. Hybrid Digital with Flexo to optimise both Technologies in one press and printers can use this combination for value-addition production of Self-Adhesive Labels, Shrink Sleeve, IML and boards. 2. A standalone UV inkjet press designed for the digital segment, utilizing inkjet technology with a resolution of up to 1200 dpi with addition of Online Digital Embellishment possibility, enables users to address various market needs in label production and flexible packaging.

Amit Sheth Director at Pulisi says, “Digital printing in true sense has so far not fully evolved as an acceptable technology for both short and medium to long run jobs. Digital is growing but considering its pros and cons, one must learn and then decide as in reality it is not just that at touch of a button you print what you need. There is a lot more to consider.

Monotech Systems Ltd. will be exhibiting at Booth E50 in Hall 5. Showcasing running live, their advanced Track and trace solution – Tracesci® Loop a compact tabletop system for variable data printing, code connected packaging, brand protection and consumer engagement. In addition, they will display high-quality printed application samples from their digital inkjet label press JETSCI® KolorSmart+ and the dSpark digital embellishing and finishing system.

T P Jain Managing Director Monotech says, “Digital label printing in India is witnessing steady and accelerated growth with increasing demand for shorter runs, personalization, faster turnaround times, and high-quality output driving adoption across multiple industries. While conventional printing will continue to dominate in terms of overall volume, digital will outpace conventional in percentage growth. Digital label printing is no longer just about speed and quality it’s evolving into a platform for intelligence, security, and brand engagement.”

Arrow Digital will be exhibiting at stand 4A10. Showcasing Arrowjet water-based digital pigment ink label printer with in-line primer coater. It is a futuristic sustainable solution which printers are looking for. This press available in 330mm and 700mm can print at a speed up to 150 meters per minute.

While digital is now growing and if we talk of percentage of growth, it looks robust because at the smaller base number of about 70 to 80 presses from established brands a 15% growth rate translates into just 10 to 12 presses in a year. However, it is interesting to note that in a large customer base, not just the bare population of the country but the printing companies that are operational in the packaging space, digital once the adoption starts will grow fast.

Already the widths have grown wider, and the speeds have gone up to 120 meters per minute. The economies of scale may eventually trigger the downward trend in cost of consumables. The preference of going beyond the CMYK regime using Extended Color Gamut (ECG) printing to  reproduce a greater percentage of Pantone spot colors, increases possibilities of catering to a wider range of package printing needs. While it is a fact the digital is just a fraction of the conventional or analogue printing but now that digital is finding acceptance, it will remain an industry to watch.

Written by Harveer Sahni Chairman Weldon Celloplast Ltd. New Delhi

Selecting Digital Label Printing technology

Selecting Digital Label Printing technology

“Change is the only constant in life.” This is an age old saying and it is so true! As we look back in time that has gone by, the evolution in technologies that impact our life is amazing and for the new generations it is difficult to imagine the path traversed by elders.

For example, look at the development in telephony and communications; there was a time when, to get a telephone we had to make a lengthy application with documents plus a hefty deposit and then wait for 3 years to get a telephone. For dialing national or international numbers one had to book a call and experience endless wait to be connected for a 3 minute call. Those who did not have telephone connections had to visit a post office to call relatives in other cities, book a call and wait for their turn until the operator tried to connect them for a call that they had to pre-declare the duration as 3 minutes or 6 minutes. Mobiles have transformed life and we have instant voice and video communication capabilities 24X7 with multiple phones in our pockets. The mobile is perhaps the most impactful technology experienced by us in life so far. In a somewhat similar manner, printing technologies have evolved over hundreds of years to bring changes enabling perfection and colourful meaning to all printed products. A technology that began with carving stone blocks, apply colours and transferring images, evolved to using wooden blocks, metal type sets, letterpress printing, screen Printing to offset printing, a technology that was widely adopted and spread across the world as the most preferred print process. Also evolved flexographic and rotogravure printing. All these technologies had a costly pre-press and make-ready process as also the cost of artworks, plates, print cylinders, etc.

The 1970s saw the beginning of an era that would continue to impact the print industry in a totally different tangent, the digital printing! The technology enabled printing with a command from a computer with press of a button without much of processes that were needed in conventional printing.

It is so much like the changes in mobile phone technology coming about. By 1993 the digital printing technology developed such that the first commercial digital printing press named “Indigo” was produced by Benny Landa in his company with the same name. This transformed the printing world; one could now print personalized short run jobs straight from computer. In 2000-2001, the company Indigo was acquired by Hewlett Packard (HP) and at the time of acquisition Landa had said, “Our vision has always been to lead the printing industry into the digital era and to see Indigo technology pervade the commercial market. Now, a part of HP, that goal is in sight.” Rightly so, the market of digital printing has been registering robust growth. Digital printing technology has been developed by various press manufacturers and is being widely adopted with innovative indulgence.  Label manufacturing is an integral part of print and has also been witnessing growth both in terms of total market as well as in Digital printing of labels. The global market for label printing has been growing steadily in recent times, valuing at $36.98 billion in 2017. As per Smithers Pira the total market of labels is likely to cross 49.9 Billion USD by 2024. According to Finat; 2017 was the first year that, with nearly 300 digital press installations, the volume of newly added digital label presses surpassed that of new conventional label press installed volumes.

While label printers in the western world have been early investors in digital label printing presses yet the Indian printers have been skeptical about the need for this investment in the Indian label production scenario.

The different types of technologies available leave the printers in a confusion as to what is the most appropriate technology that they should invest in. Unlike other conventional printing processes evolution of digital printing has moved into different technical ways of achieving the same goal which is computer to print.
Largely available technologies offered by various manufacturers of digital equipment are as follows;
1.       Dry toner based

2.       Liquid toner based

3.       Inkjet

4.       UV Inkjet

While looking at the selection of digital print process one also needs to decide the finishing of the labels whether they wish to do this inline or offline. Every different short run job maybe of varying shape requiring frequent stops and change of cutting dies.

This substantially reduces press running time and impacts profitability adversely. In such a case it is advisable to finish the labels offline, one offline equipment can free up printing time of multiple presses. Laser die cutting is another option whereby it can handle multiple and frequent job changes without the need for additional dies and machine stoppages, but this calls for a much higher investment in the finishing equipment.  Additionally, one needs to decide with digital, what dpi resolution to go for; does the work need a white ink in one of the printing heads; does the press have an extended color gamut. Press running speeds of all the digital label press technologies vary quite considerably. The printing speed with many short-run job changes is also an important factor for consideration.
Dry Toner based process:

This process is an evolution of the earliest photocopying process known as Xerography invented by Chester Carlson founder of Xerox and converted as Laser printer by Gary Keith Starkweather in 1970s which transformed to digital printing with laser printers also called electrostatic digital printing as we have seen in our offices.

In a laser printer a laser beam runs over an electrically charged drum preparing an electrical image carrying charged areas.  The drum is a cylinder coated with a material that becomes conductive when exposed to light or laser beam. Areas that are not exposed have a high resistance which allows these areas to hold the electrostatic charge necessary for the process. The image then collects the toner and transfers the image to a paper or substrate that is then heated to fuse the image on to it. In traditional xerography the image is formed by reflecting light off an existing document onto the exposed drum which then picks up the toner and transfers the image. Dry toners consist of pigments embedded inside polymer beads. The fusing phase of the electrophotographic process melts the polymer beads to the surface of the paper. These can print on both coated and noncoated papers. Image quality is a complex issue, determined by a combination of hardware, software, consumables and processes. Dry toner is not absorbed by the substrate, it always achieves an optimal optical density as all the ink transferred is adhering on surface. The particle size of the toner has been reduced over the years to achieve fine print results and most equipment are offering prints of 1200 DPI for solids and blends with good color depth and subtle contrasts, ideal to reproduce vibrant images.
Major brands offering dry toner based digital label presses are Xeikon and Konica Minolta.
Liquid Toner based process

Liquid toners also use pigments in polymer beads, but they are dispersed in oil that evaporates during fusing process. Liquid toners are used in digital presses that are typically used for commercial printing on a wide range of coated papers.

Benny Landa an Israeli inventor mentioned above, having to his credit 800 patents produced the first Indigo digital printing press in the early 1990s using liquid toners in a process that was called liquid electrophotography or LEP in his company established in 1977. Landa came to be known as the father of digital printing. The liquid toner used by HP came to be known as ElectroInk, that combines the advantages of electronic printing with the qualities of liquid ink. ElectroInk contains charged pigmented particles in a liquid carrier. The image is created with electrophotographic process on the drum directly from digital data, avoiding the use of any analogue intermediate media. It starts with digitally created pages or print elements containing text, layouts or images. HP Indigo uses a blanket in between to transfer ink from the drum to media. The blanket is heated, melting and blending the ElectroInk particles into a smooth film. This produces an image that is completely defined on the blanket and transferred to the substrate by direct contact. For this reason, it is also referred to as offset digital printing.

Major brand using liquid toner based digital printing process: HP
Inkjet Printing:

Inkjet printing is the oldest of technologies in non-contact printing evolving into digital colour printing commercially. Existing together there are two main inkjet technologies i.e. Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) and drop-on-demand (DOD).

The CIJ method has been in use for ages in which a high-pressure pump directs liquid ink from a reservoir through a gun body and a microscopic nozzle, creating a continuous stream of ink droplets. These droplets are subjected to a varying electrostatic field and then these charged droplets pass through another electrostatic field to deflect them and form characters. The process can be understood by the image reproduced from Wikipedia. The Drop-on-demand (DOD) is divided into thermal DOD and piezoelectric DOD. Most commercial printers use the DOD to print. The large format ones use solvent or water-based inks depending on the equipment and the product. The inks used in digital inkjet label printing presses are water based and formulated with either dyes or pigments. Aqueous inks provide the broadest color gamut and most vivid colors. The water-based inks are inexpensive and may ultimately spell out as the lowest cost print, but some substrates may require specialized coatings as there is an imperative need for the ink droplet to sink straight in and not to smudge or smear. With growing volumes, increased environmental and consumer friendly nature of inks the coated stock prices are likely to become largely affordable making this technology to watch as wider acceptance is envisaged. Such inkjet printers can achieve high resolution of 1600 DPI. Since the start of a new millennium another water-based inkjet technology called Memjet has been evolving. Memjet is used in high speed, full colour printers to give a high-quality print at a very low cost. It uses a fixed print head unlike conventional inkjet printers where the cartridges or head moves back and forth during printing. The Memjet print head is fixed and is of the width of the material it’s printing on enabling edge to edge printing. This way it’s only the material that moves underneath the head as it’s printed.
Major brands using water based digital inkjet printing: Trojan from Astronova, Afina, Colordyne
UV Inkjet Printing

UV inkjet Digital printing is an extension of the inkjet printing that uses ultra-violet light to dry or cure ink. The inks consist mainly of acrylic monomers together with a photo initiator and after printing when exposed to strong UV lamps or in case of specially formulated inks to LED-UV light, the ink is cured by crosslinking.

The ink due to this chemical reaction becomes instantly dried leading to increased printing speeds. The curing process with high power UV exposure for short periods of time (microseconds) allows printing on thermally sensitive substrates like BOPP and PE. Since the ink sits on top of the substrates and neither is dried by evaporation nor by absorption resulting a robust image on a wide range of uncoated substrates. It is the fastest growing sector of digital inkjet printing and more sustainable than conventional printing.
Major brand using digital UV inkjet printing: Canon, Domino, Durst, Epson, Screen, Xeikon

Selecting digital printing equipment for label printing is a complex task depending on the printer’s customer portfolio. It varies on many parameters, like the equipment price, ink price, media cost, media to be printed, consumables cost, speed of machine, resolution required, space and finishing required.

Time is not far when printers will invest in multiple technologies to attain the best of each process and to service a wide array of customers. However to start with the print on demand feature is so very attractive and for short runs it seems to be becoming an absolute necessary at least in case of established printers whose large investments in high end flexo or combination presses gets held up doing shorter runs and taking away valuable production time. Since short run demands from brand owners continue to swell along with need for variable data, it becomes necessary to opt for an offline finishing equipment which does not slow down their printing capabilities.

Most of the leading label press manufacturers have started offering Hybrid machines with combination of Digital and flexo printing capabilities along with decorating and finishing inline. It is not a simple decision to opt for the hybrids.

As mentioned earlier here, it all depends on the portfolio and requirements of individual label printers. It is interesting to note that all hybrid presses with digital capabilities displayed at Labelexpo Europe in September 2019 were fitted with UV inkjet digital presses. Leading press manufacturer who are offering Hybrids of flexo, digital and inline finishing include Gallus, Omet, Mark Andy, Nilpeter and MPS. With environmental concerns, migration of inks and other food or Pharma safety needs, non-waterbased inkjet systems may see more development in future. As of now due to the speed and versatility offered by UV Inkjet coupled with the ability to add additional white and other colours, UV inkjet is the predominantly used technology however investment is high. Therefore, selection of the best suited technology for digital in labels must be as per individual printer’s need and that of their diverse customer mix. It is a competitive time and cost of equipment, cost of consumables and the nature of output is very important to ponder over before finally selecting the first entry into digital.
Written by Harveer Sahni Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited New Delhi November 2019