| > | | | | or $2.00 per label. |
| | | | Digital label printing eliminates the need for plates, along |
| Digital label printing for short runs offers an advantage | | | | with plate costs. Press set-up time takes roughly 15 |
| over flexographic printing because it has faster turn | | | | minutes and registration uses approximately 20 feet of |
| times, eliminates costly plate and die charges, and | | | | material. New technology in die cutting eliminates dies |
| produces a higher quality. | | | | and tooling charges. The cost is approximately $200 |
| Packaging label distributors and end users are | | | | for 1,000 labels or $.20 per label. Therefore, digital label |
| switching from flexographic label printing for short runs | | | | printing offers a significant opportunity for distributors to |
| in favor of a more cost-effective solutiondigital label | | | | sell with higher margins. |
| printing. | | | | Digital label printing and cutting is more precise and |
| Why? | | | | more versatile |
| Digital label printing is cheaper, more flexible, and | | | | Digital label printing has faster set-up times and utilizes |
| produces astounding results. | | | | UV inkjet printing technology with coating and |
| Although flexographic label printing has been the | | | | overlaminate capabilities. Digital cutting systems cut the |
| workhorse for the packaging label manufacturing | | | | most intricate shapes imaginable with exacting |
| industry for years, and is still the preferred choice for | | | | precision. This lets distributors provide custom labels on |
| long runs (exceeding 15,000 feet of material), digital | | | | a scale like never before! |
| label printing surpasses it for short runs. And with digital | | | | Customer artwork can be sent directly to the press |
| label printing equipment technology advancing quickly, | | | | without making plates. In addition, digital label printing has |
| digital label printing is growing in preference to | | | | near photographic quality and outstanding color |
| flexographic label printing. | | | | reproduction. This is because digital printing delivers a |
| Digital label printing costs outshines flexographic label | | | | higher line-screen than traditional flexographic printing |
| printing costs | | | | — typically 360 dpi for digital compared to 300 |
| Flexographic label printing uses a form of rotary web | | | | dpi for flexographic. The results are noticeable in the |
| letterpress that requires artwork output to film and | | | | quality of detail in the final product. Admittedly, |
| uses plates and dies. So for a 4-color process | | | | flexographic label printing is still the better option than |
| flexographic printing run of say, 1,000 labels, | | | | digital label printing for long label runs. But even this is |
| you’ll pay about $400 for the plates, $500 for | | | | dwindling as digital press capabilities improve. I predict |
| the dies, and use up around 2,000 feet of material for | | | | that in the next 5 years, digital label printing will |
| registration. Plus it takes 3-4 hours of press set-up | | | | compete head to head with flexographic label printing. |
| time. The total cost adds up to approximately $2,000, | | | | |