It came as no surprise to see the strong presence of digital press technology last week at Labelexpo. It’s the hottest topic in the industry, and many converters who I spoke with prior to the show were eager to see not only what’s new, but what can best meet their needs and fits within their budget.

Once again, HP had the largest exhibit at Labelexpo (it also had the largest at drupa), and its booth was crowded throughout the three days. During the show, multiple sales were announced of the new HP Indigo 8000, namely to CCL, Advanced Labels NW and Quality Tape & Label. When equipped with inline finishing, it’s a massive machine, the 8000, far and away the biggest digital label press on the market. Adopters of the technology must have both the physical room for it as well as the right book of business to feed it.

Clearly, the HP Indigo 8000 is not for everyone, especially a first time digital press buyer, I would think. (Though due to it being positioned as an alternative to flexo, I suppose one can make a case for it.) I don’t know how much exactly the press costs, but I have an idea. Breaking into digital with a top-of-the-line, toner-based press is a significant investment. And advancements in inkjet technology over the last few years have numerous inkjet press manufacturers positioned as a viable – and in many cases cheaper – alternative.

With digital printing, in addition to the press itself, an investment may involve the added expense of acquiring new finishing equipment, the construction of a climate-controlled digital pressroom, and then there are consumables costs to consider. Entering the digital label arena for the first time is more daunting than ever for today’s small to medium sized label business. Not only are there more vendor choices than ever, but also the notion that you need a digital solution to effectively take on short run markets is evermore present.

One of my main takeaways from Labelexpo Americas 2016 has to do with digital press exhibitors being both transparent and catering to cost-conscious, first-time, entry-level digital press buyer. I don’t recall a Labelexpo where price was discussed so openly. (This was my 7th Labelexpo). While tabletop digital printer suppliers like Primera and Allen Datagraph have for a long time advertised how much their devices cost, in the “production class” digital press sector that hasn’t been the case.

Last week, we saw some big-name exhibitors boldly announcing what it costs to enter the digital label market with their respective presses. This points to an awareness of the crowded marketplace and also the trepidation of the cost-concious first time buyer.

For example:

Mark Andy at Labelexpo launched its Digital One, an entry-level, toner-based digital press with inline converting and finishing. Positioned as an ideal solution to introduce digital printing to any business, the press offers 4-color CMYK printing at a 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution on a pay-as-you-go model. The 13″ wed width Digital One features a single, servo-driven flexo station for in-line converting and decorating and reaches printing speeds of 63 fpm (19m/m) on various substrates including PS paper and film, unsupported paper and tag stocks. The flexo station offers capabilities to spot color, varnish, laminate, and cold foil with in-line finishing offering diecutting, stripping and slitting capabilities.

According to Mark Andy, the cost of the Digital One is less than $300K, and multiple orders were taken at the show.

At the Epson booth, in big and bold letters that read “Staring at $185K,” the company promoted its SurePress L-4033AW digital press with MicroPiezo inkjet technolog. The L-4033A has a six-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Orange and Green), industrial-quality, water-based ink set. The L-4033AW includes a seventh white ink to a print transparent ‘no-label look’ labels, as well as metallic-type labels frequently used in the cosmetic and health and beauty markets. Driving this inkjet technology are the included RIP and color management tools from Wasatch and X-Rite. The Wasatch SoftRIP provides intuitive workflow controls and the X-Rite photospectrometer bundle allows for the creation of custom ICC profiles per selected substrates, ensuring consistent and repeatable printing results. The Epson SurePress also delivers on substrate versatility with no pre-treatment or top coating required, and a variety of standard off-the-shelf substrates can be used at variable web widths up to 13″.

At Labelexpo, Durst launched in the Americas its Tau 330E, a digital UV inkjet label press printing 8″ or 13″ widths in four or five colors at speeds of up to 157 fpm and resolution of up to 1,260dpi. The system has been engineered with particular attention to equipment cost, while maintaining the speed and quality of the flagship Tau 330 press. By reducing the amount of colors from seven in the original Tau 330, Durst is able to offer a more economical model. The cost? Less than $400K.

Hampshire Label, the label and packaging division of New Jersey Business Forms, pucrhsed a Durst Tau 330E during Labelexpo. “With the Durst Tau 330E, the speed, color fidelity, and the 13″ wide web width really stood out for us,” said co-owner Andrew Harnett. “We like being one of the first adopters of this machine in the US. We didn’t want to get into any proprietary material requirements, and we wanted to avoid pre-coating of stocks if possible. So the Tau 330E was a great solution for us.”

Harnett said the acquisition of the Tau 330E opens opportunities for robust growth. “We are going after new markets, growing our presence in the label industry,” he said. “We have a strong background of work, but we’re definitely looking for new, organic growth. We’re excited to have an opportunity to build more direct sales. We recognize the value there because we’ve seen and been able to grow on trade-only business for years.

I think a shift in supplier transparency is a refreshing approach. And in light of the all the competition, it’s also helpful and appreciated.