The future of labeling will be characterized by many trends. In addition to many of the hot topics of 2025 – such as sustainability, regulations, and workforce concerns – brands will be front and center. Brands are increasingly requiring greater quality and quicker turnaround times than ever before. Plus, the influx of small brands – along with major brands offering numerous varieties (SKUs) – will lend itself to digital printing.

Such was the case at Labelexpo Americas, as visitors sought ways to automate, digitalize, and streamline their label printing operations.

“We met many label converters looking for new technology to advance production efficiency with a desire to automate as much of the print process as possible,” remarks Steve Lynn, director of Labels and Packaging, Durst. “There was a lot of interest in new digital technologies that advance automation and help reduce staffing challenges that are being seen industry wide. Converters of all sizes had the same question, ‘How do we reduce lead times, automate as much of the process from file receipt to shipping labels, reduce waste and reduce labor in every step of production?’ The future of the industry will be shaped by some of the new digital technologies that offer solutions to these needs that were seen at the show.

“In the months since Labelexpo, we have seen a lot of investment in new 1200dpi print technology, and we expect that trend to continue given the success that our new and long-term users are having,” adds Lynn. “We have seen particular interest from those converters that previously did not feel that inkjet offered the quality they were used to from flexo and toner for prime label. They all recognized that Durst 1200dpi inkjet has helped level the playing field.”

The feedback at Labelexpo Americas illustrated the fututre of the industry, which has already been on display in the early days of 2025. Durst is seeing demand for these new technologies, and expects that to become the norm going forward.

“2025 has started strong, and we expect to continue addressing requests for higher automation, less waste, and reduced labor, and this continues to be a focus,” says Lynn.  “We do expect that due to the amount of investment we have seen in 1200 dpi inkjet, that investment in this technology will continue to grow as more and more converters supply work to their customers using this technology.  Some converters who have not upgraded technology for some time may need to respond those investments to deliver the same quality and efficiency to their customers, in the same timeframe.  We do see AI as a technology that got major interest last year, we look forward to rolling Hawk AI out to our customer base to keep pushing the capabilities of Durst technology.”

While digital label printing has been the go-to for converters looking to meet these turnaround times with lower waste and faster setup setup times, flexo still serves as a complementary technology. With both technologies operating a piece of the packaging landscape, hybrid label printing has become ever more popular. According to Lynn, hybrid is poised to make major inroads in 2025 and beyond.

“Hybrid has been around for some time, but recent developments with a 1200 dpi inkjet engine in hybrid configurations has advanced speed and quality while lowering ink consumption and cost,” explains Lynn. “These improvements in the latest generation of hybrid presses have accelerated interest and adoption of hybrid technology.  Durst’s true native 1200dpi hybrids deliver exceptional quality at speeds up to 328 fpm. This has advanced converters’ ability to move more work to inkjet hybrid from flexo.”

To meet this demand, Durst has launched the Kjet, which is a fully integrated digital/flexo/finishing hybrid that offers converters the ability to do short-, medium-,  and long-run work more profitably and also expand into markets like shrink with all of the advantages that high speed 1200 dpi digital has to offer. 

“Lots of early hybrids were collaborations between digital and finishing companies, each taking responsibility for their part of the hybrid with limited integration,” notes Lynn. “The latest technology, like Durst Kjet, has the highest level of integration possible to allow seamless production and precise control of the entire print and finishing process in one pass.”

Automation is now a hallmark of every step of production. “We are seeing our software automation make file preparation, color management, variable data, and workflow –  from file receipt to print – more efficient,” states Lynn. “On-press, in hybrid format, we see major advancements in automation with print, embellishment, diecutting, and finishing – all inline. In roll-to-roll format, we see technologies like Hawk AI automate operator functions to reduce job setup time, reduce waste, and maintain print quality at the highest levels with minimal operator intervention. Durst KJet Hybrid and Hawk AI print production automation were received very well by visitors to our booth and showed that Durst is providing solutions beyond just speed and quality; we are working to address the needs of our customers.”