As an institution in the digital label printing arena, HP is keeping close tabs on the latest trends impacting the industry. From customization and fast turnaround times to sustainability, digital printing remains poised to grow in adoption among label converters.

With more SKUs on crowded shelves than ever before, differentiation will help brands thrive. Brands are also experimenting with packaging more than ever before, which is advantageous for the digital label converter.

“Without a doubt, the biggest overarching trend driving the market and growth of digital print is mass versioning – the ability to offer high-margin seasonal and special event goods,” explains Haim Levit, senior vice president and general manager, HP Industrial Print. “Consumers are seeking tailored products and prioritizing experiences over products. Think about the number of FMCG – such as dairy or beer – products on the shelf today compared to 10 years ago. Brands are adapting not just to preferences but also to behaviors as the lines between digital and physical become blurred. In this landscape, print jobs are getting shorter and brands are changing their designs much more frequently.”

From the brand to the consumer, sustainability is making its mark on the label and packaging space. While this trend has ebbed and flowed in recent years, consumers have made it clear that sustainability is a priority in their product purchases. In fact, the data shows that a strong segment of the population is willing to pay more for brands that align themselves with the environment.

“As we move into 2023, converters and brands are looking to deliver end-to-end solutions with a lower environmental impact,” comments Levit. “This includes eliminating excess packaging waste by printing only what volume is needed when it is need, sourcing of environmentally friendly materials, using lower energy print technology, and a focus on the ability of the printed product to meet circular packaging standards. Right now, the ongoing energy crises is forcing business to save on costs, and many PSPs are realizing the energy-saving advantages of moving from flexo to digital print.”

HP has prioritized a leadership position on sustainability. All HP digital presses have been designed to integrate sustainable solutions at every step, from design through production to recycling at the end of life. HP’s equipment has been manufactured carbon neutral, but the presses also reducing production waste, increasing energy efficiency, supporting eco-certified materials, and meeting circular packaging and food packaging regulations.  

“We design our presses to print on recycled, recyclable, or compostable media and employ technologies like mechanical recycling, wash-off and deinking,” notes Levit.

According to Levit, automation and agile supply chains will continue to fuel the growth and demand for digital. Plus, digital technologies, which include automation, should play a factor in attracting the next-generation workforce.

HP has emerged as a leader in workflow automation end-to-end capabilities with plug and play integration that increases front-end and back-end efficiency. The company’s cloud based- production management system, HP Site Flow, digitizes and standardizes processes for efficient operation. It is been optimized by AI for increased productivity, and interconnects with both suppliers and customers to ensure flexible, agile and efficient inventory management throughout the supply chain, as well.

“As the economy is facing a slowdown, which is further exacerbated by labor shortages and lingering supply chain issues, we are seeing the rise of glocalization – in which international brands are seeking on-shore production closer to the point of consumption to save on expensive shipping costs,” says Levit. “Because HP has the largest installed base of digital label presses worldwide, it is easy for brands to replicate their label requirements consistently around the world.

“Plus, the need to adopt supply chain efficiencies is also giving rise across all industries to automation,” he adds. “The ability to stay competitive and relevant in the global ecommerce market hinges on print service providers’ ability to be fast and flexible, without increasing operational costs. One of the most effective ways to do this is by adopting workflow automation tools, and we see major international companies are investing billions of dollars in automation. This same is true for industrial print.”

HP’s technology has been optimized for all the latest trends. The new HP Indigo V12, the company’s next generation label press, is one of the largest investments HP has made in recent years to help converters become even more flexible and productive. The launch has generated “incredible excitement and momentum in the industry,” says Levit, which was especially noticeable at Labelexpo Americas.

The HP Indigo V12 was designed for converters looking to compete in the areas of mass versioning, fast delivery and sustainability. With the press, the benefits of digital print are being extended to longer runs while maintaining print quality and optimizing the production floor.

“We knew that the market was highly anticipating the release of the Indigo V12, but to see the reaction of our customers in-person when they witness the outstanding productivity, versatility and unmatched quality has been nothing short of remarkable,” remarks Levit. “Based on our novel LEPx technology, the press outperforms the market’s best existing narrow-web digital press, printing up to 120 m/m and will continue to transform the market with its 4-5X greater speed and efficiency, accelerating the growth of the label and packaging industry.”

In the future, HP’s technology will allow label converters expand into new growth areas such as shrink sleeve printing or flexible packaging. Earlier in 2022, ePac Flexible Packaging purchased the largest single order of flexible packaging presses in HP Indigo’s history.

“In contrast to the label market, flexible packaging has traditionally been dominated by large converters focused on producing high volumes through long runs,” explains Levit. “They have high minimum order thresholds and delivery can take weeks. However, the advancement of digital print has created an untapped market of small and medium size brands to enter the marketplace with short runs, no minimum order threshold, and fast turnaround times. Innovative label converters have identified this untapped market and used their digital experience and Indigo solutions to address the needs of these small and medium brands causing flexible packaging to become one of the newest and fastest growing subsections of the packaging industry in recent years. 

“What’s truly exciting is that Indigo and ePac have opened up opportunities for start-ups and small businesses to bring their goods to market with the same high-quality packaging used by large consumer goods manufacturers,” he adds. “Our solutions allow small orders of flexible packaging that were previously unavailable to start-ups. We’re very proud to be enabling new businesses, especially during challenging economic times.”