How to choose the right inkjet printing for label printing?
Time:2024-07-11
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Digital printing has become an established technology in label printing. Due to the smaller format of labels relative to other packaging printing, the higher percentage of short runs than other packaging markets, and the fact that substrates are often easier to handle, labels have become a big business for digital printing, and almost all digital presses can produce pressure-sensitive labels.
However, paper-based feeds are time-consuming, the choice of substrates is limited and subsequent handling is more complex. Despite continued investment in label presses, the total share of all pressure-sensitive labels printed digitally is still relatively small, accounting for just over 6% of all print. There is no shortage of specialized label press suppliers. More than 30 vendors offer label presses, often with multiple models. The choice can be confusing compared to other packaging markets.
Electrostatic imaging (EP) printers have been involved in labeling since the 1990s, both with liquid and dry toner technology. The technology got off to an early start, but until today only a handful of manufacturers offer full-production EP presses, while inkjet options have sprung up. Nevertheless, according to IT Strategies, inkjet accounts for only 20% of digitally printed label volume, although this share is expected to grow.
Initially, inkjet grew in compact press designs and fast print speeds, but offered lower quality. However, quality has improved significantly in recent years. Considerations when choosing an imaging technology include:
Inkjet prints significantly faster, for a similar amount of investment; EP tends to have finer detail and smoother transitions, especially compared to 600 dpi inkjet. With higher resolution printheads, the difference is minimal; UV inkjet has a glossy appearance, which may be desirable for some applications but may be unacceptable for others; UV inkjet creates a raised surface that can have a tactile effect, whereas aqueous and toner prints are essentially flat; inks are more abrasion- and chemical-resistant than toner (except for Xeikon‘s new UV-hardened TITON toner); some substrates are better suited to toner and some are better suited to inkjet; inkjet presses are simpler to build and usually require less maintenance than toner presses.
Comparing costs can be a contentious issue. Some EP presses have a click-through model, while inkjet inks are usually charged on a per-consumption basis. Comparing prices per liter of ink is not helpful, as ink consumption for a given image can vary from device to device.
Inkjet label presses range from the smallest desktop models to full hybrid lines, making comparisons difficult. The choice of inkjet presses allows stores to start small and grow with demand, even for newcomers to label production or producers of goods that are starting to print. Established label printers may want to take over some short-run jobs from an analog press and need the productivity of a high-volume or hybrid press. Higher-end presses also tend to be cheaper to run.
In any case, there is no best technology and it all depends on the application requirements. Some printing companies use multiple technologies to provide the best solution.
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