Our previous Corrugated Shopping Guide covered the more extensive menu of Post-Print Corrugated presses on the market today. We noted that most Post Print production, printing directly onto the corrugated board, is done using flexo presses, but many inkjet solutions are currently available and more are anticipated.

This edition of our shopping guide covers the much more limited options for Pre-print presses used for decorated corrugated liners and display graphics. In the Pre-Print approach, the top liner is printed separately, before the corrugating (in which the fluted layer and back liner are added) and all converting operations. The material printed is much thinner and produced on a web press rather than the sheet-fed approach necessary to print on rigid, converted corrugated boards.

This article focuses on pre-print press models, plus a few alternative approaches to the corrugated market.

Pre-print corrugated (liner) presses

HP is currently the only supplier of dedicated preprint inkjet solutions and offers multiple press options described below. With the Inca Digital Printers (recently acquired by Agfa) and BHS Corrugated joint development of an inkjet array for inline digital printing inside a corrugator, another option is on the way. A beta testing site for the Inca/BHS started operating in 2021 and after extensive testing, a release is planned for 2024.

HP Pagewide T470S
Max print width: 1.06m / 42” Aqueous inks: CMYKOV Resolution: 1,200 dpi Speed: up to 183 m/min	The T400 Series is shipping since 2014. The latest generation is the T470S, unveiled in 2021 and available globally. There are 8 installations in operation of the T400S Series. The T400S Series is based on a simplex print engine of the tried & tested T400-Series commercial press, adapted to the use in corrugated pre-print or folding carton including the necessary pre- and postprocessing. The maximum substrate weight of 350 gsm allows for light carton as well. As all the other T-Series models for pre-print corrugated, the T470S sports a 6 ink set for an extended gamut. The 1,200 dpi resolution allows for high-quality prints and replacing offset preprint.
HP Pagewide T700i
Max print width: 1.7m / 67” Aqueous inks: CMYKOV Resolution: 1,200 dpi Speed: up to 305 m/min	T700i is the latest addition to HP’s preprint press line-up. Launched in 2022 it falls in between the T470S and T1195i in terms of widths. It is designed for single-face lamination and corrugation. Substrates from 80 to 250 gsm are supported. Like the T1100-Series, the T700i will be built in partnership with Koenig & Bauer. For the T700i, the first installation is expected in 2024. A version for folding carton with a maximum media weight of up to 500 gsm will be available in the future as well.
HP Pagewide T1195i
Max print width: 2.8m / 110” Aqueous inks: CMYKOV Resolution: 1,200 dpi Speed: up to 305 m/min	With the launch of the T1100 in 2015 it immediately became the most productive solution in inkjet corrugated printing. Further upping speed, the latest version, the T1195i launched in 2021, can print up to 50,000 m² per hour. The size and productivity make the press suitable for the largest corrugated producers. T1195i features the latest version of HPs industrial thermal inkjet heads, which a more robust and result in improved paper handling capabilities as well. With a width of 2.8m the press is suitable even for wide corrugators. Substrates from 80 to 250 gsm are supported. The T1195i is available globally and there are about 10 installations of the T-1100 Series in the field.

The list of inkjet corrugated presses has grown rapidly in recent years. The post-print solutions in the previous article and pre-print presses listed above are the digital printing solutions fitting the corrugated and display market best, but there are alternatives.

Other Options to Consider

The AlphaJet from MGI is now officially launched and could be used for corrugated, however, the very versatile concept of the press makes it more suitable for specialty and industrial applications – it would need an adapted feeder and delivery to make it useful for corrugated as well.

A lower priced alternative to the models above are scanning head flatbed large format printers, which can and are producing corrugated print as well. The possible volumes are much lower however and they are typically used for mock-ups, samples or runs of a few dozen sheets.

We have not seen the end of innovation here. Fujifilm announced a press for display graphics jointly developed with Barberan. Other suppliers are tipped to enter the inkjet corrugated market in the future as well.

This Shopping Guide is intended to give a rough overview of the devices available. You can find more press details in the Inkjet Insight Device Finder and in our dedicated Labels & Packaging department.