By Nick Kirby

My great grandfather, Thomas Kirby, once said: “Wisdom lies not in regretting the inevitable, but in adapting oneself to the altered condition of things.” He printed this statement in his publication, “Saddlery and Harness”, in response to the uproar from his readers after the first car was seen in Walsall, UK, in 1896. The internal combustion engine was perceived as the beginning of the end for the local allied horse trades and consequently his readers wanted to destroy its threat to protect their equine-related businesses. Thomas was a brave man to challenge his customers’ cynicism by urging them to change!

In many ways I relate Thomas’ statement to the digital world we live in today as it has challenged traditional analog methods. From smartphones to the Internet and Amazon, we have witnessed dramatic change in the last 25 years or so as a result of digitized technologies.

Buying a digital printer is not like buying early cars where the choice in 1896 was very limited. Manufacturers, brave enough to invest the vast sums required for the R&D to develop the latest digital print technologies, have been met with trepidation from potential buyers of their equipment due to a history of failed or unstable installations. This has not been good for the future confidence of digital in the corrugated sector, but the tide is turning.

So, which digital print machine do I buy? Despite the technology’s relative infancy, the choice of digital printers is already so widespread that you have to understand every detail of what you are buying before making a decision. Getting it wrong is likely to be very costly! Consequently, let’s start by looking at the platform technologies in brief.

Platform Technologies

Multi-Pass

These machines were developed specifically for the large-format signage and POS sectors and they have played a big part in the demise of new ultra large format litho machine installations. Typically, the most modern multi-pass machines will happily run at between 500 and 1,000 m²/hour using UV inks at very high quality.

Single-Pass Sheetfed

These state-of-the-art, high-volume production machines use single-pass technology where the sheet passes under the print heads once and is finished. More suited to packaging and long run POS specifications, the print quality is slightly lower than their multi-pass brothers, but with output at between 5,000 to 7,000 m²/hour, it is good enough to challenge mid-quantity, high-quality post print (HQPP) and litho laminated alternatives. Machines are available with UV, water-based, or hybrid inks.

Web Digital

Wide web digital (2.8m) is the Formula 1 for digital print output at over 25,000 m²/hour, but maybe controversially, I do not see pre-printed web digital reels being aligned with the corrugating process. Using water-based inks, this impressive marvel of innovation meets its nemesis when introduced to a corrugator where the manufacturing principles have ostensibly remained the same for over 100 years. Steam, heat, pressure, and waste are all enemies of digital, so I relate it to putting a Ferrari engine in a Model T Ford—surely, somewhat futile on compatibility grounds! Corrugator technology has to evolve to unlock the pinnacle of opportunity that digital brings.  

Inks

Sustainability will be the focus for generations to come, but how does this influence which machine you should purchase? UV ink facilitates a more stable control of the equipment during printing but it is carcinogenic and not suitable for direct food contact packaging, although in some cases it is food-compliant for secondary packaging. There is also an inherent odor with UV ink, it is glossy, and I’m not so sure these factors will be tolerated in the market for the long term. UV ink for display products is widely accepted and does not pose the same concerns.

Nevertheless, water-based ink technologies are developing rapidly but the machinery to cater for the deliverance and drying of the ink is more complex and expensive. Despite water-based inks being less expensive than UV inks, the energy required to dry them at high speed can be alarming. So, weighing up the many pros and cons of water-based or UV technology before investing is critical to the market you are most focused to serve in the longer term.

Adding Value

Having purchased your new asset, requiring the forethought and vision to upsell digital capabilities are fundamental to success. Make no mistake: digital is not a replacement for your existing HQPP or litho processes, rather a complementary addition to your sales weaponry that will give newfound opportunity.

More often than not, multiple prints for traditional corrugated packaging, e-commerce packs, personalization needs, print-on-demand, and greater consumer interaction are all areas that can be serviced by digital more efficiently than traditional analog. Nonetheless, creating such a solution to generate greater consumer demand through the print innovation should never be undersold. After all, digital has provided the opportunity that would otherwise have been missed. It is for this reason that commoditized pricing for digital should not be driven by the misguided strategy for it to replace traditional analog print.

Sales Know How

Knowing your target markets and understanding the foibles of digital are fundamental to the successful development of hitherto untapped opportunities. An analog mindset has no place in the digital world, so understanding where each technology prevails is a good place to start. But never discount analog from being a positive contributor to your digital journey. Mixing analog and digital technologies can often provide the ultimate solution; for instance, an e-commerce box could have litho lamination on one side and then the personalized, interactive, or topical subject matter digitally printed on the inside. Voila! The best of both worlds working in harmony to provide a value-added solution.

Nonetheless, be aware because digital ink costs can disproportionately skew the ability for it to compete with analog. This can be problematic at enquiry stage where ink coverage on a litho laminated specification doesn’t impact the unit cost whether it is 25% coverage or 100% coverage, but digital ink does. This then gives a problem right back at enquiry stage where more often than not, ink coverage is not known for a printed box and therefore the commercial offering is wisely based on 100% coverage unless the artwork is existing. Clearly then, estimating all digital specifications at 100% ink coverage is going to prevent it replacing analog even before the full artwork facts are known!

The solution here is to re-educate the individuals and processes that take place pre-press. For instance, packaging sales representatives, brand owners, buyers, artwork creators, and marketers need to understand that digital price sensitivity can often be impacted by poor forethought. It is for this reason that all parties must be aligned to maximize the digital advantage.

The Consumer

Notwithstanding the above considerations, do not underestimate the power of the consumer. The need for sustainability, waste reduction, greater product knowledge, interaction, convenience, and brand recognition in packaging are all demands that we see being driven by the consumer. Digital print on corrugated satisfies all of these trends and it is here to stay!

Getting Digital with drupa cube

From April 20th to 28th 2021, the drupa cube provides a broad spectrum of highly relevant content that is motivating, stimulating, and interactive for visitors thanks to the various talk formats. World-renowned speakers are set to create a buzz with a visionary range of topics—amongst them Wall Street bestselling-author Michael Gale. With The Digital Helix. Transforming your organization's DNA to thrive in the Digital Age, Michael Gale has written a guide for decision-makers who want to bring their company into line with digital business models. Gale's book has become an international best-seller. Top brands use his company Inc.digital’s digital helix algorithm to accurately place their marketing and sales investments in digitization projects. The drupa cube looks at the future of the industry and offers concrete recommendations for activities that will secure a successful digital management as well as important background information on how to take the plunge into digital management.

About the Author

Nick Kirby is a 40-year veteran of the corrugated packaging industry, forging a career that encompasses production, sales, and general management. From 1979 to 1998, he progressed from a shop floor operative to Managing Director of Kirby Cartons plc. Upon acquisition of the business in 1998, Nick led the Rexam plc and latterly SCA Packaging Midlands Speciality Divisions. He established Swanline Print in 2001 with his brother and brother-in-law as a specialist services and manufacturer to the corrugated packaging and display sectors. Nick is now Chief Executive of Swanline Group, a vertically integrated business incorporating Swanline Print and Swanline Paper and Board. Nick founded an independent sheet-feeder, CorrBoard UK with a consortium of Sheet Plants to establish the UK’s first conglomerate owned sheet board manufacturer in the UK. The Swanline companies and other strategically aligned investments are now recognised for being at the forefront of technological innovation in the materials, packaging, signage, and display markets.