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Needed: Quick Turn Labels—A Trio of OEMs Share What to Expect in Label Printing Trends

Demand for fast-turn and short-run labels went up during and after the pandemic, but employment and consumables problems tempered what could have been a boon for label printers and label equipment vendors. Contributor Mark Vruno looks at where we stand today.

Monday, May 16, 2022

If not for persistent labor issues, COVID-19 could have been a boon for label printing as well as for the manufacturers selling equipment that prints labels.

As the global population was forced to hunker down at home in 2020 and 2021, many shopped online for “nicer,” specialty items—from coffee and food to shampoo, according to Todd Blumsack, labels/packaging director for digital printer manufacturer Xeikon America. These products need labels printed mostly in short-run lengths on digital machines.

Despite its obvious downsides, “the pandemic has helped our capital equipment sales and recurring revenue,” Blumsack said. “We had a good year in 2021—stronger [financially] than we had anticipated. Our warehouse was busier than we thought it would be.”


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About Mark Vruno

A creative business/technical writer and skilled editor with proven success in multiple facets of internal and external corporate and high-technology public relations. Specialties: A seasoned communication professional with extensive experience planning and executing marketing and business-to-business communications.

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