By Giselle Robeson, senior product marketing manager, Fiery

Industrial printing is rapidly evolving, creating new opportunities across manufacturing sectors, from packaging and labeling to direct-to-object printing and textiles. With the market projected to grow by $95.8 billion between 2023 and 2028, demand for short-run, customizable, and sustainable print solutions is on the rise.

Inkjet manufacturers and integrators are racing to meet this demand, incorporating advanced digital components, automation, and software-driven solutions to make industrial print faster, smarter, and more adaptable. However, bringing digital print solutions to market requires more than just hardware—it demands seamless integration among software, workflow automation, and production processes.

That’s where Fiery innovation is making a difference. Thirty years ago, Fiery helped commercial printers transition from analog to digital. Today, our technology is accelerating the evolution of industrial print, helping manufacturers integrate digital solutions more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Packaging Drives Industrial Print

The shift from high-volume, single-design production to short-run, on-demand, and personalized printing is creating new opportunities for inkjet technology across industrial applications.

Packaging and labeling are at the forefront of this market transformation. Consumers now expect customized, visually striking packaging that aligns with their preferences. Whether it’s variable-data printing (VDP) for personalized labels, tracking codes, or sustainable materials, brands need fast, cost-effective digital solutions to meet evolving demands in industrial printing.

Traditional analog printing struggles with this level of flexibility. Inkjet enables just-in-time production and customization across various substrates, making it a critical tool for today’s manufacturers. As inline and near-line digital printing grows, press manufacturers and integrators are embedding digital capabilities into existing production lines to stay competitive. At the same time, print providers are investing in new technologies to expand services and drive growth.

Addressing Integration Challenges

Despite its potential, integrating digital print into industrial manufacturing presents hurdles. Inkjet equipment vendors face long development cycles bringing new solutions to market, while converters struggle with rising material costs, labor shortages, and the steep learning curve of digital transformation.

Speed to market remains the biggest challenge. Developing a digital inkjet press from the ground up requires workflow automation, software integration, and precise color management. This can be costly, time-consuming, and complex to build internally, delaying product launches and reducing profitability.

For converters transitioning from analog systems, adapting to new software-driven workflows, automation tools, and variable data processing can be overwhelming. Operators accustomed to manual adjustments must learn new digital processes to maintain efficiency.

This is where Fiery innovation makes a difference. With proven market-leading digital front end (DFE) and workflow automation technology, we provide a ready-to-go solution that simplifies integration and accelerates time-to-market for both press manufacturers and converters.

How DFEs Unlock Digital Print Opportunities

Fiery Impress is a turnkey DFE solution designed to help inkjet equipment vendors take full advantage of digital print without the complexities of custom development. Instead of spending months engineering a DFE, vendors can integrate Fiery Impress and be production-ready in weeks.

Fiery Impress automates and optimizes industrial print production, ensuring seamless job management, high-speed data streaming, and advanced color management. This keeps presses running at full capacity while maintaining high-quality output.

Additionally, Fiery Impress integrates with leading industrial print component and workflow providers, like Esko and GIS. This allows manufacturers to fully integrate their workflows from prepress to final production, further reducing development time and enabling vendors to introduce innovative digital printing solutions faster.

For converters, Fiery Impress simplifies digital adoption, making it easier to handle short runs, high-speed VDP, and precise color reproduction. Whether printing on flexible packaging, corrugated materials, labels, or direct-to-object surfaces, Fiery Impress ensures consistent, high-quality results.

Real-World Impact—Digital Label Presses

The impact that technologies like Fiery Impress can have on supercharging digital printing applications is already being seen in the real world. For example, in partnership with Esko, Fiery recently helped Chinese press manufacturer HanGlobal integrate Fiery Impress into their LabStar series of inkjet digital label presses. Fiery Impress unlocks the full power of LabStar, delivering superior automation, color accuracy, and efficiency for digital label printing.

As inkjet technology evolves, Fiery Impress offers a scalable solution that adapts to manufacturers’ needs—whether they’re adding a print bar to an existing line or developing a full inkjet press.

Driving the Future of Industrial Print

Industrial print is entering a new era where on-demand, automated, and customizable inkjet printing is essential to meet evolving market demands. Inkjet equipment vendors are driving innovation, bringing new solutions to market that help print providers capitalize on emerging opportunities.

To stay ahead, press manufacturers and converters must adopt digital solutions that enhance agility, efficiency, and sustainability. With Fiery Impress, inkjet vendors can accelerate development, reducing time-to-market while ensuring seamless integration and optimized performance for their customers.

For companies looking to future-proof their operations, digitally-optimized workflows like Fiery Impress provide scalable, high-performance solutions that help unlock the full potential of digital industrial printing.