Palo Alto, Calif. – HP Indigo digital printing offers better print quality and all-important "shelf impact" for marketers over conventional, analog flexography packaging by a four-to-one margin, according to a recent survey.  

During last month's PACK EXPO in Chicago, 229 show attendees participated in the "Design Challenge" survey, evaluating a pair of four-color labels with identical graphics – one printed on a narrow-web flexographic press and the other printed on an HP Indigo digital press. Eighty-four percent of survey participants stated the HP Indigo-printed label provided greater shelf impact, while 82 percent said the HP Indigo-printed label had higher print quality.

"Digital printing has long provided brand owners with supply-chain and multiple-SKU management advantages compared to analog. This survey shows how HP Indigo digital printing can also offer greater shelf impact and sell-through in consumer product packaging," said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Graphics Solutions Business – Americas, HP.

Survey participants – a mix of packaging industry professionals attending the tradeshow – repeatedly used terms such as "vibrant," "eye catching," and "vivid" to describe their impressions of the HP Indigo-printed label.

Design Challenge survey results

Design Challenge survey results
                          Greater Shelf Impact      Higher Print Quality
HP Indigo-printed label      84.3 percent              82.5 percent
Flexo-printed label          14.4 percent              15.3 percent
No preference               1.3 percent               2.2 percent

The Design Challenge took place on Nov. 1 and 2 in the Brand Zone section of PACK EXPO. The two labels judged in the survey were beverage labels applied to bottles. Neither label had markings to indicate the printing method used, and Doyle researchers rotated the order of the bottles presented in surveys to prevent order bias.

For the survey evaluations, Doyle Research placed the bottles in a light box for better viewing conditions. Survey participants also had the option of viewing the labels through a loupe. HP's logo or branding was not present in the Design Challenge survey space, and HP's exhibit at PACK EXPO was on another floor at the tradeshow.

Hamilton, Ohio, converting firm Innovative Labeling Solutions produced both labels on white BOPP (bi-axially oriented polypropylene) film, with UV gloss varnish applied after printing.

HP Indigo: the packaging industry's leader in digital printing

HP Indigo is the leading digital label and packaging press solution, and one of the top label and packaging press solutions overall. HP Indigo presses help converters and brand owners achieve fast time-to-market, affordable multi-SKU management and cost-effective supply chains for pressure-sensitive labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, shrink sleeves and in-mold labels.

Converters can meet their customers' demanding brand color requirements using HP Indigo presses. No other digital label and packaging printing platform offers HP Indigo's range of PANTONE-licensed color offerings, including true PANTONE-licensed spot-color inks and four-, six- and seven-color PANTONE-licensed spot color emulation.

HP Indigo also is the only digital platform to win major label and packaging quality contests when judged against flexographic and offset printing.