In this article from the Printing & Manufacturing Journal, Nessan Cleary reports from the MetPack trade fair in Essen, Germany, which covers the metal decorating industry, and discusses the latest in direct-to-can printing technologies. Read More
There were few converters in Europe purchasing an HP Indigo V12 that were purely digital operations—they’re mostly converters moving work from flexo to digital because of the overall efficiency digital adds to their production floor. In the case of LABEL!STEN, a purely digital converter, they made the purchase decision because they were always 100% digital and knew that with the HP Indigo V12 they could produce a range of larger and smaller volumes much faster, and more sustainably. Read More
Let’s celebrate the good things! By donating 35,000 bag labels, Wise helped collect nearly 40,000 in food donations for people in need in the Minneapolis, Minn. area. Read More
Held every three years in Düsseldorf, Germany, interpack is one of the world’s leading trade fairs for the packaging and processing industry. WhatTheyThink contributor Oleg Litvinov reports from this year’s event, which was held May 7–13. Read More
Discover HanGlobal's newly launched LabStar 330mini digital label press! Get the full show roundup to see how this ultra-integrated, high-performance inkjet solution captured the crowd's attention and redefined narrow-web printing. Learn More
Leverage 30+ years of plant-floor expertise. Trusted by 700+ packaging manufacturers globally to reduce waste, optimize scheduling, and drive digital transformation. One unified foundation. Eight packaging-native pillars. Zero fragmentation. Learn More
In this article from the Printing & Manufacturing Journal, Nessan Cleary reports from the MetPack trade fair in Essen, Germany, which covers the metal decorating industry, and discusses the latest in direct-to-can printing technologies. Read More
There were few converters in Europe purchasing an HP Indigo V12 that were purely digital operations—they’re mostly converters moving work from flexo to digital because of the overall efficiency digital adds to their production floor. In the case of LABEL!STEN, a purely digital converter, they made the purchase decision because they were always 100% digital and knew that with the HP Indigo V12 they could produce a range of larger and smaller volumes much faster, and more sustainably. Read More
Let’s celebrate the good things! By donating 35,000 bag labels, Wise helped collect nearly 40,000 in food donations for people in need in the Minneapolis, Minn. area. Read More
Held every three years in Düsseldorf, Germany, interpack is one of the world’s leading trade fairs for the packaging and processing industry. WhatTheyThink contributor Oleg Litvinov reports from this year’s event, which was held May 7–13. Read More
Labor shortages continue to challenge print and packaging providers, driving the need for more accessible, efficient production. Digital technologies that simplify operation, reduce setup time, and rely on automation help companies maintain productivity, expand hiring flexibility, and build more resilient workflows in a constrained labor environment. Read More
Label printing doesn’t feature prominently in discussions about the digital transformation or the future of the printed page. Even so, it is one of the most consistently active segments in the broader printing landscape. This article explores the evolving factors that make label printing worth a closer look. Read More
Hanway hosted 200 global industry leaders at its 2026 Huizhou Digital Factory Open Day on April 16-17. The event featured live demonstrations of advanced water-based inkjet solutions, highlighting high-quality, efficient digital packaging capabilities and cementing Hanway's role as a strategic industry partner. Read More
Since the beginning of our post-COVID world, the printing industry has been undergoing a structural shift. Office printing has declined, commercial printing has plateaued, and OEMs across the industry are searching for the next area of growth in response. For many, packaging has become that area. This article explores packaging’s appeal and discusses the complexities of the three OEM worlds that are simultaneously entering the packaging market. Read More
In this article, provided courtesy of PostPress magazine, Erin Judge looks at how and why companies increasingly are investing in anti-counterfeit packaging technologies—including embellishment technologies like foils and films. Read More
Up 2 Speed Printing evolved from a small garage operation into a growing packaging producer serving food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic markets. Strategic investment in Komori offset and LED-UV technology has increased production efficiency, reduced waste, and positioned the company for continued expansion in folding carton manufacturing. Read More
From December 2 to December 5, 2025, the largest dedicated labels and package printing event in the region was held in Shanghai, China, attracting over 30,560 visitors from 114 countries. WhatTheyThink contributor Oleg Litvinov attended the show, and sums up the digital label printing equipment on display, as well as the expanding market for digital labels. Read More
Shifting consumer market demands and supply chain challenges are changing the way that CPGs are looking at their manufacturing lines. Their goal is modular and super flexible. That includes product decoration—i.e., labeling. Ultimately, they need marketing and manufacturing to close the loop with each other on what the marketing efforts are and the actual manufacturing ability is. Read More
Ready for some good news? Sustainable packaging has moved from a nice talking point to a real, monetizable premium. That shift isn't just about swapping substrates. It's about understanding which groups of consumers will pay more, how much more they'll pay, and where printers can reasonably charge for added value. Heidi Tolliver-Walker looks at the numbers. Read More
In this article, provided courtesy of PostPress magazine, Erin Judge explores how the increasing demand for environmentally conscious packaging solutions is making waves across the entire supply chain—raising critical questions about responsibility, collaboration and clarity. Read More
The ultimate goal of dappas is to help facilitate design and eliminate the entire prepress production, so all the converters who are working with them get a stream of work that is ready to go to press and converting. Read More
As commercial print volumes decline, folding carton packaging offers a powerful path forward. Commercial printers can repurpose existing sheetfed offset equipment to enter a sustainable, high-demand market. This article explores the opportunity, real-world success stories, and Komori’s solution-first strategy to support a seamless transition. Read More
Canadian company Rootree has been involved in flex pack for about 16 years and among the foundation players in digital flex pack. Today, digitally printed flex pack runs are increasing in size challenging the established business requirements. While there are many challenges and ways to address them, Rootree is addressing many of them, and one of them by opening a facility in the US. Read More
Heidi Tolliver-Walker takes a look at Esko’s 2026 Packaging Trends report, which identifies three forces reshaping packaging: sustainability, smart packaging driven by regulations like the Digital Product Passport, and the rapid rise of agentic AI. Read More
From its founding in 2015, Hanway now reaches the 2025 mark of its first decade—a journey defined by relentless development—unwavering in its mission: to lead the manufacturing of digital printing solutions for the packaging industry. Read More
Generally, print and especially packaging will continue to grow as long as there is economic growth. However, all labels and all packaging are not equal, and as a result the opportunities, trends, and technologies can differ, affecting margin and volume growth. While digital package printing provide many opportunities for higher margins and growth and ease of operation, it still faces lower productivity, higher costs for traditional runs, and some substrate limitations as it competes with digitalized flexo and offset. Read More
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is a game-changer. It offers opportunities to enhance creativity, efficiency, and precision in the execution of packaging projects, reshaping the landscape. Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee show you where to start. Read More
Cary Sherburne rounds up some of the latest trends and data regarding packaging sustainability—and consumers’ perceptions of and attitudes to sustainable packaging. Read More
Our discussions with converters, suppliers, and industry leaders at Labelexpo Europe uncovered both optimism and hesitation about the future, but one thing became abundantly clear: waiting on digital in package printing is no longer an option. This article provides a brief overview of what we heard during our discussions at the show as well as our opinions about their potential implications. Read More
At drupa, Canon teased their early development of a digital corrugated press. It’s no longer a tease, and at the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) biennial event, Canon introduced their rumored corrugated press, this time with details. Considering the amount of time digital corrugated presses have been available, you would have expected that adoption would be much higher than the few hundred installed globally today. Canon is looking to change that with the CORRPRESS IB17. Read More
Labelexpo has been evolving for years to better reflect the market and importantly the converter and exhibitor preferences. Initially, the extension brought flex pack to the event, and this year was also saw some folding carton solutions. While many service providers were selling print and packaging and therefore purchasing consumables and software solutions, between the confusing tariff situation and multiple conflict zones, they were holding back on equipment purchases. Based on the discussions with many exhibitors at Labelexpo, that may be changing. Read More
New book “Empire of Ink” is a look at the history and mythology of the American newspaper. A hacked smart lightbulb provides access to banned books. A digital archive reassembles Leonardo da Vinci’s long-cut-apart notebooks. Michelangelo’s secret underground hiding place—complete with the artist’s graffiti. Marie Antoinette may have been history’s first influencer. A worn copy of a 1912 pulp magazine featuring Tarzan sold at auction for $58,560. New book, “The Graphene Handbook - Making Sense of Graphene at Its Inflection Point.” Visa is integrating its payment network into ChatGPT, which should be fun. A humanoid robot plans to climb Everest. A designer who specializes in chairs without legs. Did a flying monk see Halley’s Comet…twice? The British geologist whose goal was to eat as many different animals as he possibly could. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
