Not long ago, we made a preliminary industry summary of the just-ended 2023 and discovered a very interesting thing. We collected several packaging bag production companies that we are familiar with and made a simple summary of their sales. We found that the sales of digital printing orders of these companies are increasing year by year:
The authority of this data is definitely insufficient, but from the three-year data of these companies, we can roughly see that the market share of digital printing in the packaging field is constantly increasing.
In fact, many people have been exposed to digital printing for a long time. Although digital printing machines appeared very early and their application in the field of customized packaging began a few years ago, digital printing technology is still not fully mature and is still developing. So let’s discuss digital printing together today, and also help new friends have a deeper understanding of the role digital printing plays in the field of customized packaging.
To know why digital printing accounts for an increasing share of orders in the field of customized packaging, we can first take a look at other common printing methods in this field.
Table of Contents
Silk Screen
A very traditional printing method, the advantage is that it is very cheap, but the printing effect is rough, and it cannot print complex designs with many colors, so it has been gradually eliminated.
Gravure Printing
Over the years, it has been a very mainstream printing method in the field of customized packaging bags. The printing effect is very good and multi-color printing can be easily completed, but the price is more expensive than silk screen printing. In addition, its production cycle is relatively long, mainly because gravure printing requires plate making, and each design requires separate plate making. The process is relatively complicated, so the minimum order quantity of most factories is more than 2,000.
Digital Printing
Regarding digital printing, everyone must first understand its working principle and its advantages, in order to have a deeper understanding of why the proportion of digital printing orders in the packaging field is increasing year by year.
Working principle: Unlike gravure printing, digital printing does not require separate plate making. The operator only needs to upload the design to the computer, perform simple typesetting, and then print it out directly.
In addition, the imposition capability of digital printing is very strong. Simply put, different designs of the same size can be printed at the same time. This is something that all printing cannot do.
Digital printing therefore allows for small batches of customized production, which is critical to meeting consumer demand for personalized packaging. Traditional printing methods often require large minimum order quantities, such as gravure printing. The minimum order quantity of most factories is 1000pcs, which is a limitation for brands that want to achieve personalized packaging. The application of digital printing technology enables even very small order quantities to be completed cost-effectively, greatly lowering the threshold for personalized packaging.
Secondly, the rapid iteration and innovation of digital printing technology have improved printing quality and expanded the range of available materials, including various papers, plastics, metals and other non-traditional materials. This diversity of materials provides designers with a wider creative space, allowing them to design more attractive and creative packaging for different products.
Furthermore, digital printing technology supports more complex pattern designs and use of color, enabling highly detailed and customized visual effects. This is very important for brands because the uniqueness and attractiveness of the packaging are directly related to the competitiveness of the product in the market.
Finally, as the concept of sustainable development becomes more and more popular, digital printing also shows its advantages in environmental protection. Digital printing produces less waste and consumes less energy than traditional printing technologies, helping to achieve the goal of green packaging.
To sum up the above reasons, more and more small and medium-sized enterprises choose digital printing. Moreover, the manager of Allinclusive (customized packaging company) also said: Although low minimum order quantity represents high cost (a little higher), it also represents a faster operation cycle, which is hugely attractive to many small and medium-sized enterprises.
If you are planning to place an order for custom packaging bags, I hope this article will be helpful to you.
