Packaging manufacturers and designers are consistently exploring new print finishing alternatives to give their designs that extra creative edge. Metallic embellishments and embossing every time seems particularly popular when the holiday or big sales season is right around the corner, while intricate die-cut motif makes for attractive packaging designs all year round. In terms of print finishing technic, analog is slowly but certainly moving over for digital finishing.
In this article, Founder and Director of Delhi’s biggest packaging manufacturer Packman Packaging Pvt Ltd Mr. Gaurav Jalan tells about digital print finishing as the future trend.
Digital Print Finishing Is Time Saving
Having passed the speed of digital for several years, analog is now no longer the only ruler of the finishing industry in terms of saving time. Digital print finishing technology has gathered up speed by lowering the number of steps required to set up a job, making it feasible to combine all the stations so operators do not need to go roll to roll. Next to reducing the number of labor hours, digital finishing technology also produces lesser waste during setup.
Creative Packaging Arena
Next to innovations in logistics, digital finishing technology also gives packaging designers with a completely new range of creative opportunities that cannot be availed with analog. For instance, some designers are able to create digital Braille finishes using a specialized tool that interprets the language. Other instances of unique digital finishing impact possible these days include:
- Designs lasered into the substrate 1 layer at a time, giving a vintage look.
- Putting unique security features to individual packages.
- Displaying names or special designs for limited edition or personalized packaging.
Is It The Time To Bid Good Bye To Analog Printing
Fine, is digital finishing technology about to displace analog for good, you may ask? Let us not jump to any sort of conclusions just as of now. Though digital print finishing is definitely stepping up to the plate in terms of quantity, large digital volumes are still an expensive affair compared to analog. Packaging designers and manufacturers do believe that digital finishing will only become more interesting as time goes ahead, but volume-wise it still faces a long way ahead.
