Digital printing is quickly becoming a popular choice for printing product labels and stickers. And there are plenty of good reasons for this including reduced cost, high-quality, quick turn-around and small batch capabilities.
Digital labelling allows printing of various types of labels including Short Run Digital Labels, Multi Run Labels, Multi Sort Labels, Variable Code Labels, Unique Code Labels and Minimum Run Labels without using printing plates. Digital technology has also made it possible to print products such as window stickers, peel and reveal labels, and booklet labels with minimum cost as well as very short setup time. In addition, digital printing offers full control over every step of label production such that even last-minute design changes can be made without causing unnecessary delays during production runs.
Digital printing is ideal for labels that require at least 4 colours. If you want your label to help sell your product and speak for your brand, the print quality is key. Colour consistency, image registration and colour vibrancy are all addressed with digital labels. Digital printing allows for a much lower minimum than flexographic printing. If you’ll need 500-25,000 colourful labels per product then there’s a good chance digital labels are a good fit for your product. With short runs you won’t need to hold on to inventory you don’t need.
When your labels are printed on a flexo label press, a new label die (which trims the label into a shape) may be required for unique shapes or sizes. These can cost hundreds of dollars. Flexographic presses also use metal plates, just like regular printing presses, to create the images for each colour of the design. A 6-colour label will need six plates. Digital label orders do not require a charge for a die to cut the labels and, because there are no plates, you’ll only be paying for one thing– your labels.
One of the best features of digital label printing is artwork flexibility. As your product line develops you might want to make updates to your label. Because plates aren’t required with digital, you can easily modify your design and send in revised artwork and get it printed with no additional plate charges. This is great for start-up brands or series runs that have several SKUs.
If you use low volumes of labels for craft beer, spirits, wineries and other beverages manufacturing, food packaging of any kind, and most household products and personal care products, digital may be a way for you to save both time and money. Check out our case studies to see our repertoire.
