Fast becoming the standard for short-run package printing, plateless processes will play a critical role in the future of the industry

When Atlanta Falcons superstar quarterback Michael Vick broke his ankle in a meaningless preseason game, the National Football League and its fans were not the only ones unhappy with the unfortunate turn of events. Four-letter words could probably be heard in the homes and offices of marketing moguls across the United States as well, since the charismatic Vick's likeness had been heavily promoted and slapped on everything from soda pop cans to video game boxes.

Fortunately for the 23-year-old, his team, and the millions of marketing dollars invested in him, he is expected to make a full recovery and be back on the field mid-season at the latest. But what if the injury was more serious or even career threatening? Who would be lining up to buy a product endorsed by an athlete that couldn't even suit up?

Ten years ago, retailers and end-users would essentially have been stuck with shelves and warehouses full of unsellable product and packaging. But, as digital printing for packaging graphics has emerged as a viable option, custom package decorating technology converters, such as those with specs to render Vick's likeness on a package, would simply replace his image with that of another superstar on the very next image off the press. It is this convenience and customization that has allowed consumer-packaged goods companies (CPGCs) to create highly targeted promotions and packages using digital "plateless" printing for packaging graphics.

Digital printing is currently used on three segments of packaging materials--labels, lightweight folding cartons, and flexible packaging. Both roll-fed and sheetfed systems are available. Current usage of digital printing on these packaging materials is less than 1% of the materials used in the United States. In a recently published report entitled Digital Printing for Packaging Graphics, industry consultant Alex Hamilton, president of Computers & Communications Consulting, Philadelphia, PA, forecast 20% annual growth across all three segments by 2007, with a total market value of $223 million.

Consumers Drive Digital
As digital printing for packaging has evolved from a zero base in the early 1990s, it has found itself not only being driven from the production end, but also from the retail and consumer marketplaces. Production developments are focusing on automating as much of the printing process as possible: decreasing or even eliminating makeready; accelerating production rates; and, ultimately, decreasing total costs, and compressing time to market. It's perhaps the time-to-market capability that digital printing imparts--or more accurately, being first to market--that's extremely appealing to CPGCs.

According to research journal Marketing Science, Gainesville, Fla., being second to market can mean a 25% reduction in revenues. Digital printing, as a key component to the total package design process, is quickly burgeoning beyond its first-generation plateless systems, many of which sat nearly idle or at best, saw duty as overpriced color proofing systems. Digital is now a recognized and reliable tool that both quick-turn package printers and capacity-overloaded commercial printers see as a perfect match to highly customized, economical, short printing runs for new product introductions, smaller market and demographic segmentation, and customized promotional printing.

For true digital printing press suppliers, of which there are currently six that fit within the "plateless" genre, packaging today represents a secondary market after commercial printing. Although demands for shorter run lengths and faster turnaround are increasing, there remains a premium on color accuracy and quality for packaging. Digital technologies can satisfy retailer and merchandiser demands for point-of-purchase-quality packaging graphics. That fact alone has paved the way for the rapid adoption of the digital color printing process for a growing portion of the $120 billion U.S. packaging business.

Brand owners continue to parcel up markets into smaller segments in an attempt to gain market share by targeting specific consumer demographics. Ethnic and religious groups, Baby Boomers, Tweens, Gen-X and Y, sports enthusiasts, those loyal to a specific brand, or those that CPGCs believe would accept a brand extension are just a few of the diverse categories end-users are targeting with graphics produced using digital technologies. Only through digital printing technology can packaging graphics change not from press run to press run, but instantly or randomly, from image to image. This unique capability enables such "mass customization" of product images, texts, and sequentially numbered UPCs on the fly.

As retailers more fully understand the power and economy of digitally printed packaging, they will increase their analyses of shoppers' habits and offer products and packaging tailored to consumer groups' individual desires. This trend will put pressure on CPGCs to offer additional products, or at least products with varied packaging and graphics that target those groups.

This is where digital printing shines. With no printing plates to image or material waste as the press "comes up to color," digital technology makes smaller runs fast and cost-efficient. With short runs, digital printing production assists with just-in-time delivery and inventory control at both the printer's and the product packer's location. Adding the ability to exchange graphics with a single computer keystroke and change an image during a full production run eliminates having to stop the press for plate changes, swap colors, or re-register. The high costs in time and money associated with "traditional" plate-based processes is nearly 100% removed with digital printing.

On the flip side, digital printing will have to deal with several limiting factors in the short term: operator training, and the cost of consumables. Both issues, says Hamilton, will be overcome as understanding and wide-scale acceptance of digital technologies increases.

New Opportunities With Digital
As package designers, converters, end-users, marketers, and even retailers continue to understand and embrace the production, cost, and merchandising benefits associated with digital package printing technologies and processes, these plateless wonders will play a more critical role in consumer product/package test market efforts and new product launches.

Mary Ellen Reis, president of Packnology, a former vice president of packaging with Snapple Beverage Group, and a co-author of the Digital Printing for Packaging Graphics report, says that digital printing will be partially driven by retailers who desire to segment their market more precisely for targeted retail marketing efforts. Innovation and new product introductions will remain crucial for consumer product companies to continue to increase product revenue.

New product introductions increased at an average 7% annual rate in the decade since digital printing's introduction--a pace that is expected to increase in the future, and one that will be deftly handled by digital package printing technology.

Sean Riley is managing editor of Packaging Strategies Newsletter. For more information about Packaging Strategies, or to order the Digital Printing for Packaging Graphics study, contact Packaging Strategies at (610) 436-4220, ext. 11, or visit www.packagingstrategies.com and click on Studies.

'Digital' Defined
Virtually the entire graphic package design and production process is "all-digital," and is accomplished via computer-aided design (CAD) and illustration programs. Digital printing, as defined by Packaging Strategies' recently published study, Digital Printing for Packaging Graphics, begins after the package graphic design has been converted to a screened bitmap file for each color to be imaged (RIPped). Colorant (inks or toners) are then directly applied to a substrate with the use of printing plates.

There are currently two specific categories of true "plateless" digital printing technologies suitable for producing point-of-purchase-quality packaging graphics: electrophotography (commonly referred to as Xerography); and piezoelectric, drop-on-demand (PEDOD) ink-jet imaging.

Electrophotography relies on a charged drum to transfer toner particles for each pixel, or color dot, to the substrate. A fusing cycle then permanently affixes the particles to the substrate.

PEDOD ink-jet imaging sprays ink onto the substrate through nozzles. With this technology, an electric charge distorts a piezo-walled ink chamber to force ink droplets to spray through the nozzles on an as-needed/where-needed basis.

Although there are many other ink-jet technologies, including continuous and bubble-jet varieties, as well as alternative approaches to drop-on-demand, these currently lack the ability to print point-of-purchase graphics for consumer packaging.