In recent years, digital print has grown from an infantile industry into a rapidly maturing prospect, offering packaging manufacturers and brand owners new and innovative ways to add value to their product. Many packaging manufacturers are responding to the anticipated boom in digital printing by investing in digital print technologies before they get left behind.

Recent research shows that the market for digital packaging and labels was worth $7.3 billion in 2013 and will continue to show impressive growth for the next five years. The size of the digital packaging market is expected to grow by a considerable 375% by 2018.

One of the most prominent success stories of how digital print has revolutionized packaging is Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke with…” campaign. HP Indigo presses were used to produce more than a billion labels, featuring a range of popular names, which were digitally printed onto 375ml and 500ml bottles of Coca-Cola.

Taking advantage of the variable data capabilities of digital presses, this campaign demonstrated the remarkable marketing potential of personalized packaging to help brands connect with consumers.  The production run of more than a billion labels dispelled the common myth that digital print technology is only suited to short run jobs.

Another brand which has used digital print in packaging to engage consumers is Dutch beer brand Heineken which launched “Design Your Own Heineken,” a campaign enabling customers to design their own beer bottle sleeves. Customers were able to choose their own background designs, customized messages, and a photo. The personalized beer bottle sleeves were then produced using HP Indigo presses.

The benefits of digital print for packaging extend to much more than just the marketing benefits of personalization; print quality and reliability also stand out as key benefits. Furthermore, the shorter run lengths allow packaging manufacturers and brand owners much greater flexibility to produce exactly what they want when they want it, and subsequently reduce waste from unused stock.  In addition, greater flexibility gives brand owners more freedom to test and experiment with different designs, ultimately creating a more successful end product.

Digital Applications in Beauty

Packaging manufacturers from a variety of industries have made investments into digital printing, and the industry for beauty products is no exception. Packaging for beauty products is one of the most image-conscious areas of the packaging market, with the shelf appeal of the product being of paramount importance in this competitive marketplace.

The market for beauty product packaging is well-suited to digital printing due to the nature of the industry in that it generates high-value, short-run products, which may also demand variable data in order for language and ingredient changes to be implemented.

Cosmetics chain Lush provides an example of how adopting digital printing techniques for packaging has helped deal with requirements for variable data. Lush found that conventional printing methods were struggling to keep up with their demands for a large variety of different labels, ingredient changes, multiple languages, and new products. 

Digital print, however, proved to be well suited to their complex packaging demands due to its flexibility, quick turnaround times, and shorter run lengths. As a company that prides itself on being environmentally concerned, the reduced wastage from digital print also appealed to Lush and its customers.

A German-based printing company, Hinterkopf, has recently developed the first 360 degree digital printing technology, which will allow cosmetics packagers to add print to their packaging in a way which was previously difficult to achieve. The new technology will enable cosmetic packagers to print directly onto cylinder-shaped products, such as aerosol canisters, tubes and cans.

Despite the numerous success stories of digital print for packaging, the leap from conventional printing methods to digital printing still remains a huge investment and it is essential that packaging manufacturers and brand owners know what they want digital print to do for their business. For those who do undertake the investment, it seems the future holds a vast array of new and exciting possibilities.

For more information on the future of the industry, download the Smithers Pira report, THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL PRINT FOR PACKAGING to 2018.