For the 30 years I’ve been in the printing industry, there has always been chatter about the coming revolution of digital printing. Well, it turned out to be more of an evolution, and it is finally here.
But, what does it matter? At the end of the day, the way something is printed doesn’t really matter to most print buyers and category managers. Even I have become (mostly) agnostic when it comes to print technique because the quality of most options can be similar.
(That’s not to say that different print techniques don’t require different prepress—which is why having an SME like Loupe Graphics in your corner can be a game changer.)
So, why all the noise for digital print?
Well, here a few basics, the first of which may not matter to you as a buyer, but you can bet it makes your supplier more efficient:
- Reduced set up time: instead of a press set up taking hours (like on many narrow web label presses), a digital press set up is done in mere minutes, the blink of an eye in comparison.
- Reduced waste: the amount of waste generated for digital printing is significantly less than flexo or litho, saving thousands and thousands of feet of material.
- Low volume runs become more economical, and you can manage your inventory–order exactly what you need, when you need it.
And, now for the sexy parts:
- Every. Print. Can. Be. Different. And, there are easy ways now to execute such a design—it can do so much more than sequentially number wine labels. One of my favorite case studies is the Nutella pack—First it was personalized labels, followed by a special campaign which was accomplished using HP Mosaic; it has proven so successfully, there is a press in Italy dedicated to producing sleeves for the design as long as it remains popular. You can see a colorful video here: https://youtu.be/RY-nK4ChLEQ
- With digital solutions, it’s easy to manage custom campaigns, whether purpose-driven, seasonal, corporate or a limited edition like the Hershey’s package for International Women’s Day and Kind’s LGBTQ support.
Labels can be customized for corporate partnerships and gifts or cobranding campaigns:
If you are shipping subscriptions or kits with a common box but with different content, each box can be customized for that content:
Digital is also a great solution for sales samples and testing to get to market faster:
When you start thinking of your packaging as the first line in your multi-channel marketing, you’ll start to see the possibilities. (and, we haven’t even mentioned supplementing your story telling with smart packaging!)
The proof is in the data: According to the World Advertising Research Center, 53% of Gen Z want brands to offer personalized or customized products. These packages become a way for consumers to express themselves or their preferences and, hopefully, share their discovery with their friends and social network.
When Nutella first introduced their Mosaic-designed container, they had 3 million impressions and over 10,000 user videos shared. Which explains why they continue to offer unique packaging.
So, why digital? Impactful storytelling using the package as your creative platform, creating brand-building with the coveted demographics of millennials and Gen Z while at the same time saving time and the planet with more efficient production.
How do you use it? Need more food for thought? Contact Loupe for more ideas.
