Flexographic Printing

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Inkjet printing is all done digitally and a digital label press doesn’t require any of the time-consuming set-up of flexo does, as you simply press “print” and the machine does the rest. Without the need for cylinders, there is no need to store or maintain parts, making it more cost-effective in the long run.

Digital label printing’s greatest advantage is the flexibility that it affords. Your designs go straight from Adobe Illustrator to print and any changes to the design can be printed instantly without needing to change cylinders. This can be useful for prototyping designs or to make variations of a label for limited edition products.

Inkjet printers are far more cost-effective, meaning you don’t need hundreds of thousands of copies to be profitable, meaning you can take on smaller runs that other printers could not and due to the faster printing times, you can take on more jobs.

Inkjet Printing

The printing press is one of humanity’s most important inventions, revolutionizing literature, art, and industry. Over the centuries the technology has continued to grow, producing faster and higher quality prints, with the modern digital label press and laser die cutting advances amongst the many relative newcomers on the scene.

When it comes to printing labels and packaging, there are a few different kinds of printing tech to choose from. As printing processes evolve, the label printing industry continues to grow in value with the 2019 global label printing market being valued at some $41 billion.

This 5-year-long upward trend is one that would seem to be one that’s with us to stay and by reading on, you’ll get a better understanding about the many options that are available.

Rotary Die Cutting

Once your labels are printed they must be cut out. Usually, this is done by a process known as rotary die cutting. Put simply, a die is a lot like a cookie-cutter, as it’s a tool that cuts materials into a desired shape. Rotary die cutting, like rotary printing, uses cylinders that material is passed through to quickly cut the same shape out of many sheets.

However, rotary die cutters are not very precise and cannot make quick adjustments to the design. They also require regular maintenance

Laser Die Cutting

The laser die cutter has an advantage over older methods, as unlike a rotary die, it can perform much more intricate cuts with greater precision. While the upfront cost is higher, the laser finisher does not entail the high maintenance and replacement costs of a rotary.

Like the digital label press, the laser die cutter offers flexibility in design choices and last-minute changes can be implemented immediately without slowing down the process.

Want the Best of Both Worlds? Combine With Inline

Digital inline printing is a process that involves combining the printer with the finishing device. This is considered the most convenient and efficient option since it allows for the whole process to be completed with just a click of a button, without the need to move the substrate from one machine to another.

The any-JET II is a digital label and flexible packaging press that offers truly digital inline label production by combining inkjet printing with laser die cutting. It has the added benefit of being faster than doing them separately, and features both digital printing and cutting capabilities.

If you’re interested in seeing how the any-JET II can streamline your business, you can learn more about it and book a live demo. We’re confident that after just a few moments, you’ll see why we saved the best printing and cutting solution for last in this blog.

Download the eBook to discover the cost comparisons between analog, hybrid, and fully digital approaches, and learn about the potential savings that can be achieved with a fully digital solution!