Inline digital printing was established to meet the needs of retail markets facing a variety of new issues, such as the growth of additional outlets, the increasing number of SKUs, the need to track and trace diverse products, and the constant changes in design. Inline digital printing offers solutions to optimize package printing, avoiding the requirement for supply chain disruption, to match the demands of an ever-changing consumer market in Printing Press in Dubai.
Consider a production line that packs and labels hundreds of different product variants. Product, strength, language, and country-specific legislation all influence which product variants are available. A smart and optimal packaging and labeling solution is essential for labeling such a diverse range of items. In this essay, I’ll explain what inline digital printing is and how it can help you improve your production and marketing.
INLINE DIGITAL PRINTING – WHAT IS IT?
The requirement for packaging to be labeled is a constant thread in all types of packaging, whether used for retail or wholesale. This labeling can serve a variety of purposes, including identifying what’s inside the packaging, displaying a consistent brand throughout your items, and providing ingredient or warning information. You can put this information on your package using an inline digital printing technique, which eliminates the need for a secondary step afterward, such as attaching a label, or beforehand, such as having packaging preprinted. Inline digital printing can be used at any of the three stages of the supply chain.
1. The container or packaging for the product is developed during the conversion process. At this stage, the image, information, or SKU will be printed directly on the sleeve, craton, package, or label, and it will be ready for filling.
2. During the Filling Stage — Inline digital printing can also be used during the product filling stage. Following the filling and sealing of the product, the line will move on to the labeling of the blank container or package.
3. Upon Arrival at the Retailer – After receiving the goods and before it appears on the shelf, retailers can utilize their own digital inline printing to add time-sensitive information like sale prices or promotions.
Folding, saddle stitching, side stitching, case binding, punching, and other post-processes are all done in-line with the printing. To accomplish this, a variety of finishing equipment can now be directly connected to digital production printers.
Providing these services in-line not only saves time and money, but it also eliminates issues like missing pages, incorrect collation, and other common blunders. It allows for the printing of extremely small quantities – even one copy – and expands the range of just-in-time services from fliers to catalogs, manuals, and other high-page-count projects.
INLINE DIGITAL PRINTING’S BENEFITS
Inline printing has a lot of advantages in addition to streamlining the packaging process and eliminating an extra step in the creation of your final product.
1. Both Traditional and Digital Printing Can Be Used for Inline Printing.
Inline printing is commonly used in industries such as pharmaceuticals, which means that products are branded while being manufactured and packaged on the manufacturing line. Traditional and digital printing techniques can both be used to create inline printing. In comparison to traditional printing, however, digital printing has numerous advantages. The printing process in digital printing does not require any prefabrication. A digital printer can print on a variety of textures, making it a versatile technology. Additionally, digital printing has a faster print speed.
Inline printing is designed to be flexible without sacrificing production speed, quality, or consistency. It is a time-saving printing technology because the process steps, packaging, and labeling are all done on the same line. Furthermore, the technology adheres to Lean concepts.
2. Optimize Your Packing and Labeling Process to Boost Output.
There are numerous packaging sectors that produce a wide range of products. All of these items have one thing in common: they must be labeled. The packing and labeling process varies by product and can be a good place to start if you’re looking to improve and optimize your manufacturing.
3. Late Customisation Is Made Possible By Inline Digital Printing.
Late stage customization is possible with inline digital printing since you can print your information on the package material as needed. This enables you to pre-produce blisters for storage, for example, without printing. When you receive an order, you print to the customer’s specifications and finish the blisters, allowing for speedy delivery. This also allows for the geographical separation of the printing and production processes.
Printing parts inline allows you to add personalization or make adjustments later in the manufacturing process, giving you more freedom. Instead of acquiring a large number of preprinted packets, you can order them blank in bulk at a lower cost and store them until you need them. You can customize the packaging at the point of fill. Because you won’t have to wait for new packaging to be printed, you can crank out product faster.
Inline digital printing can also be utilized as a marketing tool, in addition to providing speedy delivery. Digital printing in Printing Press Company Dubai can be used in marketing operations to raise brand awareness due to its capacity to alter the print to numerous products (not just pharmaceuticals), surfaces, and appearances. Inline digital printing can be utilized to personalize and differentiate your goods. Things like calendars, smartphones, and coffee mugs can be customised to increase consumer involvement. As a result, product packaging may move forward in this direction.
4. Marketing Flexibility
Packaging can become one of your most effective marketing vehicles with inline digital printing. You’ll be able to add advertising or promotional artwork and language straight on your packaging, and you’ll be able to change it as new promotions take effect. You’ll also be able to personalize your items by changing designs throughout the process without having to invest in expensive equipment or time. By being able to personalize products such as calendars, mugs, and packaging, you can have an advantage over your competitors.
5. There Is No Need to Prefabricate.
Inline printing can be employed in both traditional and digital print environments in Printing Press in Dubai; however digital inline printing has the advantage of not requiring any additional fabrication to change designs. This gives manufacturers more freedom in terms of changing designs and printing on a wider range of textures and surfaces. As a result, printing and preparation time are reduced.
6. Thousands of Different Labeling Variations Are Possible.
Printing a wide range of languages, instructions, and data such as expiration dates and batch numbers is required in various businesses, such as the pharmaceutical industry. For a single product, this results in thousands of labeling variations. These kinds of differences can be found not only in the product itself, but also in the packaging in which it is delivered. These adjustments may be made without affecting the supply chain or needing additional procedures because to the agility and versatility that inline digital printing affords.
Inline digital printing may assist firms seeking for smart and lean packaging solutions decrease waste, save time and money, and give customized and customised packaging with the information and marketing they need for their brand.
7. Increases Your Profit Margin:
Having inline finishing capabilities allows you to boost your profit margins on print projects while also minimizing production times, lowering labor expenses, enhancing quality control, eliminating waste, and conserving energy.
Finishing, once seen as an afterthought and a production bottleneck, is now seen as a vital stage in the manufacturing process and a chance to differentiate products and provide value. Finishing can account for up to 40% of manufacturing expenses, and poor quality control at this point can wipe out a lot of additional value.
SME printers have realized that spending relatively little sums in finishing equipment can result in considerable productivity improvements and cost reductions as a result of advancements in digital production technology. According to the findings of a recent drupe global trend report, 48% of respondents plan to invest in finishing equipment, and 40% plan to invest to improve productivity.
8. Make Your Goods Stand Out and Increase Client Loyalty.
Customers will benefit from already-finished print products, faster production timelines for more complex print products, and a “one-stop shop” providing everything from a single source with inline finishing.
Reduced outsourced work allows smaller printers and in-house print departments more production flexibility and control. (W2P systems are a good illustration of this, as they provide a consistent but unpredictable flow of digital short-run on-demand jobs that cannot be outsourced and must be finished in-house.)
Basically, the more components of a print job you can control internally and supply on-demand, the more you’ll expand and gain customer loyalty.
In Summary:
Manufacturers face numerous challenges in the current retail ecosystem, including new outlets and an influx of SKUs, as well as frequent design changes and track-and-trace regulations.
By integrating two technologies: laser-reactive materials and multi-laser arrays, inline digital printing helps packers, fulfillment firms, and brands deal with these new issues. These technologies, when combined, allow for high-quality printing of complex visuals, difficult-to-produce greyscales, and minuscule text that can be altered at the final stages of production. All of which Printing Press in Dubai can provide for both small and large scale requirements.
