The growing number of printing technologies available for flexible packaging is making technology selection a more strategic decision for converters. Digital, flexo, gravure and offset each have their strengths, but the most effective approach may not be to choose one over another. Instead, the technologies can complement each other, depending on run length, print quality, turnaround requirements and cost.
This was the central theme of Ranesh Bajaj, director, Vinsak Group, during the session on ‛Comparing different printing technologies for flexibles’ at the 13th Specialty Films & Flexible Packaging Global Summit in Mumbai.
“Do we really need to step back a little and see whether these technologies need to compete or do they need to complement?” Bajaj asked. For converters, the answer lies in matching the process to the application rather than treating one technology as a universal solution.
Run length is an important part of that equation. Bajaj placed digital printing at its strongest at around 500 linear meters or below, while offset has a particularly attractive range from approximately 500 to 30,000 linear meters. Flexo overlaps from about 5,000 to 50,000 linear meters, while gravure remains well suited to longer runs, particularly above approximately 30,000 linear meters.
“Short run is here to stay,” said Bajaj. His observation went beyond the familiar industry discussion around shorter print runs. Bajaj pointed out that what Indian converters currently regard as a short run would already qualify as a relatively long run in several developed markets.
“And trust me, when we in India in our market say short run, it’s already long run in Europe, in the United States, or the Middle East,” he said.
Digital therefore has a clear advantage where quick turnaround and short runs are involved. Flexo remains highly efficient when volumes justify plate-making and setup costs. Gravure continues to offer advantages in areas such as metallic reproduction, while offset can provide strong halftone quality with fewer special colors.
Offset, in particular, deserves a broader consideration in flexible packaging, according to Bajaj. The technology is often associated with sheetfed printing, but web offset solutions are also available. “There are now web offset solutions available in the market,” he said, pointing to Comexi’s CI offset press as an example.
Cost comparisons, however, need to be made on a common basis. Bajaj questioned the industry’s practice of calculating printing costs per kilogram. “A printing cost should always be calculated per square meter of print,” he said. Ink transfer, press running time and production speed are all more closely connected to the area being printed than to substrate weight.
That approach can also bring indirect costs into the equation. Warehouse space for cylinders and other tooling, for instance, carries a real cost that is often overlooked when comparing processes. Bajaj’s analysis of a five-kilogram rice pack illustrated how the relative economics of digital, offset, flexo and gravure can shift as production volumes increase.
The answer, therefore, may increasingly lie in hybrid configurations. One press configuration presented by Bajaj combined flexographic units for lacquers and coatings with seven offset units, closed-loop color control and an inline digital monochrome unit for traceability.
The same principle extends beyond printing. Faster print production does not automatically translate into faster delivery if the printed web still has to move through separate lamination and pouch-making stages. “If you are talking about quicker turnaround, faster speed to market, it’s always going to be a challenge,” Bajaj said.
For converters evaluating new investments, the takeaway is less about picking a winning technology and more about building the right mix. “Digital, of course, wins time to market. Flexo is still the efficient choice once volume justifies the plate and investment setup. Offset delivers the best combination of quality and economics across short to medium runs.”
In an increasingly fragmented run-length environment, the ability to deploy complementary printing technologies could become as important as the capabilities of any individual press.