At LOUPE India 2026, Konica Minolta showcased two digital label printing systems, the AccurioLabel 230 and AccurioLabel 400, addressing different production requirements in the label industry. While the AccurioLabel 230 is positioned for entry-level and low-to-medium-volume production, the AccurioLabel 400 caters to higher volumes and applications requiring white toner.
Aloke Hazarika, head of the industrial print business sales division at Konica Minolta, said the company is seeing growing interest in digital printing as converters look for greater flexibility in managing production volumes.
“During this period, what we have observed is that the trend is shifting towards smaller, short runs. Customers adopting digital can have a hybrid environment, where they can print larger runs on their conventional presses and shorter runs on digital,” he said.
Two systems for different production needs
The AccurioLabel 230 is a 4-colour digital label press operating at 23.4 metres per minute on tack paper. The AccurioLabel 400 offers CMYK plus white printing at approximately 39.9 metres per minute.
White toner is particularly useful for printing on transparent and metallic substrates. It provides an underlying white layer for clear-on-clear labels and serves as a base coat when printing on silver materials. Hazarika highlighted the opacity achieved by the AccurioLabel 400’s white toner in a single pass. Applications include labels for cosmetics and wine bottles, where white is required beneath the printed design.
Diverse applications for digital labels
Konica Minolta’s digital label presses are being used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and security-related printing. Hazarika also cited printing on feather cork boxes and QR code-based security applications.
He identified print consistency as another important factor in customer adoption. “The primary advantage is the consistency which customers get on these machines,” he said.
Flexibility in production planning
The shift towards shorter runs is also influencing how converters manage inventory. According to Hazarika, many customers prefer to order according to their requirements and consumer demand rather than hold large quantities of finished labels.
Digital printing allows converters to produce smaller quantities as needed, reducing the need to maintain inventory. “When you have that flexibility, your warehousing cost reduces, your cost of buying those materials also reduces, and you can print as per your demand,” he said.
Hazarika views this shift as an advantage rather than a challenge. For converters, the ability to produce shorter runs can help manage inventory while responding to changing customer requirements.
Complementing conventional technologies
Konica Minolta’s approach to digital label printing is centred on complementing existing technologies rather than replacing them. The AccurioLabel 230 and 400 offer converters options for different production volumes, allowing them to combine conventional and digital printing according to job requirements.
As shorter runs increase, Hazarika expects digital printing to play a greater role alongside conventional presses, particularly for jobs where production flexibility and inventory management are important.