Paper Box With Paper Tube Printing And Packaging Go Hand in Hand

Paper Box With Paper Tube printing and packaging go hand in hand

Technology has transformed our lives and made the printing industry what it is today. As an important raw material in the printing process, the development and change of ink is closely related to the success or failure of the printing industry. With the packaging printing and inkjet printing gradually become the global printing industry, the corresponding flexo printing ink and digital ink has become the focus of attention.

Rise of packaging market

Flexo printing ink ushered in development opportunities

With increasing consumer interest and demand for functional and sensory packaging, the flexo ink market in the United States showed positive growth during 2013 and 2014. The expansion of flexo printing technology in terms of quality, speed and printing size also lays the foundation for the development of flexo printing inks in the coming years.

In the "2013 Industry Year-end Report" published in April 2014 by the National Printing Ink Manufacturers Association of the United States, it pointed out that the growth of the solvent-based flexographic ink and water-based flexographic ink market in the United States was obvious. At least $1 billion of packaging ink was sold in 2013, an increase of 1.3% compared to 2012, of which the flexographic ink accounted for a very large proportion.

It is understood that many intaglio printing houses in the United States now have flexo printing presses, which will enable them to compete in a wider range of applications. In addition, the improvement of printing resolution and the expansion of color gamut also contributed to the steady growth of flexo printing inks to some extent.

At present, the packaging market in the United States is booming, the market for flexo printing ink is huge demand, which has prompted many functional ink manufacturers to invest more manpower, material resources and financial resources in product and technology development. From the technical point of view, the growth potential of water-based flexographic ink is greater, and from offset printing and solvent-based ink hands captured a certain market share.

However, this does not mean that gravure ink will be eliminated by the market. On the contrary, gravure ink market demand will still be very strong. Flexo printing ink is just facing more opportunities.

Overall, flexo ink will continue to grow in 2014 as it has in previous years. As one of the largest application areas for flexo printing inks, the U.S. packaging market, especially functional and sensory packaging, will also continue to grow.

The rise of inkjet printing

Digital ink market growth

Both in custom printing and short print, digital printing has opened up new markets with its technological prowess, and inkjet printing will find new opportunities as speed increases, quality improves and unit costs fall.

In this process, the shrinking of the ink drop, the acceleration of the ink jet speed, the increase of the jet frequency and the emergence of high-density print heads, etc., have created the possibility of digital technology progress. The list of innovations in inkjet technology is long, but one of the most notable is the breakthrough in print-head technology over the past three years. Now the printing head spray range is wider, the installation position is more flexible, the production of ink material also put forward higher requirements; And the improvement of ink material has promoted the increase of inkjet speed to a certain extent.

Advanced ink and distribution technology allows users to use less ink to achieve a better density effect, which makes black darker and allows users to print brighter color effects at a higher speed and lower cost.

Printing high-quality images on different substrates is also one of the biggest advances in inkjet technology in recent years. Textile printing, for example, has a much simpler production process than traditional printing, eliminates the need to store plates, and significantly reduces waste. At the same time, it uses water-based inks that are more environmentally friendly. Thus, the progress of inkjet technology promotes the upgrading of ink industry.

There is a pressing need for sustainable ink solutions in the large-format inkjet printing market, where water-based latex inks and the next generation of high-speed, eco-friendly solvent inks have a strong appeal. According to the future development trend, the field of large format digital printing will gradually eliminate the traditional solvent inks, and choose more environmentally friendly ink solutions.

High-speed printing and sustainability are not only opening the door to new markets for large-format digital printing, but also new opportunities for printer and ink manufacturers. High speed printing increases the productivity and the cost efficiency of inkjet printing, but it also puts forward higher requirements for ink performance. For example, many ink manufacturers are working hard on how to improve the adhesion of ink on short printing parts.

In a word, this is an era with technology as the core competitiveness, whether it is flexo printing ink or digital ink upgrading has brought us new opportunities and challenges. The more daring people are to invest in new technologies and products, the more likely they are to have a head start in the fierce market competition.