Personalised corrugated packaging can be the future

The principles of digital print technology can be split into two groups, toner or inkjet. Although digital printing is possible with both, they are two totally different technologies with different principles and different demands on the substrate to be printed. This affects the possibility to print liners.

First, there were signs

The toner systems are presently limited in speed as well as in size, which hampers the applications for corrugated packaging. But if speed and format favour ink jet, the drawback is the limited possibility to use standard grades of paper and boards. With UV-curing inks as the exception, most inkjet systems require special grades or the application of a primer.

For corrugated solutions the main usage of digital production has previously been non-packaging applications. In the corrugated business, digital printing has typically been used in areas such as signs and displays where inkjet has often has replaced screen printing.

But the future is now

Now, this is changing. There is a trend towards an increased use of corrugating materials even in traditional pre- and post-print areas. New, larger pre-print presses are addressing the ever shorter time to market and opening up the opportunity for variations and customisation of packaging when using primed, or otherwise treated liners, as a medium. In other words, it is now possible to print seasonal, personal and custom corrugated boxes on a large scale. But maybe even more important is the capacity for short runs.

Want to learn more about digital print of custom printed corrugated boxes? Download our white paper.