Can you afford to miss the opportunity?
In the recently released White Paper titled ‘When does inkjet postprint pay for converters,’ Dr. Sean Smyth, a Print & Packaging Analyst & Consultant, sheds light on the rising success of inkjet technology within the corrugated packaging sector.
The global demand for corrugated packaging is on the rise, and among the various print technologies, single-pass digital inkjet stands out as the fastest-growing, serving this thriving sector. With the market’s expansion, the installation of new inkjet presses presents compelling opportunities for Corrugated Converters. Inkjet not only enables them to meet the growing demands of customers, but its versatility also allows converters to explore new and exciting business prospects, leading to increased profit margins.
What’s behind the growth in the corrugated sector?
- E-commerce:The e-commerce industry remains a driving force behind the need for economical solutions in secondary packaging.
- Sustainability:Corrugated board stands out as the optimal eco-friendly packaging solution for brands and retailers aiming to fulfill environmental responsibilities and provide consumers with a more sustainable product.
- Need for speed:With consumers’ growing desire for instant gratification, the speed to market has become increasingly crucial. The incorporation of inkjet technology in corrugated print applications enables businesses to promptly meet their customers’ needs. This is achieved by eliminating the necessity to create and load flexo plates, often provided by a trade repro house platemaker, resulting in significant time savings.
- In-store presence:A greater portion of corrugated packaging is now visible to consumers in stores. Secondary packaging, once a simple cardboard box for delivery and storage, now plays a “direct-to-shelf” role, necessitating a visually striking presence on store shelves.
- New print technologies: The advancing capabilities of digital inkjet printing technology are transforming the capacity of corrugated converters to provide high-quality prints, impactful visuals, and branded graphics. This revolution is turning the ordinary cardboard box into a high-value packaging solution.
As per the report “The future of Digital Print for packaging to 2026” by market research firm Smithers, the use of digital inkjet in corrugated packaging experienced an annual growth of over 57% in volume and more than 45% in value from 2016 to 2021.
This clearly demonstrates the high-value opportunity inkjet offers converters, and early inkjet adopters are already reaping the rewards.
Digital inkjet offers a win-win for both converters and customers
| What Inkjet offers | The Benefits |
| Removal of costly and time-consuming flexo platemaking | Quicker response to customer orders and increased profit margins |
| Instant print output |
Quick turnaround times/response to customer demands Customer satisfaction is increased |
| Printing of high-quality colour graphics | High impact presence for in-store branding |
| External and internal print capability | Higher perceived value and boosts unboxing experience for customer |
| Potential for personalisation/versioning | Boosts unboxing experience for customer |
| Converting plain packaging into high value packaging |
Greater profit margins Improved customer satisfaction |
| Flexible print output volume | Opportunity to secure new contracts |
| Shorter, cost-efficient print-runs | Cost-effective personalisation and versioning |
| Print-on-demand capability |
Reduced stock inventory Less waste through product obsolescence |
| Quicker response times |
Greater flexibility to capture new jobs Customer satisfaction is increased |
Converter Benefits
Finn MacDonald, the President of Independent II, a company specializing in corrugated packaging solutions, is the inaugural user of the Domino X630i in the United States. Highlighting the advantages this groundbreaking printer offers to his business, MacDonald states:
“It takes one to three business days to receive and mount flexo plates, and over 15 days to source and laminate litho sheets. With inkjet it is incredibly easy to produce jobs with multiple versions. There is both demand and there is plenty of room to educate and inspire the Customer to consider versioning. The visual and functional benefits of versioning and digital flexibility are dynamic to say the least. Customers who benefit from this are Customers for Life.”Finn MacDonald, President of Independent II
Download White Paper
To find out more about the potential of inkjet within the corrugated packaging sector, and to learn how it can enhance your converting business, read Dr Sean Smyth’s white paper ‘When does inkjet postprint pay for converters’
