SMARTER WORKFLOWS FOR CONVERTERS
Sarah Ervin, Digital Printing Technical Product Manager, Domino Printing Sciences
How can converters keep up
with the pace and complexity of
these demands? Smarter digital
workflows are key to staying agile
and competitive.

The short-run label market is
growing fast, with businesses
globally valuing the flexibility
and agility enabled by small print
batches. As a result, companies
are looking to enhance product
portfolio differentiation to support
regional language and regulatory
variations, as well as to meet the
demands of e-commerce business
models. As a result, multi-SKU production
of more frequent, smaller volumes
is rapidly replacing traditional
bulk runs. For converters and
brands, this shift supports the
push to destock as part of
sustainability strategies: reducing
bulk warehousing of substrates
and printed labels to help minimise
waste from obsolescence.

While the benefits are compelling,
the demands of short-run
label production are complex.

Converters must respond faster,
handling more frequent requests
for jobs with smaller label volumes
a demand that inevitably leads to
bottlenecks. Manual set-up, ensuring colour
accuracy and print registration, is
time-consuming and can result in
significant material waste before
achieving the desired output quality.

And, of course, correct setup and
testing rely on skilled human labour,
minimising the risk of expensive
errors that disrupt production and
damage profitability.

With even repeat orders requiring
extensive manual set-up, attempting
to embrace short-run label printing
using analogue technology creates
challenges that will undermine
productivity and profitability.

Converters increasingly recognise
the flexibility and agility enabled
by digital presses as key to thriving
in the modern label landscape, but
investing in the technology is just
the starting point: it is also vital
to create effective workflows to
maximise efficiency.

Working with a digital printing
supplier to understand how best to
rethink and adapt label production
processes and workflows can
be key to accelerating digital
adoption success and boosting
press utilisation. Digital workflows
can address many operational
challenges by streamlining
processes and reducing the risk
of errors. For instance, being able
to access preconfigured settings
for commonly used materials
significantly reduces media waste
during setup, as well as provides an
average 30-minute time saving per
job when using a digital platform
compared to an analogue one.

In addition, instead of preparing
every file individually for print,
modern pre-press workflows use
‘hot folders’, enabling operators
to import artwork and automate
repetitive tasks. These presets allow
enhanced colour management,
perform ‘step and repeat’ layout,
and add finishing marks, eliminating
the need for manual adjustments,
and ensuring repeatability, while
high-speed RIP allows jobs to reach
the press quickly.

06 CHP PACKER INTERNATIONAL update
Digital workflows also include
file management capabilities that
enable convenient archiving and
recall of recurring customer jobs.

This enables exact reruns of orders
with minimal effort to replenish
customer stock.

Streamlining pre-press tasks with
smart tools like these supports
fast turnaround of print jobs,
maximising production time. By
embracing digital workflows,
converters can limit the number
of human touchpoints, accelerate
processes, and reduce the risk of
costly mistakes.

To fully benefit from the speed,
agility, and efficiency digital printing
offers, and maximise the return
on their digital investment, many
converters need to step out of
their comfort zone and challenge
established analogue practices.

By embracing digital printing
technology and workflows,
converters can respond to
short-run label opportunities in
a timely and profitable manner.

Reducing lead times for artwork
changes from months to days
enables brands to be more
responsive to emerging trends
and to continuously improve their
packaging promotions over time.

Adopting digital workflows
positively impacts daily operations.

A slick, efficient short-run label
model will enable the sales team,
for example, to respond swiftly to
customer demands and provide
an edge in winning new business.

Sustainability goals can be enhanced
through effective digital processes
that reduce wastage. Skills
shortages can also be addressed,