On 5th April, 2024 at MCA club, Mumbai Mudrak Sangh hosted the seventh edition of its roundtable conference. This was guided by a printing expert, industrial specialist; eleven stalwarts convene at ‘The Circle of Print’ in order to discuss bespoke digital printing. Table Seven tells us how digital printing has become nuanced & vast.
Himanshu Pandey of Avantika Printers said, “Be it inkjet, solvent, UV, toner or liquid ink-based print engines, to utilise the machine to its full potential, a printer must ensure to calibrate it, and monitor the substrate too.”
The emergence of hybrid printing systems has transformed the printing technology industry by providing versatile solutions for meeting the demands of modern printing industry. Several printing methods are integrated seamlessly by systems into a single platform, facilitating unparalleled flexibility, quality coupled with efficiency. The printing methods include digital, offset and flexographic printing. In this article let us look at some of the hybrid printing systems, the benefits of implementing these systems, applications across numerous industries and the crucial role they play in adapting to the growing printing needs.
Embrace digital transformation
While Digital transformation was always about implementing digital tools & platforms, today it is about changing the mindset and culture of print production. This only means the companies should be more innovative, flexible, agile, as well as customer-centric. Companies should leverage the advantages of digital technologies, which include AI, automation, cloud-computing, & data analytics for enhancing efficiency, quality as well as profitability. For instance, print production can leverage digital workflows & software for streamlining & optimizing the prepress & printing tasks, reduce errors as well as waste and improve collaboration & communication. Print production can also leverage digital platforms as well as channels for reaching new audiences, expand their services, and generate revenue from new revenue streams.
“Digital printing technological in textile printing has enabled consumers to look for new fashion trends, creative designs and fast availability of quality products,” says Asad Khatri, Founder, Ethco Prints.
Integrate print and digital media
Print and digital media are not mutually exclusive; however they are synergistic & complementary. Print production can integrate print as well as digital media for generating more interactive, engaging, as well as personalized experiences for end-users. For instance, print production can leverage QR codes, AR or NFC tags for linking printed materials to digital contents (videos, websites or apps). Print production can also make use of variable data printing or even web-to-print solutions for customizing printed materials as per the customers’ preferences and needs. It can also use print-on-demand or short-run printing for reducing inventory & storage costs to meet the demand for fast & flexible delivery.
“Investment in infrastructure building to support huge workforce, production and technology is the key to cater to the client demands. The clients in printing industry demand quality printing machines that have low downtime along with on-time delivery of the machineries and services,” says Rishab Kohli, Director, The Printers House (TPH).
Focus on quality & sustainability
The two most important factors differentiating print production from digital media are quality and sustainability. These two key factors can differentiate print production from digital media & attract more customers & loyalty. Quality refers to the functional, aesthetic, as well as emotional aspects of printed materials. This includes the design, layout, typography, color, paper, finishing and packaging.
Quality also refers to the accuracy, reliability, as well as consistency of print production. While sustainability refers to the environmental, social, & economic impacts of print production like the use of renewable & recycled materials, the decrease in energy & water consumption, the minimization of emissions & waste as well as the support of local & ethical suppliers & partners. Quality and sustainability demonstrate their commitment to excellence and responsibility by improving the credibility & value of print production.
“With the adeptness of the digital industry, the industry for Disposable Plastics Cups and Containers has emerged as one of the most essential sectors in India and has grown rapidly in recent years around the world, with the printing industry providing significant support,” says Pramod Jayakar, Managing Director, Hyden Packaging.
“There have been an increasing growth in high-quality packaging and also a greater demand for high-quality decoration of product packaging owing to the evolving culture of Supermarkets and Malls which have driven the demand for packaged products,” he adds.
Hybrid printing methods display a paradigm shift in the printing sector. They provide an adaptable solution and empower print service providers to provide customized and high-quality print products in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Hybrid printing systems will stay at the forefront owing to the evolution of the printing landscape and this will help in driving sustainability, innovation & competitiveness across diverse industries.
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