The Best Printing For Packaging – Pros And Cons Of 5 Printing Methods
The finish can be enhanced with the addition of specialty coatings to create a super high gloss, matte or soft-touch finish to increase the perceived value of your products.
Compared with other printing methods, there is virtually no banding, creating a smooth color gradient in the printed graphics.
The Downside To Lithography Printing
It requires a significant investment in tooling to create custom printing plates. But those are a 'one-time' charge and assuming there are no changes to artwork when you need to print more packages, you will be able to re-use your print tooling for that run.
Lead times are also longer. And to keep lithography printing for packaging cost-effective, high volumes are typically better.
Here's a detail showing magnification of lithographic printing. Note the regularity of the print. Offset printing creates a regular pattern.2. Flexographic Printing
Best Used For:
Very High Quantities
Printing for flexible packaging is becoming increasingly popular due to the numerous benefits this packaging type offers.
Flexographic printing for packaging, also known as flexo printing, is commonly used for flexible packaging such as stand up pouches.
It can also be an effective printing for packaging solution for corrugated boxes.
One of the advantages of flexographic printing is that it is cost-effective per unit.
One of the advantages of flexographic printing is that it is cost-effective per unit. As the tooling costs are lower, this saving can be passed onto you.
Turnaround times are typically much faster than with other printing for packaging methods.
And, with flexo printing, you can use both water-based and oil-based inks, giving you more options.
On the other hand, compared with lithography printing, the quality can be noticeably less.
Banding can occur, as the color gradients are not always smooth and it has a hard time reproducing photo-quality images to a high standard.
However, despite these downsides, flexographic printing’s affordability helps it to maintain its popularity when it comes to printing for packaging.
3. Digital Printing
Low Quantities, Fast Turnaround
As one of the most versatile printing methods for packaging solutions, digital printing has countless applications.
Digital printing is highly effective in producing top-class print quality for labels, corrugated boxes, folding cartons, prototypes, stand up pouches and more.
In addition to its versatility, digital printing also offers fast turnaround times, sometimes within 2 weeks, and there are very little tooling or set-up costs associated with this printing for packaging method.
In fact, there are usually no die plate charges as all die cutting is usually done via an automated cutting table.
Low minimums are typical and the print quality is almost as good as lithographic printing, creating amazing final results.
Advances in corrugate digital printing has made this method a go to source for companies getting started or testing new products OR new packaging.
Digital printing is highly effective in producing top-class print quality
The Downside Of Digital Printing:
Not Cost Effective For Large Quantities, No Custom PMS Spot Colors Available.
However, there are a few negatives to digital printing for packaging.
If you are printing in large volume, the costs can add up quickly. So there is a quantity point where another package printing method may be more economical.
Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors can also be challenging to match and there are not as many coating options as are available as with lithography printing for packaging.
Although the price per unit can be high, digital printing can be an excellent solution depending on your needs.
Detail of digital ink jet printing on corrugate. Note the pattern of ink. Inkjet printing created a dispersed pattern of ink. A digital laser print will more closely resemble offset lithography.
4. Rotogravure Printing
Best Used For:
Very High Quantities, Precision Color
Most commonly used in flexible stand-up pouch printing and on folding cartons, rotogravure printing for packaging is one of the most widely used printing techniques for high volume printing.
Also, known as gravure printing, this method is often used in printing packaging designs.
rotogravure printing is still one of the most popular printing options and could be the perfect printing for packaging solution for your business
Rotogravure printing offers excellent print quality and is more than capable of reproducing high-quality photo images.
Printing times are very quick, with modern presses capable of producing fourteen meters of film in a single second!
Rotogravure printing can produce continuous-tone images, meaning consistent high-quality prints, even at high volume.
High Initial Cost, Fewer Coating Options
Although gravure cylinders are very durable and can be used for multiple printing runs, the original cost is very high.
There are not a lot of coating options available and for it to be cost-effective, higher volumes are generally required.
However, rotogravure printing is still one of the most popular printing options and could be the perfect printing for packaging solution for your business, especially if you require high-volume, top-quality printing for your packaging.
5. Silkscreen Printing
Best Used For:
Low Quantities, Fewer Colors
Silkscreen printing produces a clean, sharp finish with printed images and text.
This printing for packaging method can be used on a wide range of materials, such as fabric, corrugated packaging, and plastics.
Samples of screen printed bottles and jars. Screen printing is used to print on rounded or irregular shapes of containers. Image courtesy of bluelinelabels.com
It can be used for prototypes, labels, promotional materials, corrugated boxes, and folding cartons.
Silkscreen printing is an excellent choice for businesses that use pre-made or stock packaging.
This printing for packaging method is an excellent choice for businesses that use pre-made or stock packaging.
It is also the perfect choice for printing marketing and promotional materials such as t-shirts and mugs.
Samples of screen printed corrugate boxes. Imagewww.onepoundcoffee.com
Set-up costs are typically very affordable and it’s a good solution for smaller volume jobs. Silkscreen printing is best used on corrugate packages and surfaces that are not flat.
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Slower Turnaround, Not Photo Quality
Some disadvantages of silkscreen printing for packaging are that turnaround times can be slower than litho printing and it is more susceptible to human error.
The finish is not usually as clean and it is difficult to reproduce photo-quality images with any real conviction. With that said, silkscreen can be the perfect solution for smaller volume packaging jobs and prototypes.
When it comes to printing for packaging there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
With so many variables at play, it’s always best to get the advice of an experienced and reputable packaging design company to ensure you make the right decision.
Here at Catalpha, our team has the knowledge and expertise to help you take the best possible approach to your packaging design to ensure the best outcome possible. Get in touch today to see how we can help you with your printing for packaging needs.
Need more help with your packaging? Here are a few other blog posts that might help explain the packaging process:
How Much Will My Packaging Cost?
Custom Packaging For Small Business – Why It’s Important & How To Get The Best Results
Follow This 10 Step Process To Create Packaging Design That Sells Your Product
Do you have more questions on package printing that we didn't cover? Let us know on the form below...
It is common, especially if you are new to printing & packaging, to expect a specific color or quality that matches what you see on a screen.
However, the truth is that the printing output cannot 100% match what we see on the monitor based on the RGB vs CMYK color output theory.
Yes, you can calibrate the quality of the output to try and mimic how it should appear, but it will depend on the technique and technology you choose.
This is where many business owners, designers, and marketers tend to make mistakes and risk the quality appeal of your brand.
Remember, though, that this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to choose more costly options.
There are many ways to make cost-effective decisions for quality results.
Here we’ll help you choose the most suitable printing methods for your custom packaging project.
Understanding the differences in output based on artwork objectives, costs, and capabilities is essential to making the right choice to optimize your branding opportunities.
What are Digital and Offset Printing?
The two main printing methods you can use for your packaging are offset lithographic printing and digital printing.
Offset Print
Offset print uses metal plates that rapidly layer color onto sheets and stamp it onto paperboard.
This is the standard method used for newspapers and magazines.
Offset is preferable for designs requiring additional processes such as spot UV and foil stamping and requires a volume of over 1000 units.
And while offset printing is more effective for large volumes, it doesn’t necessarily take longer to print your project.
Offset printing offers superior image quality and cost-efficiency for large-volume print runs but is too expensive for most low-volume projects and takes extra time to complete.
Digital Print
Digital print, on the other hand, is how your home office laser or inkjet printer works.
It offers quick turnaround times and makes low-volume jobs affordable.
It’s also easier to create variable data print runs using a digital printing press.
However, digital printers can’t quite match the color fidelity and material flexibility that offset printing offers.
According to Smithers Pira, digital printing accounts for 16.4 percent of global print and packaging in terms of value but only 3.9 percent of the print industry’s volume, suggesting that digital printing is the best low-volume print choice.
But there is more to the question than just comparing print volume.
For smaller runs and simpler designs on e-commerce packaging, digital is the way to go.
Keep your estimated print volume in mind and choose the right printing method for your packaging material.
Which Method for Which Package?
Now that you have a bit more understanding of offset printing and digital printing, it’s time to determine which method to use.
Rigid packaging typically requires offset printing. If you’re going to print on luxury boxes with a high setup cost for production, you might as well print in offset to get the best quality possible.
Corrugated packaging can benefit from either digital or offset. However, for smaller runs, digital is the best option.
Paperboard packaging typically requires offset, especially for cosmetic, pharmaceutical and small retail packaging.
This is because offset provides a clearer and more vivid printing output for smaller texts and designs. Maintaining clear and concise information on your packaging is crucial for communicating important information with consumers.
Comparing Color Depth and Coating Options
Although offset printing can be more expensive, it outperforms digital printing in terms of brightness and color depth.
Offset produces the clean, crisp, and attractive color output you see in retail stores, while digital printing produces excellent quality for simpler designs (perfect for e-commerce packaging).
In addition, offset printers can utilize the Pantone Matching Color System to match inks perfectly, whereas digital printers can only approximate these colors using color calibration.
Offset printers can even print white ink on kraft paper, while digital cannot.
Offset Printing Has More Coating Options
Along with outperforming digital printing with brightness and color depth, offset printing also allows for a greater variety of coating options that are not available with digital printing:
Prototyping with Digital and Offset
So you now know the benefits of each printing method and which package best works with which process. Now it’s time to begin prototyping your project.
Prototyping in offset is possible but requires more time and cost.
But no rule says you must choose between one or the other. Offset and digital printing can complement one another in most packaging orders.
Using digital printing to create packaging prototypes and opting for offset printing for the production process is a cost-effective way to maintain quality printing opportunities.
Optimal Order Quantities
For folding cartons and rigid boxes, no matter what quantity, offset printing is recommended.
However, if you are producing in corrugated, orders lower than 500 pieces should consider digital printing for cost efficiency and offset for pieces larger than 1000-2000 due to better quality and cost optimization.
Still trying to figure out where to start?