29 Jul What are the benefits of digital label printing?

There are many benefits to digital label printing, not least of which is that it dramatically reduces production times. In addition to this – it’s cost effective, high quality, environmentally friendly and it allows for easy amendments to be made. RGS Labels is a leading digital printing company in the UK, and we’d like to share our knowledge of the process with you so that you can see if you think this solution would work for your business. So, if you’d like to know more about the benefits of digital label printing – then read on . . .

What is digital label printing?

First, let’s break down what digital label printing actually means. Those outside of the label industry, generally aren’t aware of the differences.

Conventional label printing required expensive plates and film to be crafted, which was expensive and time consuming. Once the plates and film were created, it was impossible to make minor amendments to labelling without carrying out the entire process again. You also needed a different plate for each colour that was used on your label. This wasn’t exactly convenient. You had to be super sure of your label design before going into production – and if the plates came back with an error – what then? In contrast, digital printing allows full control over high quality printing runs. It’s not always as fast as flexographic printing for larger runs, but it offers several distinct advantages over conventional label printing styles and provides an incredible level of customization.

In digital printing, the label design is transferred from an electronic file to the digital label printer. Trying to make a choice about label solutions can seem daunting, so let us run you through the benefits of digital label printing:

• Digital label printing is environmentally friendly

Digital printing reduces the waste produced during the printing process, as it doesn’t require the creation of plates and uses 4 times less ink than conventional methods. It offers you an easy way to print exactly what you need when you need it. Offset printing and flexographic printing are fast and efficient for large runs, but the plates and rubber blankets needed for these processes usually aren’t needed once a production run finishes and are therefore thrown away. They end up in our environment, causing damage to the planet.

• Digital label printing allows high quality for small print

It’s easy to create high quality labels with digital label printing. If you need to print labels with small print, multiple languages, tight registration, barcodes, SKU numbers, QR codes or highly detailed artwork then digital label printing is the best solution for you.

It is especially effective for producing medical advice and pharmaceutical labels for highly sensitive, technical products with specialized applications. If your organization needs to meet strict GMP government regulations or compliance standards which require specific information on your label, digital printing allows for this, without sacrificing image quality.

• You can update creative files easily before or after print runs

Digital printing allows you to easily customize every printing run to your exact specifications. Other forms of label printing require more extensive setup procedures, so it’s not easy to make amendments. Let’s say you print off 100 labels and receive some feedback from customers about a change they’d like to see – you can easily achieve this in a few clicks. This makes digital label printing incredibly efficient for short runs or for multiple runs with slight variations needed between each.

• Digital label printing offers fast turnaround times

If your business creates products that require a unique touch, then custom product labels are much easier and faster to create with digital label printing.  It also makes a company more responsive to upheavals and seasonal changes. If your business produces new products every few months or in response to customer trends and requests, then this type of label printing system is ready to go as soon as you create the files for your newest labels. Whereas conventional printing methods require the designing and procuring of plates, sourcing the right inks and any errors can lead to significant production delays.

• Short runs are made easy with digital label printing

Digital printing is ideal for short run label printing. What it lacks in speed compared to other label printing methods it more than makes up for with flexibility. Short runs are easy peasy when you have a digital label printing partner that adapts quickly to changing requirements, can handle multiple short runs for many different products with ease and upload any changes on the fly.

• Digital printing is cost effective, whatever your company size

One of the biggest challenges that faces small businesses who require labelling services is the cost of short run productions. But digital label printing usually has low printing minimum requirements, so it’s easy for a small business to coordinate short run label production or print low quantity orders without sacrificing on quality. Flexographic printing offers faster printing, but this is only a cost-effective printing solution for very high-quantity productions due to the need for plate creation.

Ultimately, digital label printing means durable, high quality product labels that can be printed on demand. Small organisations can produce low quantity orders with a high-end look and feel. Bigger production orders from larger companies are still easy to manage. Sacrificing speed for quality is well worth it, and the digital labels made for large production runs will be more effective, longer lasting, and more visually impressive than conventional printing methods could achieve.

Give us a call at RGS Labels today to discuss your digital printing needs.