Digital Labels & Packaging. The vast majority of product labels and first-level packaging you see on store shelves or e-commerce platforms are still printed on the traditional mechanical presses that have been around for decades. This process is often referred to as flexographic printing (flexo) and relies on printing plates to apply ink to the material. Each color is applied sequentially as the material moves through the press.

Flexo technology produces a high quality product in many circumstances, but there are challenges associated with this approach; the plates used to apply the different colors can be expensive, as a separate plate is needed for each color. In addition, if the design or content changes, new plates must be made at additional cost. Flexo presses also require significant setup time - up to several hours - and cause significant material wear before the first label can be printed. These steps generate additional overhead costs that often force customers to buy higher quantities. Especially for smaller companies that only need a small number of labels or pouches for their products, this technology is a real obstacle to flexibility.
Digital printing, on the other hand, is not dependent on plates and stations and therefore requires much less setup time and produces less waste - in many cases, none at all. Artwork files are sent directly to the press and the different colors are printed simultaneously. This allows the press to print as many or as few labels, pouches or folding cartons as you need at one time, and changes in design or content can be made simply by providing the new artwork and resending it to the press.
At Palamo, we want to provide the best solution for our customers, which is why we specialize in digital printing.
The main advantages of digital printing at a glance.

Sustainability. Single-use equipment and material waste can be significantly reduced thanks to digital workflow optimizations. At Palamo, an end-to-end sustainable supply chain is at the core of our value proposition.

Speed. Traditional label manufacturers can take anywhere from a week to several weeks to produce a label order, whereas digital companies can usually turn around an order much faster. At Palamo, our normal production time is just a few business days from the time we receive your approval.

Quality & Flexibility. Continuous improvements in digital printing allow photo-like quality with unlimited colors, whereas traditional presses usually rely on a one plate per color model, with additional costs for each additional color. Most of our customers are very pleasantly surprised when they see the beautiful results that can be achieved with a digital press. And since no printing plates are needed, changes to the design are very easy and inexpensive.

Flexible quantities. With digital technology, the press can print as many labels or pouches as are requested at that time. Since the press requires minimal setup each time, you can print from very small to very large quantities - no need to forecast demand months in advance.

Multiple variations. Digital presses have the ability to print similar label and packaging designs simultaneously. Therefore, we can print numerous variations of the same size at the same time, allowing you to combine multiple product requirements into a single run. For example, you can order 1000 red, 2000 yellow and 3500 blue versions of your label and still receive a unit price based on the combined quantity of 6500 labels. Design and colors can also differ as long as the same size and material is used.

Inventory Costs & Cash Flow. When you order 50 to 100 thousand labels for a single product on a conventional press, the quantity is often driven by the desire to reduce the unit price. The reasoning is well understood, however, these labels also need to be stored somewhere - consuming valuable space, money and incurring storage costs. In addition, there may be changes in ingredients or regulatory requirements, causing further sunk costs. Feel free to contact us for our Legal Check service.

Variable content. With digital presses, it is possible to have slightly different content on each individual printed label. A very common example is barcode labels for serialization, but also variations in text language. Variable content allows for new products, geographic extensions, and promotional opportunities. We gladly advise you on this topic.

Proofs. Digital printing offers you the ability to print your proofs on the actual press, without all the setup associated with traditional presses. This is obviously not a free service and will also involve delays to your order, but if you are particularly concerned about colors or quality, we can provide you with proofs before we go into production for an additional charge. Please contact us for more information.

Prototyping. Have you ever thought about trying out different designs on your own customers or perhaps a focus group? With our digital press, you can print small quantities of multiple designs at a fair price - something that is completely unthinkable with traditional printing technologies.

To cut to the chase: Traditional flexo presses may still be suitable for very long runs with large quantities per standardized variant, but digital printing definitely opens up new possibilities for multiple variants within a product line and a sustainable footprint for your company.

With that in mind, if your current label or packaging partner doesn't offer digital label printing (which the vast majority don't due to the initial investment required to purchase the right equipment), you're probably not getting the best deal possible.

We would be happy to discuss this topic further with you to find a suitable solution for your needs.

Your Palamo Team