Digital Printing
The benefits of digital printing are absolutely essential for today’s packaging sector. With digital printing, you can optimally implement small, medium and also large print runs in high-quality offset. How does digital printing work? Consult the digital printing experts from THIMM Group to find out more.
Definition of digital printing
Digital printing is an contactless print process. This means that no separate print media are required because the print image is transferred directly to the printing press via computer. In comparison to other printing processes, such as offset or flexo-printing, the laborious press set-up is no longer required.
In terms of resolution, digital printing is comparable to offset printing. Digital printing is therefore ideal for high-quality packaging and displays. For printed matter such as business cards, letterhead, stickers & labels, brochures & flyers, posters & billboards, etc., digital printing has already established itself.
Typical uses & benefits of digital printing
With digital printing, you can optimally implement small, medium and also large print runs in high-quality offset. Its low set-up costs translate into good cost benefits in comparison to other printing processes. This means you no longer have to place consolidated orders of large print runs or hold high stock levels. Stay flexible and save printing set-up costs!
Digital printing is essential for a quick market launch as you can acquire cost-effective test production runs for your market research. As it is an contactless printing process, fast image changes and therefore shorter delivery times are possible. You can expect an optimisation of your supply chain with digital printing!
Internal Printing
Retain your customers through customised packaging for special campaigns or seasonal packaging. In addition to a beautifully printed external cover of a corrugated cardboard packaging unit, digital printing can also enhance the interior surface of packaging with internal printing. This is how special customer experiences are created. Whether for seasonal campaigns with direct and personalised customer targeting, customised slogans or many other ideas – internal printing offers countless possibilities for creating a real brand experience. Generate a WOW effect to create customer engagement through the internal surface of displays, sales and shipping packaging and food trays.
Your colour choices for your design know no limits – the CMYK colour models consists of the three colours of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (key) which is derived from the keyplate. A whole range of special colours can be simulated in digital printing using the CMYK process colours. This minimises colour variations. Invisible code in the print image is also possible. Design your contemporary and customised printing today!
Advantages of digital printing
What are the advantages of switching to digital printing? THIMM will show you the reasons for switching to digital printing:
- Flexibility is the biggest success factor: in digital printing you can have different designs for series products printed in offset quality with no limitations in the number of colours
- Replacement for labels: Product descriptions can be printed directly onto your packaging by the digital print shop
- Continuous codes lead to process optimization in your production or packaging area
- Due to the printing width of 2.80 m, packaging and displays can be produced in one piece using digital printing
- Small and medium runs are possible by combining different digital print designs on one paper roll.
- Be different and innovative
Digital printing presses in detail
At THIMM Group one of the machines we use to produce your digital printing output is a HP PageWide Web Press. You will benefit from its speed, durability and versatility benefits as with its speed of 183 metres per minute, 1,200 dpi offset quality and an operating width of 2.80 metres we can open up totally new possibilities to you:
The printing press can process paper weights from 80 to 400 grammes per square metre. With the four-colour water and pigment-based CMYK thermal ink jet printing, we also comply with all the requirements for indirect food contact.
Digital printing as a driver of digitization
Digital printing is a digital driver in the packaging industry. Today, there is an ever-increasing diversity in retail with ever-shorter product life cycles. Manufacturers therefore often require individualized packaging. Digital printing makes this possible!
Of course, digital printing is only one component of digitization: a machine for digital printing is analog. However, all processes around the digital printing machine are digital. During the test phase in 2017, for example, THIMM was only able to process the digitally printed paper rolls analogously. At that time, the finishing machines could only record up to ten jobs, which was completely sufficient until then. In the meantime, all processes have been converted to digital so that machine manufacturers, partners and suppliers are increasingly networked.
The possibilities of digital printing can only be exploited if all associated processes are also digital! Constructions and designs for digital printing packaging, for example, are always available in digital form. If this digital data is processed manually, it is not digital. This means that data processing would be just as long as with an analogue printing process. Machine manufacturers, partners and suppliers must always be networked in order to convert such processes.
Digital printing for packaging
Digital printing digitizes analog packaging solutions
Since 2007, the world has united online and offline with the first significant introduction of smartphones. The requirements of the retail trade have changed dramatically as a result. Shopping had to become an experience. The development was reflected in the buyer groups: retail-only shoppers and heavy online shoppers declined sharply. Hybrid shoppers rose sharply. They inform themselves offline and buy on the Internet - or vice versa. This also increased the need for information. Digital printing can be used to produce packaging solutions that contain digital data codes. This is a digital watermark that is not visible to the human eye in the printed image. This does not affect the printed image. Using an app, such data codes can communicate with potential customers. The information can be scanned via an Internet-enabled smartphone or tablet.
THIMM produced such an intelligent display in digital printing for Fresh Nuts, a manufacturer of nut variations and dried fruits. Customers can use the print image to access the latest information videos on a muesli product launch. In our customer story about the digitally printed display you can find out more exciting details.
Digitally printed packaging for hygiene products
THIMM produced the diaper packaging in digital printing for Ontex. The highlight were three different background designs for all four diaper sizes. The twelve individual printed images created a clear differentiation on the retail shelf. This enables customers to directly identify the required diaper size. Read details about diaper packaging in digital printing.
Digitally printed packaging for e-commerce
The digital printing for HelloFresh was the first order on the HP PageWide web press T1100S in Ilsenburg (Germany) in 2017. Since then, the Hellofresh Grillbox ordered online has been shipped in digital printing packaging. Here the digital pressure shows its potentials optimally:
The digital pressure packing is used in two different sizes and for a seasonal campaign. This means small quantities of packaging. Compared to conventional printing processes, digital printing is much more economical here. Read more online about the digital printing premiere in Ilsenburg, Germany.
Digital printing for displays
Digital printing for displays made from corrugated cardboard
Secondary placements, floor-standing displays, large placements and decorative elements can be designed and produced using a wide range of printing processes. In addition to flexo- and offset printing, digital printing also has its advantages.
The digital printing process enables you to design and implement individual display elements such as bases, trays or toppers to attract specific target groups. For a shopping experience in a class of its own!
You can not only personalise displays and decorative elements, but also product-related labels, stickers and the related packaging.
In digital printing you not only share information in the "visible" way, but through the use of integrated codes you can also use digital communication channels to reach the consumer. Digital printing for displays is therefore a 2-in-1-communication channel – analogue and digital – between manufacturer and customer. These invisible data codes are integrated directly into the print image, making them invisible initially to consumers. A digital world comes to life through a smartphone or tablet and an associated customisable app. This allows you to insert targeted product-related information, industry news or purchase impulses for consumers.
Digital printing gives you full flexibility along with fast and responsive technology for new product launches and short-term promotions. Use digital printing as your voice to the customer and take advantage of modern digital printing technology. We are happy to help!
Digitally-printed display base made from corrugated cardboard
The base made from corrugated cardboard has a quarter pallet format (600 x 800 mm). Digital printing opens up a wide range of customised design options to you. Whether for short-term promotions, seasonal campaigns or new product launches, you can generate attention at the POS with digitally-printed display bases made from corrugated cardboard. The bases can be placed either on a plastic pallet or directly on the floor.
Another benefit: THIMM provides you with a base produced from a single-piece. Whereas two-piece production was previously used which required several process steps, one-piece production with digitally printed motifs is now used. This means we both save production steps and costs.
The tray placed on the base can be aligned to our standard heights or designed to fit the different sizes of your products. All the design options for digital printing are also available for the tray. Please contact us at any time if you are interested!
