Offset and digital are the two most common printing techniques for industrial corrugated box packaging. From wastage and versatility to the pricing ratio of both shorter and longer manufacturing runs, there are clear differences between them. Both digital printing and offset printing offer beneficial techniques, but each serves different purposes. The specific demands of your project will eventually determine which printing method is best. We’ll guide you in this article so you can decide the most appropriate solution for your brand’s visibility.
Based on the RGB vs. CMYK color outcome principle, one should be aware from the outset that the printing result may differ from what is shown on the monitor. We can, however, attempt to adjust the output’s quality to achieve the ideal appearance, but this will rely on the technology and technique you choose to use for various quantities, qualities, and target clients. This is where a lot of entrepreneurs, designers, and marketers confuse and fail to deliver the value of the brand from the packaging. There are arrays of ways for the client to make economical and budgeted choices that yield high-quality outcomes or present a value-added premium look for your products.
What are digital print corrugated boxes?
The worldwide digital printing industry for packaging and label printing has been growing recently. As for what Smithers Pira mentioned in his research, he forecasted the market share may increase to 7.2% in 2026. Despite the value of the entire printed packaging industry decreasing by 1.5% in 2020, digital print quantities for packaging rose significantly. A growing number of labels and packaging have digital printing firmly established and ingrained in their business’s products and services. It brings up new possibilities for companies and increases production efficiency. Significant price hikes for numerous substrates and complications to numerous packaging and label supply chains led to the market value’s strong rebound in the latter half of 2020.
Digital printing is one of the most customisable printing techniques for packaging supplies, with a wide range of uses. For instance, products such as stand-up pouches, prototypes, labels, corrugated containers, foldable cartons, etc. could all be printed with outstanding workmanship using digital printing. Simply describe the printing process: ink gets absorbed immediately onto the substrate. Digital printing utilises water-based ink during production instead of aluminum substrates and rubber sheets to print a graphic.
Due to the minimal machinery and installation expenses involved in the digital printing packaging technique, it is not only versatile but also capable of meeting time constraints and completing projects swiftly. Since corrugate digital printing has become more sophisticated, businesses newly started or launching new products or packaging now turn to this technology for further testing the market at ease. Optimal personalisation is also possible with digital printing. If a job requires specific client names, this technique works exceptionally well, as it can customise and amend each of the components. Since an automated cutting machine is typically used for all die cutting, there are typically no extra die plate charges from the manufacturers. More freedom to alter designs without incurring additional expenses is another benefit. This is a huge advantage if you frequently change your graphics or launch seasonal marketing campaigns. Digital printing is known for producing exceptional graphic results with lower costs in low-quantity orders, and print quality is nearly as excellent as offset printing. Notably, there may be colour errors in huge, conventionally flood-coated colour blocks on the corrugated box through digital printing. Additionally, the type of corrugated cardboard used might have an impact on the sharpness of the ink outlines and the vibrancy of certain shades. Nevertheless, companies wishing to venture into the realm of unique packaging, especially for extra-large-sized packaging such as corrugated boxes for fruits, red wine, or electrical appliances that traditional printing technology and offset printing that are not compatible with the large size of the corrugated board, could opt for the digital printing option. Any companies wishing to produce immediate packaging with a fast lead time should opt for YF digital printing technology with single pass mode compared with the scan mode offered by most of the packaging manufacturers. Digitally printed cartons are perfect when comes to large-size corrugated box, most companies may even benefit from these potential printing limitations that we mentioned before.
Ideal for: shorter turnaround time; consistent printing ink points onto each of the orders; cost-effectiveness for small quantity orders; easy amendment of various errors on the packaging; mass customisation in the same order
What are offset print corrugated boxes?
This printing technique, referred to as “offset lithography,” uses ink applied to a metal plate that is subsequently printed onto the backing material. Offset printing is renowned for its affordability and excellent quality. Books, periodicals, and cartons packaging are frequently made using it. The process of “offsetting” involves moving the graphic from an aluminum plate onto a rubber “cover,” which is subsequently rolled onto the surface to be offset. For small text, this printing technique produces vibrant, sharp colours for the edges that digital printing techniques cannot match. With more than 500 shades of colour, the colours’ brightness and clarity are significantly superior to those of most other techniques. Because of this, it is more costly due to shorter run times. For huge order quantities that are required to be completed within a shorter time, it’s a superior option. Additionally, it’s challenging to modify or customize designs after you get started. Sometimes, errors in printing might happen, and it requires much time and a lengthy production process to fix them, especially for long-run orders.
Ideal for: high standard for specific colour matching; Cost-effectiveness for huge quantity orders; Clear and distinct graphics without spots or streaks
When choosing how to print packaging, there are several factors to take into account. You must determine what is most important when creating your custom box printing because cost, speed, and craftsmanship all have their specific demands or constraints. YF Packaging also offers white ink digital printing to enhance the packaging quality and reveal more to opt for a low-cost yet premium-looking printing packaging.
