Successful LMAI digital print technologies event in south India LMAI organised “DIGITAL PRINTING IN LABELS - THE WAY FORWARD” at ITC Welcome Hotel, Chennai on the 20th of December 2019. The narrow web label industry is a smaller segment of the larger diverse printing and packaging industry. It remains in focus for being the face of all products and an imperative identity providing part of any package. It is estimated by many that the Printing industry in India is growing at over 12% per annum. Some segments get slower and there are others like packaging are growing at a faster pace of 17% to compensate the shortfall by registering better growth. The label industry has been growing in a very wide band between 10 and 25%, the growth has always been in double digits. While Offset is the largest segment of the printing technologies employed yet the past 2-3 decades have seen growth in adoption of other printing processes like flexography, Rotogravure and Screen.
The event addresses the need for knowledge and understanding digital printing technologies since label printing and converting is in an evolutionary phase of adopting digital printing, while still growing with analogue.
Key Notes : > Digital printing registering a robust growth of 30%. > European investments in digital presses for labels in a year had exceeded that in flexo presses. > Leading companies sponsor the event and make interesting presentations.
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In recent times the convenience of “just in time computer to print capabilities” has resulted in adoption of digital printing by many printers such that the segment is registering robust growth of 30%. The narrow web label industry that is largely employing flexographic printing has been conservative and hesitant in adopting digital printing for labels because of higher investment in capital equipment, expensive inks and costly printheads needing replacements resulting in costlier labels in comparison to those produced on their existing equipment. The return on investment appeared to be unattractive. It was just
a matter of time that the growth of digital printing of labels in India would start to attract investment. FINAT, the European label Association with global membership had reported a couple of years ago that European investments in digital presses for labels in a year had exceeded that in flexo presses. We now see an evident interest and indulgence in this digital label printing technology by Indian printers as well. Recognising the need for knowledge and understanding digital printing technologies since label printing and converting is in an evolutionary phase of adopting digital printing, while still growing with analogue, LMAI-The Label Manufacturers Association of India organized a program titled “DIGITAL PRINTING IN LABELS - THE WAY FORWARD” for the benefit of its members only. The program took place at ITC Welcome Hotel, Chennai
