Digital Printing

Since Guttenberg invented the moveable type press in 1449 there have been incredible advances and changes to the printing and packaging industry. Gutenberg would be surprised to see how far his invention has come in the ensuing years and the technology behind it.

In recent years the demand for shorter runs (think on-time shipping) from clients has never been greater. Instead of stockpiling labels as in the past manufacturers have adopted a “just in time” shipping method like the auto industry. Customers today want consistency and the unique combination of flexo and digital helps produce the quality they want on every run. These new demands have created a change in the printing and packaging industry. Printers must now be able to supply labels and packaging with shorter turnaround times. This means that industry standards must change for the new wave of supply and demand. Investing in printers that are capable of short turnarounds with stellar imaging, color and detail is the new norm.

Century Printing and Packaging has been studying these industry trends and invested heavily in the future of digital printing. Our company made a major investment in digital-hybrid printing technology in order to meet the demands of our customers, improve the quality of the end product, cut down on waste for the environment, and deliver stellar imaging. We invested in the Mark Andy Digital IQ Series hybrid press to give us a more competitive space where digital printing is becoming a requirement. It allows us to use the flexibility of our flexographic knowledge accumulated from 25 years in addition to the new technology of inkjet to get vibrant colors with UV inks that provide a high level of consistency and durability.

We expect it to increase production and throughput because the Digital IQ series hybrid printer runs at a faster rate than the press we are replacing. In terms of our customers, it gives them a wider range of materials that can be printed digitally and opens up opportunities for efficiency with technology that we did not have previously. Because of the consistent nature of the inkjet and the very low setup footage required.

The new technology allows us to group jobs together very easily so we can run them whether short or large for the same customer and gives us a lot of flexibility in scheduling we did not have previously. We have made a significant investment in this press to position ourselves for growth and to meet customer expectations with the highest technology possible within the industry. After four weeks of setup and a lot of manpower from Mark Andy’s staff, our press operators are feeling comfortable with the new technology. In addition to our production department needing training, our pre-press department has made this a seamless effort to deliver consistent quality and results for our clients. Both departments have worked harmoniously to produce stellar imaging and product.

It cuts down the amount of mechanical work that needs to go into adjusting a press to match the color of an existing product. Because of the 60 ft versus 150 ft. per minute and the inkjet technology versus the dry toner technology previously used the speed and throughput will help us increase the amount we can produce on a daily basis.

We are excited to show this technology to our customer base and work with their creative departments to figure out the best use for each of our customers and our partnerships.