Production Inkjet Printing: Ready for Prime-Time for Commercial, Package Printers?

"With the sheetfed products, they can start to handle the heavy weights and some of the packaging elements," Pesko adds. "We can start to seriously look at packaging applications that exist now. With the cutsheet ability, you're going to be able to run much heavier substrates and be able to start displacing some of the traditional products in the packaging area, as well."

As to how inkjet digital printing will impact the commercial printing marketplace, Jim Hamilton—who as group director for InfoTrends, is responsible for production consulting—feels that inkjet technology really stepped out into the spotlight during 2013. All the major worldwide shows—PRINT 13, FESPA, PrintPack India, China Print, Labelexpo, Pack Expo and SGIA—boasted a prominent inkjet flavor.

Beyond the World of Documents

"The range of jetted materials and substrates is staggering," Hamilton notes. "Digital print technologies are commonly used on paper and to some extent plastics, but the use of inkjet for printing on foil, metal, ceramics, textiles, wood and glass are all on the rise. It's no surprise, then, that many of the production digital print announcements of 2013 focused on non-document applications like ceramics, labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons and corrugated boxes. In fact, one of the most exciting 3D print applications is in creating prototypes for use in package design. This helps manufacturers get products to market sooner and drives economic opportunity."

Hamilton also points out that inkjet printing has made "huge inroads" in indoor and outdoor wide-format graphics, label printing and color document printing. He is especially excited about wide-format inkjet, which offers commercial printers the chance to capture more of the client's marketing budget with numerous applications and a range of different product capabilities.

On the package printing end, Hamilton sees potential in up-and-coming B2-format cutsheet inkjet solutions, though other technologies (such as liquid toner) could also challenge inkjet for high coverage work.