Guest blog by Ian Schofield, Packaging and Sustainability Specialist

Are end-users making the most out of the new water-based digital printing technology?

Understanding the benefits is vital and there are a number to consider. For example, on these presses you can confidently achieve what is required in terms of:

• Colour gamut.
• Run speeds.
• Customisation of elements.
• Run length flexibility.

All these advancements are now starting to happen and are shaping some production approaches that are set to be defining.

Connective packaging is one fast-growing trend and is now massive for the digital market. The ability to print unique bar codes on individual packs is going to continue to be huge for many markets. However, you cannot do that conventionally.

Other benefits of digital printing are print run lengths. Whether you run one, two,10 or 10,000 it doesn’t matter. You can have an individual print or you can do all 10,000.

The big runs now are not a big issue for these machines.

Another important consideration is sustainability, which will continue to be impactful too.

Is water-based digital printing more sustainable than current printing? The LCA’s have still to be proven. However, thankfully, it’s looking good compared to conventional printing.

I was delighted to share these benefits – and more – with important stakeholders from the packaging industry at a recent exclusive Corrugated Workshop hosted by Koenig & Bauer Durst to discuss the future and role of digital printing from a converter’s point of view.

You can find out more on which digital printing benefits could help define a successful future for your operation by talking directly to Koenig & Bauer Durst.

By Jon Blackbourn, Head of Digital Print UK, Schumacher Packaging Birmingham

Consumers look for convenience and clear information on packaging.

Intelligent designs that achieve these two critical points go a long way to creating a valuable premium unboxing experience.

They can also help a brand align itself with consumers’ personal values and build loyalty.

Packaging is a powerful vehicle that can be utilized to communicate important information clearly and in an easy to find way.

‘Smart packaging’ takes this a step further and has changed how a brand can engage with a consumer to positively influence repeat sales.
Smart packaging uses interactive technology such as QR codes to improve the customer experience. It enables a brand to tell its story, whether that be field to bottle, farm to fork and so on. It can create customer engagement.

It can also showcase other offerings within a brand’s portfolio, inform consumers about seasonal promotions and supply relevant news on new and imminent product launches.

All these are among the many reasons why we invested in the Delta SPC 130 single pass high volume digital press from Koenig & Bauer Durst for corrugated markets. The corrugated market is ripe for digital transformation.

Our FlexLine Eco+ model with six colours is the first installation in the UK and is a central focal point as we expand our presence in UK markets as one of the UK’s leading plain and printed cardboard manufacturers.

By Wolfgang Zeug, Lead Print Instructor, Koenig & Bauer

Printing at drupa 2024 was the highlight of my career so far. While the show was busy and demanding, it was an incredibly positive experience overall, especially as the team worked so well together – before, during and after the event.

It was fantastic to see how much interest there was in the VariJET 106, the first jointly developed product by Durst and Koenig & Bauer.

It was insightful to hear the questions the visitors had and see their response to the world maps we were printing. In fact, the supplies of the maps always ran out very quickly.

I joined Koenig & Bauer as an apprentice in December 2006 and have been working on the VariJET 106 throughout its development. In the early days, it was very exciting to help with the development, to be a part of the decision-making process, and to watch when ideas were successfully implemented.

Being part of the team and refining the evolution of the VariJET has been a privilege, and I have been enormously proud to be a part of the process that has elevated the print quality to the results we consistently achieve today.

I’m also a print instructor for the Koenig & Bauer large format Rapida 145 or Rapida 164 presses. Initially I was a little worried about running the computer-based VariJET but it was very straightforward. Inputting the information is simple and creating high quality output is easy.

However, there are always ways to improve the capabilities of the press and there is so much potential with regards to handling variable data and the flexible production of small print runs.

Its versatile completion of colour rich results is impressive and always well received at shows and our dedicated demo centre at the Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed division headquarters in Radebeul, Germany.

As the same time, it is always amazing to see how customers can sometimes be inspired by digital printing in the demo centre.

It might be a standard demo, or a customer-focused demo, but it is so rewarding when customers start to see what could be possible for their operations.

All my colleagues at VariJET are doing a very good job, not just those who were involved at drupa. In other words, also those from Service who look after the machines at the customers’ premises.

I am incredibly proud to be part of this unique collaboration between market-leading companies in the printing and packaging industry.

By Christian Jank, Process Engineer, Sheetfed, Koenig & Bauer

Coming originally from an offset background and having spent many years in digital print applications, I’ve seen the best of both worlds.

Digital printing is reshaping the folding carton market by enabling rapid, flexible, and sustainable production solutions. While it’s not a replacement for traditional methods, its role is growing, particularly for shorter runs, design flexibility, versioning, and agile production needs.
A large portion of folding carton converters see the future of the packaging industry as a hybrid approach, combining digital and conventional printing to balance cost, scale, and customization needs.

The feedback I’ve received indicates that the VariJET 106 single-pass press, a collaborative development by Durst and Koenig & Bauer specifically for the folding carton markets, will transform business operations.

Among its big strengths are the outstanding color-to-color registration and machine stability ensuring high uptimes. Customers are amazed that you can print black negative in as little as 4pt font even with the densest black. It’s particularly useful with barcode work when every job is different.

All-in-one production – particularly with embellishment possible for anything from tobacco packaging to pharmaceutical applications – is also becoming increasingly important. We have a unique position with this level of productivity (our VariJET 106 runs at 5,550sph) in line embellishment in B1 digital format.

One Koenig & Bauer customer from the UAE we saw at drupa was blown away by the capabilities of the VariJET 106 on carton boxes for whisky, which included vinyl on uncoated paper. Their feedback to the dark green, embellished tint used were extremely positive.

Another customer visiting our VariJET Demo Center was impressed by the color registration and quality of the hair coloration on the printed packaging for a major brand. Critical to the success was achieving the grey balance.

People may ask, ‘Why invest in digital?’ To me, it is simple: Digital packaging printing on the VariJET eliminates time-consuming processes such as color matching for new packaging products. From concept to market-ready product, the timeline will be reduced from weeks to mere days.

The quality is there to meet the demands of the packaging industry. Digital printing in folding carton markets has an important future, one I’m glad to be part!