74 | 2023 Predictionsbrand mascots, are going to become more important. Labeling meanwhile, are demanding shorter turnaround times with a companies will need to have a thorough understanding of their higher degree of product diversifcation (more SKUs). Packaging customers’ design requirements to help their products stand out and label converters are not able to adapt their analog printing on the shelves. equipment (fexo, gravure or offset) to handle the increase in variability in packaging & label designs and order frequency.Tom Cavalco, executive vice president, Mark Andy In response to these market trends, Screen GA is moving Looking at the market from a wider perspective, the demand forward with product planning for its Truepress PAC for labels is high and still growing. We assume this trend will 520P – a high-speed, water-based inkjet digital press for remain in 2023. High demand for labels affects the long-term paper-based packaging and label substrates with a much lower strategies of printers and converters, motivating them to start environmental impact than conventional printing processes. new investment projects and implement changes that increase This is due to a drastic reduction in energy and material waste. effciency and proftability and enable gaining new customers. The Truepress PAC 520P utilizes newly developed proprietary Print buyers increasingly pay attention to production calculation water-based pigment inks that comply with appropriate costs, delivery time, optimizing or lowering runs, and product food-safety regulationsversioning (including VDP). We also observe increasing print buyers’ expectations of improving quality, as well as their growing Linnea Keen, president, TLMIeco-consciousness, in terms of implementing more sustainable Each year brings a new set of opportunities and challenges, and solutions and materials, reducing waste, eco-effciency, lowering 2023 is no different. In speaking with both converter and supplier carbon footprint, etc. All these factors infuence on choosing members, challenges include economic outlook, infation, effcient and proftable printing technology by converters continued supply chain disruptions, transportation, workforce and worldwide. The increasing number of printers, including market demand. The past two years have been a whirlwind and traditional ones based on fexo technology, are aware of these TLMI members have valiantly navigated the turbulence. This year, global trends, and they respond by investing in Mark Andy hybrid many anticipate the challenges will settle down as the year goes presses. Some of our customers have already bought another on and companies will resume a sense of normalcy, or perhaps, hybrid press to expand their production capacity. what we know as the ‘new normal’.Printers will more precisely divide their production between TLMI’s events in 2023 will focus on topics that are top of mind digital and fexo technologies, making it more proftable and for our members. For example, the TLMI Converter Meeting in meeting the growing needs of print buyers, in terms of more March will focus on economic outlook, regulatory, supply chain, creative and sophisticated label designs. We expect increasing sustainability, and workforce. The results of TLMI Management demand for multi-unit presses, enabling one-pass inline Ratio Study will be shared with members, and Eugene Singer production, equipped with a translator module for peel-off Award winners will be announced.labels. We also predict a growing interest in RFID technology, As in every year, TLMI’s focus is continued support for our driven by brand owners looking for new ways of automating and members and the industry. What we see frst-hand, daily, is streamlining sales and logistics processes. that companies that cultivate a strong work culture driven by deep engagement and purposeful work overcome challenges, fnd success, beat their competitors, and attract the best talent. Grant Blewet, chief commercial ofcer, MiraclonThe current economic climate will continue driving trade shops TLMI’s mission of Community, Insight and Advocacy, enables us and converters’ investment decisions, with a growing need for to unlock the power of membership to educate, grow business, technology that enables savings across the value chain. With the and bring value.right technology, higher levels of consistency, on-press effciency and press uptime, reduced energy usage, plate, ink and substrate Harveer Sahni, chairman, Weldon Celloplastwaste – all while contributing to sustainability initiatives – can be With sustainability, environmental concerns, circular economy achieved and businesses need to take advantage of it to ensure and waste management becoming the buzzwords, now the continued business growth. brand owners will be increasingly insisting on measures to Trade shops and converters are also telling us how a simple reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint. With plate portfolio that eliminates plate inconsistencies, increases large brands planning to do away with primary packaging, the effciency and productivity, and addresses brands’ critical quality importance of a label as the major marketing tool will become demands, allows them to concentrate their efforts on other evident. Products coming from certifed green factories will parts of the production process. I believe this will be of increasing be preferred by large label buyers, more so in view of growing importance as businesses navigate through the next 12 months. regulatory measures coming in. With a large portion of the As for fexo printing itself, I believe it will continue making young literate population opting for startups instead of jobs, inroads into new markets as brands and converters see it as a digital printing will increasingly become preferred for short runs viable and cost-effective alternative to packaging previously and personalized or variable printed jobs. Already the need for produced with gravure and offset printing. The reduced time to entry-level digital label presses is becoming evident because the market and sustainability benefts offered by fexo printing are higher-end presses are quite expensive. Competition impacts in also proving to be important factors in brands’ packaging design two positive ways, which are; increased innovation to create a and production specifcations. better shelf appeal and to produce economies of scale in case of larger orders to maintain healthy bottom lines. In both cases Screen Europeeffcient machines with higher embellishing capabilities, lower The packaging and label industry is under increasing pressure wastages, increased automation, lower energy consumption and from consumer groups to reduce its environmental impact by lesser dependence on operators will fnd preference with the creating more sustainable packaging. One rapidly growing trend enterprising label companies. is the reduction of plastic material used in packaging. Many market research studies have shown that consumers perceive To read 2023 predictions from more industry leaders, paper-based packaging as a more environmentally friendly and visit bit.ly/3HbiKs5easy-to-recycle format for the products they buy. Brand owners, labelsandlabeling.com