The Future of Flexo

While the label printing industry has been abuzz with improvements in digital technology, flexography has quietly hummed along, continuing to be the reliable backbone of the label industry that it’s been for decades. According to the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), 72% of flexo printers and converters report annual sales increases, with 86% experiencing five straight years of better bottom lines. In the label sector, the FTA's forecasted annual growth rate of 5.2% points to a technology that is quite healthy, as it heads into a future faced with increased pressure from competing print technologies.

L&NW recently caught up with a few flexo industry suppliers – from throughout the supply chain – to get their thoughts on what the future holds for the flexographic printing process.

Deanna Whelan, Global Marketing Manager, Packaging and Narrow Web, Flint Group:
The new curing methods of UV LED, which minimize downtime, increase productivity and reduce energy costs, and add a superior value as a print method for improved sustainability, is a landmark dev