Durst Celebrates 90th Anniversary with Technology, Service

This year marks a significant milestone for Durst. The digital printing specialist is celebrating 90 years of innovation, which has been highlighted by a portfolio expansion. To learn more about Durst, L&NW sits down with Barry Wendell, national sales manager, Label Division.

L&NW: What does this milestone mean to Durst?

BW: For Durst, 90 years of innovation represents a culture of continuous evolution, engineering excellence, and long-term partnerships with customers. From our origins in photographic technology to becoming a global leader in digital printing and production software, innovation has always been driven by a willingness to challenge traditional processes and invest ahead of market demand. For our team members, it creates a strong sense of pride and responsibility.  We are all part of a company that has consistently shaped industries through technology, relationships and trust. That mindset drives us every day.

L&NW: How has Durst exemplified that innovation in recent years?

BW: In recent years, Durst has focused heavily on automation, workflow integration, productivity, and scalable platforms that allow customers to grow with confidence as their production needs change.  Innovation today is not only about print quality or speed as it was in the past – it is about building connected production ecosystems that reduce complexity and maximize uptime.  

As converters face increasing labor challenges and shorter turnaround expectations, automation is becoming just as important as the press itself.  In the label market, the introduction of the new G3 platform and the continuous development of the KJet hybrid platform demonstrate that strategy clearly.  These solutions provide customers with high-speed, 1200 dpi production capability, exceptional print consistency, with minimal operator intervention, and the flexibility to scale performance as business needs evolve. Durst has also continued investing significantly in software and workflow automation through the Durst Workflow ecosystem.

L&NW: Are there trends Durst is seeing in the market from label converters?

BW: The label market continues to evolve rapidly and converters are navigating a combination of economic pressure, labor shortages, SKU proliferation, and increasing demand for faster turnaround times. One of the biggest trends we see is the continued shift toward higher productivity digital inkjet platforms, capable of handling larger volumes and longer runs profitably.  

Converters no longer view digital as only a short-run solution – they are increasingly using inkjet as a core production technology.  Savings on analog materials/plates, material waste reduction, ease of operation and operating costs that were not historically considered possible on digital platforms are driving this change.  We also see strong interest in workflow automation and operational efficiency. Customers want to reduce touchpoints, simplify production planning, improve repeatability, and lower overall production costs. Integration between hardware, software, and finishing has become a critical purchasing consideration. Sustainability remains another important trend. 

L&NW: What are the advantages of working with a supplier with such a diverse portfolio?

BW: One of the greatest advantages is that customers can work with a technology partner that understands their broader business strategy, not just a single application or product segment. Durst’s portfolio spans labels, large format, corrugated, textiles, software, workflow, and automation solutions.  That breadth of experience allows us to bring ideas, technologies, and best practices across multiple industries and production environments. For customers, this creates several benefits: Access to global expertise and application knowledge, a partner capable of supporting growth rather than simply selling equipment, greater scalability as their business evolves, integrated workflow and software solutions across platforms, and reduced investment risk due to long-term technology roadmaps. It also allows us to tailor solutions more effectively because every converter has unique production requirements.

L&NW: How has service been a core philosophy during Durst’s 90 years?

BW: Customer service has always been central to Durst’s philosophy because our business has never been built around transactional equipment sales – it has been built around long-term partnerships.  

Durst customers make significant investments in production technology, and they need confidence that they have a partner who will support them throughout the entire lifecycle of that investment. That includes application support, training, workflow optimization, preventative maintenance, remote diagnostics, and ongoing business development collaboration. As technology becomes more advanced and production environments become more demanding, responsive service and support become even more critical. Our focus has always been to help customers maximize uptime, productivity, and profitability, because their success ultimately defines our success.  The fact that many Durst customers have partnered with us for decades speaks to the importance of that philosophy.