The Growth of Print Labels Industry
Print labels have become an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it is the food items we consume, clothes we wear or electronic devices we use - print labels play a vital role in conveying important information to consumers. In this article, we explore the growth of the print labels industry and how it has evolved over the years.
Emergence of Digital Printing Technology
The print labels industry has seen tremendous growth in the last two decades riding on the emergence of digital printing technology. Earlier, print labels were mainly produced using traditional offset printing which involved the use of printing plates. This process was expensive and labels had to be printed in large volumes.
The advent of digital printing transformed the industry. Technologies like inkjet, toner-based and thermal transfer printing allowed printing of low volume, high resolution labels on-demand. This enabled print labels to be customized as per customer requirement without heavy minimum order quantities. Digital printing also brought down the overall production cost significantly.
Rise of Customized and Variable Data Printing
Digital printing opened new possibilities for customization and variable data printing. Print labels could now be personalized for each customer containing their name, order details or other customized information. Industries like pharmaceuticals, food and beverages made extensive use of variable data labels for traceability.
Customized labeling helped companies engage customers at a personal level while compliance-oriented industries relied on variable data labels for effective traceability. Over time, customized and variable data print labels became mainstream across multiple industries.
Adoption Across Diverse Industries
The flexibility and cost advantages of print labels fueled their adoption across diverse industries over the last two decades:
- Food and Beverages: Ingredients listing, nutrition information, expiry/best before dates, manufacturing details, barcodes etc. are some key labels used.
- Pharmaceuticals: Medication details, dosage, batch traceability are important for print labels in pharma industry.
- Electronics: Product details, barcode labels, serial numbers, warranty terms are common print label requirements.
- Apparels and Fashion: Care instructions, size, material composition is conveyed through garment labels.
- Transport and Logistics: Address labels, tracking barcodes, postal codes are required by transport and courier companies.
Growth of Self-Adhesive Print Labels
The emergence of new adhesive technologies further enhanced print labels usability. Self-adhesive print labels simplified application processes across industries. No additional glue or application equipment was required to affix these labels.
The convenience and reliability of self-adhesive labels boosted their popularity. Innovations in adhesive science allowed the development of labels suited for diverse surfaces like glass, metal, plastic etc. Today, self-adhesive print labels account for over 75% of the total industry revenue.
Increased Regulatory Compliance Needs
Over the last decade, regulations around labeling have become more stringent across verticals. Compliance requirements pertaining to ingredients disclosure, country of origin, recycling/disposal guidelines are now enforced through comprehensive legislation.
Print labels play a significant role in demonstrating regulatory adherence. Advanced digital printing solutions help address these evolving compliance needs through customizable labels, serialization, and verifiable traceability features built-in labels. Compliance-oriented industries rely heavily on digitally printed labels.
Sustainability Drives Innovation
Growing environmental concerns have put the spotlight on sustainability in the print labels industry. Brands and retailers aim to reduce label waste and opt for eco-friendly materials. Digital print technology minimizes inventory wastage associated with obsolete stock.
Innovations in materials like compostable adhesives and paper facestocks and recycling-friendly laminates are gaining traction. Digitally printed labels allow brands to communicate their sustainability commitments through messaging on labels as well. Sustainable labeling has become a key priority area and will drive further innovation.
Accelerated Growth Ahead
The print labels industry has seen immense growth riding on digital revolution, evolving compliance needs, sustainable manufacturing priorities and adoption across industries. New applications areas around track and trace, authentication, interactive labels will further propel future growth.
Advancements in smart labeling, RFID, Near Field Communications (NFC) and Internet of Things (IoT) will redefine label connectivity. Digitization trends will transform supply chain visibility through integration of labels data into remote inventory and order management systems.
With regulatory drivers, innovation and expanding use cases - the print labels industry is poised to increasingly impact businesses and experience accelerated growth over the next decade. Customized, sustainable and digitally enabled labels will strengthen customer relationships and brand perception.
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