Market Trends of Flexographic Printing Industry
Folding Cartons Expected to Account for a Significant Share
- Flexographic printing, known for its quick-drying properties and use of non-toxic inks, is a favored choice for food packaging. It finds primary applications in printing on milk cartons, food and beverage containers, and disposable cups.
- Global demand for folding cartons is rising due to their lightweight nature. Ensuring quality in both the physical carton and the final print is paramount. To keep up with this demand, printers are increasingly adopting multi-site operations. Notably, the Food and Agriculture Organization projects a slight uptick in carton board production, from 11,796 metric tons in 2022, and it is expected to reach 11,993 metric tons in 2024.
- Changing consumer lifestyles and eating habits are fueling a surge in demand for packaged products, especially in food. This trend is significantly impacting the flexographic printing market for folding cartons. Factors such as enhanced shelf life, consumer safety, and the increasing per capita disposable income, alongside a growing population, further bolstered this demand.
- In the past, cutter-crease or platen die-cutting operations were predominantly associated with rotogravure or sheet-fed offset presses, not folding carton presses. However, with advancements in flexographic printing quality, water-based or UV ink adoption, and reduced equipment costs, converters are increasingly turning to flexographic printing for high-quality folding cartons.
- While flexographic printing has a history of printing folding cartons, the recent shift towards using central impression presses for this purpose is notable. Initially, flexo printing was primarily used for products like pizza cartons. However, the capability to achieve multi-color prints with precise registration on the wide web has broadened its appeal, especially for point-of-purchase folding carton applications.
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Asia-Pacific Expected to Dominate the Flexographic Printing Market
- The e-commerce industry in the region is witnessing rapid growth, which is a key driver behind the increasing adoption of flexographic printing machines. Flexographic printing is pivotal for producing labels and is extensively utilized, especially in printing on corrugated cardboard. For instance, Invest India projects the e-commerce market to surge to USD 350 billion by 2030.
- The burgeoning logistics sector, a significant consumer of packaging and printed labels, is poised to propel the flexographic printing market. Furthermore, as regional governments intensify efforts to bolster the manufacturing sector, the demand for flexographic printing machines is expected to rise correspondingly.
- Despite the flexographic printing market achieving a degree of maturity, the industry continues to witness significant technological innovations and applications, addressing present and future client demands. Driven by a persistent transition from publications to packaging and advancements in printing technologies, the market is poised for growth. Moreover, key market players are forging strategic innovations or partnerships to enter the region and expand their market presence. These collaborations will introduce the area to product offerings and drive the adoption of flexographic printing machines in the coming years.
- Companies operating in the region are growing their business through innovations. For instance, in March 2024, Flexure Print N Pack, based in Ahmedabad, India, achieved a milestone by completing a commercial print run for a frozen food client. It achieved an exceptional print resolution of 208 lines per Inch (LPI) using the Echaar FlexoSmart HR300 central impression flexographic printing press, showcasing a notable leap in flexographic printing technology.
- Asia-Pacific is dominating the global commercial printing market and is expected to witness similar growth over the coming years owing to the increasing consumption of commercial printing in emerging economies such as China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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