Many commercial printers have die-cutting capabilities for booklets, and they can leverage that, Karstedt added. “They may buy some folder-gluers, but it’s not a huge jump from booklets to package printing,” he advised. “They can also partner with small, local packaging companies to do some of the finishing work, or the folding and gluing, until they get enough business to do it on their own. Some commercial printers have an expertise in digital equipment, and some of the digital equipment can be used to produce small folding cartons and sheetfed labels. But the bigger thing is being able to use their intellectual property— such as in file manipulation and digital graphic workflows—to provide digitally printed packages.” Differences, Carton and Flexible Basu reports it is a sensible transition for commercial printers to segue into the folding carton arena. Flexible packaging is a far more complex and technical area, better reserved for PSPs with packaging backgrounds. “It’s a more natural fit for printers to go into making boxes,” Basu said. Karstedt is of the same mind, noting that folding cartons and labels are what he terms “the low-hanging fruit” for commercial printers. After all, these items can be produced on equipment commercial printers already possess. Flexible packaging is a “whole different animal,” Karstedt added. “It’s totally different presses . . . It’s like being an auto mechanic and a tank mechanic. Both have internal combustion engines, and that’s about the limit of it.” Many commercial printers are already turning out folding cartons using the Indigo 10000. “But with the Indigo 30000 specially designed for this, it’s possible for them to print on even thicker boards and wider sheet sizes,” Basu said. “So they can meet the demands for a broader array of shapes and sizes, For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10006313 Continued on page 35 MyPRINTResource.com Quick Printing | April 2015 19
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