Responding to a challenging and complex market
As converters prepare for changes and upheavals that will define their businesses for the foreseeable future, the role of technology in facing these challenges head on is coming into sharp focus.
Geopolitical challenges, energy price spikes, sustainability concerns, legislative impositions, labour shortages, consolidation, and evolving consumer behaviors are all pressing concerns, from the UK to Timbuktu.
Trade body BPIF undertakes quarterly reviews to assess confidence in the UK print industry and asks members to identify their top business concerns. At the recent BOBST UK Label and Packaging Technology Open Day 2025, BPIF spoke of the market’s recovery through to 2026, with printed packaging and labels scoring strongly. This is more widely reflected across Europe, with volumes surging and a third of the continent’s print-related turnover already attributed to labels and packaging. This will only continue to grow, as Darren Shepherd, BPIF’s National Membership Development Director, notes.
“Confidence in the industry was strong during 2024, although that is expected to take a knock over the coming quarters. Wage pressures will become the number one concern, while sales levels continue to trouble printers, although competitor pricing is now less of a concern.”
Many are already looking at ways to alleviate associated financial pressures, from headcount reductions and streamlining shift patterns to address personnel issues and increasing product costs and tapping into technology to counter manufacturing headaches.
BOBST is using its heritage to its advantage and innovating in response. By cross-leveraging capabilities and solutions from across its portfolio, highly connected and increasingly automated machines are now a reality.
The result is a complete portfolio of inline flexo, digital and All-in-One platforms.
Converters can achieve optimum print efficiency thanks to the BOBST Connect platform, BOBST ACCUCHECK inline inspection system for All-in-One presses, and DigiFlexo automation features. Smaller runs are no longer a challenge, more frequent changeovers are handled with ease, waste is driven out of production, and zero-fault, high-quality work is the end result – all from one press with one operator.
Specifically for the narrow and mid web market, flexo, digital and All-in-One solutions suited to budgets of all size are available. VISION M1 is a cost-effective mechanical label press producing repeatable high print quality work on a compact flexo platform and is geared towards high-volume multi-color and combination process work with an attainable price. At the other end of the scale, the servo-driven MASTER M5 and MASTER M6 are highly automated flexo presses. The latter is a mid web platform for flexible packaging, labels and light folding carton production.
In the realm of digital, DIGITAL EXPERT 340 is a roll-to-roll digital platform configured CMYK+W as standard and upgradable to 7 colors. The press is powered by BOBST Inkjet Technology and built for productivity and quality with the possibility to add an additional flexo unit for the most complex substrates. The BOBST DIGITAL MASTER series takes the power of inkjet and integrates it with BOBST’s inline flexo know-how on a fully modular platform to create unique and automated All-in-One systems. The DIGITAL MASTER series benefits from the combination of proprietary flexo and digital technologies from a single supplier.
At the heart of each digital print unit is BOBST proprietary Inkjet Technology, compact, robust, and scalable, allowing full control of the inkjet ecosystem. For example, as Fuji Samba printheads fire drops at 1200dpi, the software used, wavelengths generated, inks jetted, and web transport are perfectly aligned to ensure optimum print performance. Further, a conditioning unit placed directly before the printheads ensures degassing and pressurisation happens at the moment of printing. Borrowing technology from the world of motor racing, a complex 3D printed titanium cooling plate ensures inks are held to the exact temperature required.
BOBST’s digital engines also benefit from the company’s expertise with software. The oneECG extended color gamut technology is used across digital and flexo printing processes. This solution fully digitizes and automates color management, meaning printers can ensure complete color consistency and repeatability irrespective of the individual operator’s skill and experience. The oneECG extended color gamut technology is used across digital and flexo printing processes. This solution fully digitizes and automates color management, meaning printers can ensure complete color consistency and repeatability irrespective of the operator’s skill and experience.
During the Label and Packaging Technology Open Day 2025, the capability of oneECG was shown live to simplify make-ready and get a MASTER M6 press in register, handle on-the-fly changeovers, and print consecutive jobs.
BOBST Application Technical Director Daragh Whelan sees oneECG as a key technological development for the narrow and mid web market.
“When we ask customers what pressures they are feeling, the big ones are set-up time, color matching and consistency, speed to market, reducing waste and associated costs, and the growing number of SKUs. With oneECG we have set out to overcome all of these challenges and more.
“oneECG is a highly sophisticated solution working at 200 lpi. It also facilitates interoperability, with successful multi-site production a proven reality today and the ability to move jobs on and off of flexo to digital, and vice versa, uncompromised thanks to the capabilities of advanced color matching and management.”
Such innovations mean the current generation of BOBST flexo and digital presses are perfectly positioned to provide converters with the solution to many, if not all of these challenges. And with BPIF’s data showing flexo and digital accounting for more printed volume, BOBST is in a position to help converters serve the requirements of a growing market.
Such innovations make the current generation of BOBST flexo and digital presses perfectly positioned to provide converters with the solution to all of these challenges. And with BPIF’s data showing flexo and digital accounting for a growing proportion of printed volume, BOBST is in a position to help narrow and mid web converters embrace the potential in an evolving market.
Phil Baldwin, Technical Sales Manager, Northern Europe at BOBST, says: “Through the power of One, BOBST allows converters to rely on one portfolio from one supplier, running across one workflow, with one operator on one press, to take advantage of the opportunities and overcome obstacles.”
Pete Howells, Director at UK converter Positive ID Labels, was present at the recent Label and Packaging Technology Open Day 2025 and left impressed. “The technology BOBST is embedding into its products really is leading edge in terms of integration, seamlessness, operator ease, automation and efficiency and is a real eye opener for the future capabilities for the industry.
“Particularly impressive is the work BOBST has done on integrating digital and flexographic interoperability and color management and the outstanding ACCUCHECK system on the All-in-One fleet improving reliability, consistency, and zero-fault labels.”
Another in attendance was Duncan White, Operations Director at Tungate Group. He welcomed insights from BPIF on market trends and the opportunity to understand areas of the print economy that are struggling but more importantly the areas of growth that are relevant to consumer food packaging. The live demo of the BOBST MASTER M6’s capabilities was a particular highlight.
“These ideas are changing the way narrow web converters are thinking about performance, waste, quality, and more importantly the aftermarket support needed for the modern-day convertor,” concludes Mr White.
To see for yourself the capabilities of BOBST’s cutting-edge package printing technology, request a demo here