Two printing solutions to improve your bundling process

02.06.18

Printing in the world of packaging, much like that of nearly every other evolving industry, is constantly changing in tandem with advances in technology and consumer demands. Gone are the days of printing presses; older technologies have been replaced with new, more efficient solutions that reduce downtime and increase productivity. Two of the most popular solutions for banding? In-line printing and pre-printing.

Both are highly versatile and can accommodate a variety of substrates. If you’re searching for the perfect solution but aren’t sure where to start, look no further. Here’s a quick comparison:

PRE-PRINTING

Perfect for labeling, pre-printing allows designs and content to be printed on material in advance of use. Compared to others, pre-printing is an excellent solution for labels that feature detailed artwork, branding and static information. With one continuous roll of the same artwork, each stack of products can be bundled with the label placed in the same location each time.

The downside? After all products are bundled, any leftover material with custom data (expiration dates, for example) will be unusable. That’s where in-line printing comes in…

INLINE PRINTING

Compared to off-line and near-line solutions, in-line printing streamlines the packaging process by combining several steps into one. By enhancing your automated banding system with an in-line printer, variable data such as barcodes, expiration dates, nutritional information and names can be printed directly on each band in real time. Even better? Data can be quickly updated or changed within the printer, making it easy to switch from, for example, product-to-product or date-to-date without changing material or delaying production.

Ultimately, you’ll reduce machine downtime between runs and reduce costs associated with end-line labor and additional finishing solutions.

The bottom line? Regardless of your production needs and challenges, there is a printing solution that won’t break the bank and help improve your productivity.

Want to learn more about how you can eliminate inefficiencies in your production line? Call us today! Our team of banding specialists is eager to help you.