#329 - Trends in Inkjet Packaging with Marc Graindourze, Agfa

In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, we speak with Marc Graindourze from Agfa about the evolving role of inkjet in packaging printing, and how the technology is beginning to find its place in one of the most demanding areas of the print industry.

Marc outlines the ongoing challenges that continue to define packaging print — from complex substrates and high production requirements to the constant pressure on cost. While these fundamentals haven’t changed, the conversation highlights where inkjet is now gaining real traction, also for fibre-based packaging such as corrugated and folding carton.

A key theme throughout the discussion is the relationship between packaging and the end consumer. Whether on a supermarket shelf or delivered through e-commerce, packaging plays a critical role in shaping perception and influencing buying decisions. As Marc explains, this is driving a shift towards more flexible, application-led print strategies — from globally consistent branding through to more localised, targeted production.

The conversation also explores how this shift is impacting production models. Alongside high-output, centralised systems, there is growing interest in more compact, lower-investment inkjet solutions that can operate closer to the point of production. These approaches enable faster turnaround times, greater flexibility, and new opportunities for regional branding and short-run applications.

From a technical perspective, Marc emphasises the importance of starting with the business case rather than the technology itself. The success of any inkjet solution depends on how well it aligns with the application — whether that’s single-use transit packaging, high-quality branding, or functional requirements such as track and trace. In this context, utilisation becomes critical to achieving a viable total cost of ownership.

The discussion focuses in particular on single-pass inkjet systems using water-based consumables, which are increasingly seen as a strong fit for packaging applications due to their productivity, compliance with food packaging requirements, and sustainability advantages. Marc also highlights the importance of consumables within the system — including primers, inks, and varnishes — and how their interaction ultimately defines print quality, consistency, and durability.

Looking more broadly, the conversation reinforces that there is no single solution for packaging print. Instead, the modular nature of inkjet allows systems to be tailored to specific applications, from lower-cost, localised corrugated printing through to high-end, full-colour production for sectors such as FMCG, pharma, and luxury goods.

Marc’s central message is clear: success in inkjet packaging depends on collaboration.

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Transcript

Welcome And Packaging Inkjet Focus

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to the future print and celebrating print technology and the people behind.

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Welcome to today's Future Print Podcast. And it's uh a podcast I always enjoy doing. We have Monk Green Girls from ACFA with us. Monk, great to see you, great to hear you.

SPEAKER_03 0:24

Thanks, please. Likewise, always fine to talk to you and and chat about uh some interesting topics.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Yeah, and that's what I kind of like having a chat with Monk. He's always very interesting in terms of his view of what's going on in the marketplace. Um the focus today is on package print uh using Inkjet. Um I think Monk, you you spoke to my colleague Marcus back in October, November last year. So this is following on from that, really. Um there definitely have been some trends, which I know you're going to pick up on. Um, and I think, you know, it's just interesting to hear what you have to say. You always, I would say we we have this expression in English, you have the ear to the ground. Do you say the same thing in Belgium?

SPEAKER_03 1:08

Oh, translating uh sayings in in different languages, something you get to it means you know what's going on out there.

Why Fibre-Based Packaging Is Growing

SPEAKER_01 1:17

So listen, let's hear what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 1:23

The trends in data is important.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

What do you sense are the big trends in in packaging and print for packaging at the moment? What's your sense?

SPEAKER_03 1:31

Yeah, you you know that label printing is a long time established. Uh originally, uh HP and Dore made the market for digital, and it's and the doing jet at some point, especially premium labels, it's very well established, I would say, and it continues to grow. Um, but that's not the focus here. I'm I'm really focused on fiber-based packaging, which let's say paper-oriented um cartons can be folding, can be corrugated, can be paperback. That type of packaging is of interest because there we see a lot of trends, we see a lot of companies building printers or being placed on the market, field testing, and so on. Also quite challenging in the view of the consumers, because you put printing on something very porous. Um, so there's a field there which I like, and of course, it's very very consisting of very lot of different types of packaging by the format, uh, also by the process. Uh, you you print preprint before you make the corrugated, or post print, or you do folding carton, or you do a bag, you do sheet, or you roll-to-roll. So there are a lot of options where you have to consider how the print system is being built. Yep. Now the connection with the with the fluids, with the consumables will will make it work together. So there's there are a lot of trends on how originating from the brand owner, how that they see that, in what style of packaging they want, and that that has changed a lot. Uh the I always use the example of the washing pots for your laundry, but originally was a pouch, and now is almost 100% uh transferred into cartilated boxes. So we have the cordiated box as a primary package for the the podcast inside. It's it's a pack-around box. Uh, there's a shipment box, a carton or pallet, there are um ready to to uh to sell boxes for for the discounter store. So there is a whole marketing aspect of doing the effect of the different types of pots. So that is a change that the brand owner is on top of that. Yeah, multiple markets.

Designing Packaging For Store And Online

SPEAKER_01 3:55

So you talk about the brands, and I think that's right. I guess the other key part of that mix is the consumer and the way packaging is connected to the consumer. And and I guess I'm interested to know how print plays a role in in kind of adopting to consumer shift, consumer trend, what they do, where they buy, how they buy.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Yeah, yeah, that's indeed uh the big question for the brand owners is exactly that. And of course, you have to make the difference between in-store buying or shopping or what you you buy online. You do you look to a packaging? What do you expect from a packaging when you buy something online? It's typically not an issue. Or if you buy a big electronic equipment like a TV, it comes in a carton box, but you never saw the box because you buy the television looking to the screen in the store. So it all depends on what is the the target of the of the print. And of course, the the big brand owners they want to influence your behavior in the store. Um, this can be by a speckle special design of the packaging itself, the format, the way, but also by the print, either the label or the direct on the carton print. So definitely there, there is there is a big way to get the the connection or the attraction of the consumer. And the consumer, yeah, what how does the consumer decide? If we I there have been big studies about that. Um, of course, a lot of consumers are loyal to a certain brand. Um, other people like to to try other other parts, and and one aspect I I have been considering lately a bit more is by talking to the industries, both the packaging and and uh the companies building printers is the the local attraction. By that I mean that you have you could have three types of interesting digital printed packaging. One you have the brand owners, the example I gave with the washing pots, that really go for its brand identity. So everything starts from a certain rule of the company, that's how it looked like, and then they make the variation on the team, but they stay inside that the design of the print. And they just have so many multiple seasonable or or flavors or whatever that is becoming interesting to do it digital.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

It's not that long run. That's that's one type. Yeah, second type is the more the local thing, that you have uh a local brand which want to play to this region, the the consumers who live in that region, that they're proud to buy something from Switzerland or or Tyrol or Flanders, uh, Antwerp or or London or whatever. And I clearly see that in my area, the the south of Antwerp, those villages they have made a connection together, and you can buy some local produced gin and other stuff and cookies and whatever. In the tourist info centers, but in the stores of the different they they help each other promote their products made locally and buy locally. The chain is short, there is not a lot of transport cost, and you you have to be proud. You you and it's even strange, you do a walking tour in that area, and in the middle of the field of the Apple field, you get a small boot that they sell you apple juice or something else made locally and all branded special packaging. So there is a way of this local attraction which calls for a local printer that is right connected to that area, and of course, lots but not least, the big brand owners also do a lot of special series. They introduce something new around Christmas. I know how important that is in the UK, and so on, so that you have special series that could be tested before on a smaller scale, of course, for digital printing. So it all depends on how the brand wants to connect.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's really interesting. Really interesting what you say. And even I would argue that the big brands recognize the localization, and they sometimes will make a point of putting on their brand produced locally, produced in Scotland, produced in Antwerp. More and more, indeed, you're right. In distribution terms. So their brand, which is a global brand, is then draft, you know, is then uh branded locally to give a sense of it hasn't traveled for for lots of different reasons.

SPEAKER_03 8:44

You're 100% right. And that but in the end, at some point it's all about the volume and the and the speed and then the print runs. Going to use your typical converters that you have established that might be interesting to have a high output single pass, high-speed printer. Or you're gonna manage it a bit more locally with a more low investment printer that that is built only with jobs for your local brands that have no tradition of the converters, have been maybe never printed themselves or had no converter and want to step into this. So it all depends a bit on that connection to who's gonna print for who. So it can be much smaller than one meter. You don't need 100, 200, 300, 400 meters a minute, but you can live with 50 meters a minute. So that makes your investment of your system totally different. So in that aspect, you can do the short cycle approach, fast turnaround time, very close, regional printing. You can do even do everything. The box is made locally, not only the product.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Yeah.

Choosing Press Speed To Fit Demand

SPEAKER_03 10:16

And then of course, yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Sorry, I was just wondering, do you do you sense that this means that they're changing their kind of business model? Um, do you think that they're, you know, they're thinking about the business case in terms of printing solutions and consumables and what they do and the machinery and whether they go single pass, whether they go, you know, what approach they take?

Water-Based Primer Ink And Food Safety

SPEAKER_03 10:38

Excellent question. I always say the best thing, Jet Printer, is that the one that has a high update, that the user. So if you do an investment of multi-millions for a very expensive single pass, you need to be sure you fill it, or you have trouble with your TCO. If you have a business model where you don't where you can fill it, but it's a small investment with some limitations in the output of K, in the number of output and the quality of output, but you can fill it fully, you have a better TCO. And and that's where there is two opinions or two ways of doing in-jet. You you still have, of course, the one with the full-blown systems, yes, of course. But you also have this field of the intermediate systems that are not at all a home printer or a desktop reaper. No, they're still a serious system, but they they target a specific market, which I call now localized, um, where you have typically single-use. So that also gives a consumable aspect. Do I need to go for something that is water fast forever? No. If it's single-use, limited number of substrates, I can do it in water-based with a water-based primer and a water-based ink set that are perfectly matched to each other to have sufficient robustness, good image quality on a number of substrates, and deliver the quality you want. And that that's what I feel that is an interesting field to work with those engineering companies that need a good ink partner. And talk to them and you work with them on primer and ink, matching to delivering their image quality, their their single use, uh, packaging demand. And that's an interesting field. Okay, they all make their own choices on the system, how they dry, and so on. But yeah, uh an ink formulation is not something robust. It's a toolbox, it's modeler. You can play with it to make it work with the specific print ad, the drying system, and so on. But the connection of primer and ink, how they match, make the the pigment being localized for image quality, avoiding, feathering and breeding, delivering print density, homogeneity of the bit patch or a bit a big letter text and so on. That's the key element. Of course, water-based is our focus, it's it's a fiber-based, paper-based material, it's natural. And also, from cost perspective, packaging should be cheap from recycling, from uh food safety, because many of those boxes are somewhere food or beverage related, could become in contact with the food. It's printing on the non-contact food side, yes, but there could be contact. So you need to be safe for that, meaning that by design of primer and ink, we follow the guidelines in Europe, which are the most strict. Uh, GMP manufacturing, uh, good man, uh, good practice. Um and of course, all the rules related to the compounds you can use for for food packaging. That's in the design of the ink. And for water-based ink and recycling, it's a bit easier than for UV. It's not impossible with UV, it's being done, of course. There are a lot of different systems and approaches, single pass, multi-pass, UV, water-based. But single pass water-based here is our focus point. And by design, by on purpose, to deliver a connection to what uh what those, let's say, lower investment print systems, lower output systems need.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Yeah. Um, just out of curiosity, can you give me an example with the the audience example of a kind of low investment print solution?

SPEAKER_03 14:32

You meant a difficult one, uh we have unfortunately that's all contracts, NDAs, partnerships on working together with those OEMs. They typically are the face to the market. We supply to them the ink, they sell a full system approach. So um, I also know what want, do not want to favor one of my customers here. Uh so understand that that's sensitive to do.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Yeah, I understand that. But would you, you know, just for example, I'm I'm thinking not specifically about an example of you know a brand or a company name, but just a way in which perhaps you might think about it and the advantages and disadvantages. Um, you know, it's just single-use corrugated uh small box, that sort of thing. You know, what what is there is there a way you can explain through the different advantages you might gain?

Collaboration Workflow With OEM Integrators

SPEAKER_03 15:31

Of course, those those system integrators that that build those printers are also relatively smaller companies. Uh they're not the big ones in the industry. So they also have they are careful about the resources, but and they typically connect a bit more local. So by by definition, it comes a bit by the connection with the local industries, and and an example of countries, of course, Italy, where that's very typical that that happens, but it's not the only one. But that's very typical there, uh, that there exists such connection of the industries. Sometimes owners of uh printing companies also own a wine yard or olive gardens or and so on, so they are even connected in that way. So uh it's more about the engineering skills of the of the company, is is large, right? Relatively small companies are uh SMEs, and they they're also a bit careful in in what they can do and what type of system they can produce. So it's also bit driven by that selection, to be honest. Yeah, um and what is of course key is how to work together of the OEM of the print system and the Afro consumables. Yeah, so collaboration in a way the collaboration, yeah, it's not cooperation, it's really collaboration.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 16:55

And that goes very far because you you talk to each other, you understand the project, you understand the substrates, they send you some substrates, we have a test bench, we make some basic prints on it, we we study the density, the feathering, the bleeding, etc. Yeah, we send purples to them, we go there, we discuss with them. They have a kind of a test bench of an alpha, so they do it on the real substrate from specific uh prospects. And they go to uh to an installation, do field test, you learn together on the job, what they're doing. You you try to find multiples of those prospects for them. So it's about learning on the job. But we start, of course, with the toolbox where we have primer and ink ready, and it's a question of to make it work for the specific cases. Uh yeah, really small tuning. That's not that's not the difficult part. But the collaboration is interesting, uh that you that you really learn by doing it. Sure. Um just sorry, I have the go on you say. They have the interest that local producers to go that way, they know their business cases, uh they know what kind of investment the printing company can do and what what jobs they will do, and for how many customers and so on. So they start from the business case, yep, and then you try to to match that economically.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

Uh yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

And again, make sure that the printer is used a lot. It's all about that. Then that is an a successful system.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yeah. Um just wondered whether there's any other uh packaging printing applications that you might talk about.

Applications Track And Trace Folding Carton

SPEAKER_03 18:38

Yeah, of course, the the hydro output system was sure there, uh, and and we see uh we see it pickup, and we see although the investment level is much higher, there are customers inventing investing for that. Um and the the question there is a bit from where do they come from? They typically come from a world that 20% or more of the boxes is not printed, and then you have a lot of them one colour, two color, and only a lower amount is four-color printing. That that's how they typically understand printing. So you have to think about what is the the print rate, but what is actually the percent of the surface area that will be printed, and that's part of your business model. That needs to be high enough to uh to get a good return on investment of the the expensive single pass system, yeah. And and of course, um there is also a trend to to doing that very clever and to doing track and trees, and and even a monochrome printer system with track and trace features can be very profitable. Even in preprint, uh the BHS systems they exist, um they're on the market. It's an interesting model, uh, explained also on future print events.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Yep, touch it.

SPEAKER_03 19:58

Um even with a with one color in in a in a printer who does not have a primer, it's not a dryer, so quite a relatively basic setup, but a good ink in combination with corrugated, connected, you can make a profitable model. So there are indeed all different kinds of ways to make injet printing for packaging uh worthwhile. And you can do things you cannot do by by flexible or offset. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

And then uh you know inkjet systems in cartons and corrugated carton. What's that has that uh you know what's that doing?

SPEAKER_03 20:42

Yeah, yeah, when you look more to what we typically call folding carton, you have of course the the luxury brands, the beauty care, the pharmaceutical, and they typically use uh folding carton, and you know that we have the speeds at Orca on the market. Yep. Um there is of course uh uh a need for very consistent, high image quality output. Um the brand identity is very important, the messing, the small font size of the text, and so on. So there is a high demand of that uh typically uh sheet-to-sheet process. Um so that that is definitely something that will increase. Yeah. Um, the design freedom, the run-link flexibility, all big advantages of Injet. Yeah, of course.

unknown 21:30

Of course.

SPEAKER_03 21:30

The corrugated postprint, a bit similar, maybe a bit lower quality driven, but but more different jobs that you can pile up one after another, and the corrugated um substrate is not changing. You can easily connect without stopping, without losing a lot time in between. You keep your uptime high and you keep printing. So the typical injet advantages apply.

Brand Owner Buy In And Events

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um kind of Wondering as we come to the end of the discussion, whether you have any final comments, um just to kind of wrap up what you've said and and maybe reiterate some of the points you made. I think you mentioned collaboration, I think that's important. Um, but just anything you want to just reiterate um in the final few words.

SPEAKER_03 22:21

Yeah, but but let's start with collaboration. Uh it's indeed uh a message that also FuturePrint has highly in its fan. It's yeah, it's one of key elements that we do on your tech events, is collaborate. Yeah, and uh by the way, also on the DIPA, the TCM decorated surface conference in March. We had the discussion on in uh in um in the panel about collaboration instead of cooperation. Yeah, that's a game changer. And it's definitely true when you want to match consumables to the system. Yeah, of course. And more and more everybody's is convinced of the way forward to do it like this. So collaboration, yes, for sure. In-jet is also a proven uh technology and the modularity of in-jet with playing with the hats and the the scalability, uh, the different type of speech you can get from 10 to 400 meters a minute, yeah, different widths, all the modularity you have, the right printer for the right target. Connected again to the business case. As I said before during this call to the podcast, it's all about matching what I can sell, what what number of prints, what quality can I sell, which at which price, and with which cost. Injet is is can be very affordable if you use it, use it for the right project, for the right uh market target. But it's as you know, uh convincing the market players, the brand owners, it's not an easy thing. Packaging is is special in a way that you you need a full chain of all the players, and that's something that is very typical for packaging. And in the end, of course, the brand owner is also responsible for his product and his image, his brand identity. So he's very skeptical sometimes about changes uh in the pro in the processes to produce the packaging. I fully understand that. But on the other hand, there are all the advantages of digital printing. So that's something that is not so easy to convince them the marketplace.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

No, it's still it's still a challenge for us, isn't it? It's it's something we recognized probably 10 years ago, but uh it still is a challenge. And there's a degree of inertia, tradition, history that means that people will like what they do because their supply chain's set up and they don't want to disrupt that. And inkjet comes in and does a bit of disruption, and and that's a challenge. But there's so many advantages, as you pointed out again, there's so many advantages.

SPEAKER_03 25:02

Yeah, yeah. You you your future print events and your next one is is focused on packaging and in the Valentia event, end of September. Yeah, but there are interesting events to uh to meet the industries, but we could do a bit a bit more of the brand owners, maybe there. I don't know if I know it's not so easy to get them there, but you I think you have the connections, it could be great to uh to have the full chain available.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Yeah, I mean, I I'm a big believer in that. If we can get the brand owners to be listening, it would make a massive difference because they can definitely persuade the the printers or the packaging converters to shift their behavior because they will say, This is how I want it done, go and do it. Yeah. So you're right. You're right. Mark, listen, it's been an absolute pleasure, as always, speaking to you. We've just coming up to 29 minutes, so thank you very much for giving us a bit of your time. Um we're gonna see you down in Valencia, I believe, aren't we?

SPEAKER_03 26:04

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

See you down in Valencia talking more about packaging, um, and also probably getting involved in our podfest event, um, which we're running in June in London, which uh means that we'll be doing some interesting live podfests, uh live podcasts recorded visually and also audio. So um some of these topics will come up, and I know the 20 or so speakers that are involved in that will be interesting for Mark to talk to to exactly as you said about collaboration. So it's very much that's a thing we believe in um in this industry. So good good we've reminded ourselves about that. Thank you, Mark. Thank you for your time and uh enjoy the rest of the day.

SPEAKER_03 26:50

Thank you, Fraser. It was it was great to talk to you.

SPEAKER_01 26:52

Great, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 26:54

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe now for more great audio content coming up and visit futureprint.tech for the latest news, partner interviews, in depth industry research, and to catch up on content from future print events. We'll see you next time on the Future Print Podcast.