By Paul R. White Industry Overview Few products sold today come without a package. Eggs from your local farmer need a protective carton. Even software delivered over the Internet comes with a digitally-encrypted wrapper restricting operation to a single CPU to eliminate bootleg copies.
Packaging is ubiquitous, and packaging is a big business searching for faster and better methods.
Older offset printing methods often require weeks to mass produce a package, and tie up more capital in storage costs until the finished, fully packaged product moves up the delivery chain. Analog-based offset printing methods cannot readily adapt to the shorter and faster process cycles that are being met today by digital printing systems. According to GATF, business forms and database publishing will diminish in the future. Expect growth in the area of printing advertising related materials and packaging. When printed products need to be delivered overnight, the cost of each piece becomes less important than getting the product to customers.