If traditional print methods, like flexo and litho, are trains, built for speed and scale, then digital is the proverbial mountain bike. Agile, adaptive, and made for terrain that’s constantly shifting.
Digital printing is capturing attention for delivering faster turnarounds, low-volume flexibility, and making multi-SKU runs actually viable. But as digital printing grows in use and the technology begins to compete more directly with traditional methods in areas such as a long-run viability, we’re no longer talking about what it can do – we’re talking about what it enables. And that’s where most packaging suppliers, whether PSPs working in labels, cartons, or flexible formats, still fall short.
In an age of rising regulation, growing greenwashing fines, and intense brand scrutiny, digital printing’s agility is more than a production win, it’s a reputational asset. But only if you know how to talk about it.
Digital done right is sustainability in motion
Every press spec sheet will tell you digital printing reduces waste by eliminating plates and makeready, and that its ability to switch between SKUs on the fly means fewer overruns and better inventory control. But ‘less waste’ isn’t enough anymore; the bar is higher. To make that message land with brand owners, you need to get deeper into the data and frame it in terms of lifecycle sustainability.
Think circularity. With regulation like the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) tightening, it’s no longer enough to print on a recyclable material. You need to enable smarter pack strategies – fewer SKUs, modular formats, customisation at scale, just-in-time production. These are areas where digital printing excels, but all too often, PSPs bury these strategies in tech-speak instead of pulling the sustainability thread all the way through.
Brands are under pressure. Your message should reflect that.
One thing we hear again and again from brands, especially mid-size players without giant compliance teams, is that they’re overwhelmed. Regulations are shifting, claims are considered risks, and EPR costs are rising. Everyone wants to ‘go greener’, but no one wants to be the next Coca-Cola, reprimanded for overreaching on a recyclability claim.
Digital printing has a unique role to play in this context. It gives brands the flexibility to test new materials without long lead times and supports more agile compliance. Think QR codes that can be updated with regulatory changes, or batch-level variation for market-specific language. If you’re a PSP and you’re not talking about these things in your external communications, you’re missing the moment. This is a business-critical benefit, especially in markets where packaging is increasingly part of the ESG reporting framework.
Make the invisible visible
Digital printing’s sustainability story doesn’t sell itself. If a flexo user switches to digital and no one knows the carbon impact was halved, for example, did it even happen?
We say this because time and again we’ve seen PSPs invest in breakthrough capabilities, only to communicate them with tired generic terms like “eco-friendly” or “more efficient.” Those phrases aren’t just vague, they’re increasingly non-compliant. Under the UK’s Green Claims Code and the proposed EU Green Claims Directive, such language must be verifiable, specific, and evidence-backed. Otherwise, it’s nothing but greenwashing.
This is where brand comms and marketing have to go beyond the service, they need to effectively translate the value in clear, unambiguous. We often advise PSPs to shift from feature-based claims like “no plates required” to outcome-based language “% less energy per job, % fewer materials wasted”. Use data, use context, and use language your customers’ compliance teams can stand behind.
Go beyond performance to purpose
It’s tempting to market digital printing services as faster, cheaper, and more flexible, and they are. But those are now table stakes; the future of this conversation is how digital enables brands to move faster, cut costs more strategically, and flex their commitments to responsible packaging production.
This means showing digital printing as a bridge, not just a pressroom asset or commodity. How does it connect marketing to the supply chain? How does it enable personalisation without compromising recyclability? How does it support trials of new formats that align with minimisation targets under PPWR?
It’s the perfect time to go deeper. When PSPs position digital print as part of the broader brand sustainability toolkit, not just a manufacturing process, they move from vendor to partner. This is the level of messaging that cuts through.
We’re in a market where messaging around sustainability can no longer be fluffy, vague or assumed. It needs to be intentional, accurate, and aligned with business priorities. Digital printing offers real advantages, but unless those are communicated with insight, context, and confidence, they won’t deliver their full value. Our message to PSPs is this: you know what your presses can do. But do your customers know what those capabilities mean for their footprint, their flexibility, and their future compliance? If not – it’s time to tell that story better.
