The folding carton sector is entering a defining phase. Fibre-based packaging has become a central pillar of brand sustainability strategies, and converters are rethinking their production models to meet the growing demand for recyclable, short-run, and high-quality packaging. For many, that journey increasingly leads to flexographic printing, a process once seen as the preserve of labels, now driving a new era of carton innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will Parker, one of the packaging industry\u2019s most respected commentators and a Labelexpo\/LOUPE ambassador, is excited about how flexo is reshaping folding carton production, where converters should focus next, and why collaboration between OEMs, converters, and brands will define the next chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Labels to cartons; an evolution, not a leap
\u201cLabel converters are naturally evolving,\u201d Parker begins. \u201cThe margin pressure in labels, coupled with customers demanding fibre-based recyclable alternatives to plastics, makes folding cartons an obvious growth path. Many converters already possess the print quality, technical skills and customer relationships, what they need is format expansion rather than reinvention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That alignment between skillset and opportunity explains why so many label printers are now looking beyond self-adhesive formats. The transition, Parker says, isn\u2019t about learning a new process, but about rethinking the workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInline flexo carton lines let converters move seamlessly from roll to finished box in a single pass, removing bottlenecks and unlocking higher value per square metre,\u201d he explains. \u201cMy advice for anyone considering this move is start with your customers\u2019 unmet needs, then design your production capability around them, not just the machine spec.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New market, new mindset
For converters entering cartons for the first time, the biggest challenges are rarely technological. \u201cThe biggest challenge isn\u2019t technology; that\u2019s already largely embedded,\u201d says Parker. \u201cIt\u2019s mindset, supply chain, and workflow challenge.\u201d He points to the operational learning curve involved in board handling, die-cutting, and carton construction; areas that require new thinking even for experienced label printers. \u201cMany label converters underestimate the complexity of post-press operations and carton construction. The key is to build the right partnerships early for substrates, tooling, CAD design and finishing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companies like Edale, he adds, have played a crucial role in bridging that gap. \u201cEdale is the bridge between tradition and transformation. They understand both sides of the market. The precision and speed of narrow-web flexo and the robustness and format demands of folding cartons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building systems, not just presses
Technology remains central, but Parker is quick to stress that success depends on more than hardware. \u201cConverters need a system, not a press,\u201d he says. \u201cSuccess today depends on data integration, automated quality control, colour consistency and waste reduction. All the things that turn good print into a profitable business model.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He argues that the most successful converters are those who take a holistic view of production. Parker states that \u201ca combination of workflow automation, ERP connectivity, advanced decoration, and inline finishing is what enables the \u2018labels model\u2019 to translate into the cartons market. Customers no longer pay for processes; they seek speed, agility and sustainability.\u201d That shift is already visible in the rise of modular, data-driven press systems, platforms that grow with a converter\u2019s business rather than locking them into a static configuration. \u201cThe converters winning today treat the press as the centre of a connected ecosystem, not a standalone investment,\u201d Parker notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexo\u2019s evolution
If there\u2019s one theme Parker is keen to champion, it\u2019s that modern flexo is not what it used to be. \u201cModern flexo is unrecognisable from even a decade ago,\u201d he states. \u201cHigh-definition plate imaging, servo-driven registration, closed-loop colour control and automated impression setting have eliminated the variability that once separated flexo from offset.\u201d With that progress, flexo has entered a new competitive space. \u201cWhen combined with inline die-cutting and creasing, flexo delivers stable, repeatable, single-pass carton production that rivals litho for quality, all while outperforming it for efficiency and sustainability,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Offset, he acknowledges, \u201cremains strong for long runs,\u201d but for mid-length, SKU-diverse, fast-turn work, \u201cflexo is the more predictable, repeatable and scalable process.\u201d It\u2019s this sweet spot, between efficiency and creative freedom, where presses like Edale\u2019s CartonLine FL6p have found momentum among converters moving into fibre-based formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parker points to several segments already embracing inline flexo. \u201cFood-to-go, ready-meal sleeves, nutraceuticals and beauty packaging are all accelerating,\u201d he says. \u201cBrands are replacing plastics with board and SKU proliferation means they need short runs with premium print and finishing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He adds that pharmaceutical and healthcare applications are also gaining momentum. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing strong movement in clinical trial and pharma packaging, where traceability and inline data management, barcodes, RFID and serialisation, give flexo an advantage.\u201d In all these segments, speed, sustainability, and personalisation are converging to redefine value creation. \u201cAny segment that values speed, sustainability and versioning flexibility will lean toward modern inline carton production,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and the new definition of value
No conversation about packaging today avoids sustainability and, for Parker, the topic goes far beyond material substitution. \u201cSustainability isn\u2019t just about materials any longer. It\u2019s about process efficiency and energy, CO?, and water footprint,\u201d he explains. \u201cFlexo\u2019s single-pass nature means fewer substrates handled, fewer makereadies, less waste and dramatically lower energy consumption versus multi-step offset workflows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He believes the combination of fibre-first packaging formats, aqueous coatings, and water-based inks is where real progress is happening. \u201cFlexo is delivering the circular economy in real time,\u201d he says. \u201cThe converters that can show measurable reductions in carbon intensity per pack will be the ones retailers and brands choose going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2026 and beyond
Looking ahead, Parker sees the next major evolution in flexo and carton converting coming from smart automation. \u201cWe\u2019ll see the fusion of AI and automation, predictive maintenance, self-calibrating colour and data-driven job management,\u201d he predicts. \u201cConnected production lines will talk to ERP systems, logistics hubs, even brand owners\u2019 inventory platforms.\u201d This level of connectivity, he suggests, will make carton production not just faster, but smarter, adaptive, and sustainable by design. Hybrid architectures blending flexo, inkjet, and inline converting are already emerging, and events like Labelexpo\/LOUPE have offered a glimpse of that integrated future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the rapid pace of change, Parker\u2019s optimism for the industry remains grounded in something simple – the material. \u201cWhat excites me most is the rediscovery of fibre,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s tactile, renewable and infinitely adaptable.\u201d For the first time, he notes, flexo gives converters the tools to unlock fibre\u2019s full potential with efficiency, precision and creativity. \u201cWe\u2019re watching the rise of a truly fibre-first economy, where sustainable packaging doesn\u2019t mean compromise as much as it means competitive advantage. The energy, innovation and collaboration I see between OEMs, converters and brands suggest that we\u2019re not just improving print. We\u2019re redefining what packaging can be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The carton sector stands on the edge of a new chapter. One defined by speed, precision and purpose. Flexo\u2019s transformation has given converters the tools to meet demand for sustainable, high-impact packaging without compromise. Through collaboration between OEMs, converters and brands, that progress is accelerating.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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