Find out what the region’s print industry has to monitor in order to ride smoothly on global sustainability and personalization trends

In the face of sustainability and urgent climate-change mandates, the printing industry in the Asia Pacific region (APAC) has been facing mounting challenges and opportunities.

As experienced operators retire and traditional printing methods struggle to keep pace with market demands and regulations, the need for innovation and efficiency has never been more pressing.

Buffered by the transition from traditional analog printing workflows to digital processes, manufacturers can now produce materials in smaller quantities, thereby reducing inventory costs and minimizing waste.

What factors should the region’s print industry consider — amid global shifts in the workforce, combined with changing environmental, social and governance trends?

Four market trends to monitor
According to industry insider, Jocelyn Tan, Senior Regional Manager (Commercial Products), Epson Southeast Asia, APAC printing firms and organizations that rely heavily on the industry need to consider automation factors such as variable data printing (VDP) and on-demand printing in their business and digital transformation strategy.

Jocelyn Tan, Senior Regional Manager (Commercial Products), Epson Southeast Asia, APAC

Here are four trends that Tan has suggested for the regional industry to keep a close watch on:

  1. Facilitating better personalization and branding

    Modern consumers are increasingly seeking intimate brand experiences that reflect their personalities and preferences.

    However, personalization extends beyond aesthetic appeal: it fosters meaningful connections between brands and consumers. By harnessing digital printing technologies and involving consumers in the design process, businesses can deliver unique and relevant brand experiences that resonate with individual preferences.

    For instance, using VDP can allow the printing industry to help clients personalize marketing collateral with individual recipients’ names; create products with dynamic changes in text, colors, and graphics; and create customized labels that stand out on crowded shelves and drive consumer purchase decisions.

    This concept of collaboration empowers brand owners to leverage customer data to create personalized products that reflect consumer input and preferences on a deeper level.

  2. Enhancing print flexibility and innovation

    The use of digital printing equipment and workflows is facilitating increased use of on-demand printing, which can deliver dynamic changes in text, colors, and graphics within a single print run. This eliminates the need for manual plate preparation and significantly improves workflow efficiency, catering to short-run jobs with unparalleled flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

    In addition to offering flexibility to clients, digital design and printing capabilities facilitate innovation in label production. The industry can now support how brands experiment with unique design elements, textures, and advanced capabilities to create visually striking collaterals that capture consumer attention.

  3. Empowering interactive digital engagement

    People desire easy access to comprehensive product information, especially in industries like healthcare, where clarity and accuracy are crucial.

    The region’s printing industry can capitalize on this trend by offering serialized labels featuring QR codes and barcodes that provide explicit details about products, enhancing transparency and trust.

    Serialized labels go beyond conventional barcodes by storing precise data about each product’s origin, journey, and authenticity. This not only enhances consumer engagement but also empowers brands to combat counterfeiting and safeguard product integrity.

  4. Combatting counterfeiting and product traceability trends

    In industries like pharmaceuticals and food, serialized printed materials such as labels play a critical role in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and building consumer confidence.

    For example, the use of serialized labels can enable real-time updates and facilitate targeted recalls, minimizing disruptions to supply chains and ensuring consumer safety.

    The rise in counterfeit activities, particularly prevalent in retail and e-commerce sectors globally, underscores the importance of product traceability and authenticity. Serialized labels store precise data about each product, allowing businesses to track and trace its history and origins.

    The integration of serialized labels into digital printing processes enhances supply-chain visibility and enables real-time tracking and faster product verification, which helps minimize the risk of unauthorized distribution and counterfeit infiltration.

    However, manufacturers are often reluctant to use this method due to the cost of small-batch print runs of such labels. This is where the industry can evolve to keep costs down.

As the APAC print industry undergoes rapid transformation, digital printing workflows are a strategic enabler of innovation and efficiency, Tan noted: “By embracing the future of label production, businesses can use the power of digital printing to redefine success and drive sustainable growth in APAC.”