From shelf appeal to GS1 compliance, inkjet’ s growing role in packaging
A hybrid approach
Neil Cook, Head of Strategic Marketing at Xaar, explains how digital inkjet is enabling standout decoration and embellishment alongside the personalisation, coding and traceability that brands and converters now need from their packaging.
Digital inkjet is becoming an increasingly important part of modern packaging production. Once seen primarily as a tool for shorter runs or niche applications, it is now moving into the mainstream as brands and converters look for greater flexibility, personalisation, traceability and speed to market. For Xaar, this shift highlights the growing role of inkjet not only in decoration and embellishment, but also in coding and marking, where consistent, production-grade performance is essential.
Personalisation matters
One of the biggest opportunities lies in personalisation. Digital inkjet allows brands to create packaging that feels individual and premium, without the delays and inefficiencies associated with
38 FDPP- www. fdpp. co. uk conventional processes. The collaboration last year between Diageo, Kammann, Marabu and Xaar on Johnnie Walker bottles showed how digital print can deliver high-impact, individualised decoration at scale, while keeping the focus on designled differentiation rather than sensitive consumer data. It was a clear demonstration of how inkjet can help premium brands combine creativity, collectability and commercial viability.
The finish is everything
At the same time, ink innovation is expanding what packaging producers can achieve. Xaar’ s Ultra High Viscosity Technology has enabled Marabu to develop inks that deliver sharp contours, durable haptic effects and wider production windows at faster speeds. In practical terms, that means richer decoration, tactile finishes and more robust embellishment for bottles and other packaging formats, helping brands create stronger shelf impact while maintaining production efficiency.
This same innovation is also driving the move towards hybrid production, where digital capability is integrated into analogue print and finishing lines. Xaar’ s Versatex printbar is designed precisely for this environment, enabling embellishments such as textured effects, high-build varnishes, cold foils and high-opacity whites to be added to existing presses. More recent developments, including Versatex Black, extend that role further by bringing high-definition variable data printing to analogue label presses and finishing lines, allowing converters to add 1D and 2D codes, serialisation and humanreadable information without disrupting established workflows.
GS1 ready & beyond
That evolution matters as GS1 Sunrise 2027 approaches. Packaging will increasingly need to do more, combining visual impact with robust traceability and scannable 2D codes. Xaar’ s technologies are helping to address both requirements in a single workflow, supporting embellishment, personalisation and coding at production speed. For packaging manufacturers, that makes inkjet not simply an added feature, but an increasingly strategic part of future-ready production.
www. xaar. com