In paper packaging printing, offset, flexographic, and digital printing are the three core processes. However, many brands often fall into the trap of "choosing the most expensive or the right one" when making a selection. In fact, there is no optimal process—only the one that best fits your needs. This article breaks down the three processes from three dimensions: process characteristics, cost, and scenarios, helping you quickly find the printing method that matches your packaging requirements.
I. First, Understand the "Core Traits" of the Three Processes
1. Offset Printing: The "First Choice for High-End Packaging" with High Precision
Offset printing transfers ink to a rubber blanket first before printing on the substrate, achieving a fine resolution of 300-600 DPI and a color reproduction rate of over 95%. It is especially suitable for printing complex gradients and small text. For example, the gold stamping + four-color printing on high-end cosmetic gift boxes and the tiny traceability codes on pharmaceutical packaging all rely on the precision of offset printing. However, it has obvious limitations: it requires the production of printing plates, resulting in high setup costs, making it suitable for large-batch orders of more than 5,000 units. It also has high requirements for substrate flatness, being more compatible with flat materials such as white cardboard and gray board, and struggling with thin roll materials or non-woven fabrics.
2. Flexographic Printing: The "Efficient Tool for Mass Packaging" with High Speed
Flexographic printing (flexo) uses elastic printing plates and roll-fed feeding, with a printing speed of 300-500 meters per minute, making it the most efficient among the three processes. It can directly print on various substrates such as roll paper and plastic films, and the ink layer dries quickly, making it suitable for continuous production—for example, the LOGO printing on express bags and the full-page color printing on food packaging bags mostly use flexo. In recent years, flexo has also broken through precision bottlenecks, achieving 150-300 DPI effects with high-definition plates, and it can use water-based inks, which are more environmentally friendly than traditional offset printing. However, its shortcoming is that its precision is still inferior to offset printing, making it unsuitable for high-end gift boxes that require complex patterns.
3. Digital Printing: The "Savior for Small Batches" with High Flexibility
Digital printing does not require the production of printing plates, directly spraying ink onto the substrate through nozzles. Its biggest advantages are "zero setup costs + personalized customization". It can quickly produce small batches of 100 units (such as cultural and creative product packaging) to 500 units (such as e-commerce custom gift boxes), and supports printing different patterns on each package (such as the customer's name or exclusive QR code). However, it also has obvious limitations: the cost of large-area dark-color printing is high, the ink layer is thin, and its wear resistance is not as good as offset or flexo printing. Moreover, the printing speed is slow, and the unit cost of large-batch orders will be far higher than the other two processes.
II. Match the "Packaging Needs" to the Right Process
1. By Batch Size: Digital for Small Batches, Offset/Flexo for Large Batches
Small batches (100-5,000 units): Prioritize digital printing. For example, sample packaging during a new brand's trial sales period or small-batch holiday-limited gift boxes—digital printing avoids the plate waste of offset/flexo printing, and shortens the delivery cycle to 3-5 days (traditional processes take 7-10 days).
Large batches (over 5,000 units): Choose offset or flexo. If the packaging uses flat substrates (such as gift boxes, handbags) and requires high-precision patterns, select offset printing; if it uses roll substrates (such as food bags, express bags) and prioritizes efficiency, choose flexo printing. For an annual packaging order of 200,000 units from a snack brand, flexo printing reduced costs by 40% compared to digital printing, and production was completed in just 7 days.
2. By Substrate Type: Offset for Flat Paper, Flexo for Rolls, Digital for Multiple Materials
Flat rigid materials (white cardboard, gray board): Offset printing is the best choice, ensuring flat and non-misaligned patterns, especially suitable for printing on rigid board-mounted gift boxes.
Roll flexible materials (kraft paper, plastic films): Flexo's roll-fed design is more compatible, and it can handle slight stretching of the substrate to avoid pattern deformation.
Special materials (recycled paper, non-woven fabrics): Digital printing has stronger adaptability, no need to adjust plates—only matching the corresponding ink is required. For example, digital printing can solve the color difference problem of recycled paper through real-time color adjustment.
3. By Effect Requirements: Offset for High-End Precision, Digital for Personalization
High-end visual needs (such as luxury gift boxes, cosmetic packaging): The high precision of offset printing and its compatibility with post-processes such as gold stamping and UV can create a "tangible texture". For example, a jewelry brand's gift box uses offset printing to print gradient gold patterns, then adds partial UV, resulting in a visual hierarchy far exceeding other processes.
Personalized needs (such as e-commerce custom packaging, cultural and creative products): Digital printing supports "one order, one plate". For example, customers can print consumers' names on express boxes or exclusive patterns according to different regions, increasing user stickiness. A cultural and creative brand used digital printing to customize city-themed packaging, increasing the repurchase rate by 25%.
III. Pitfall Avoidance Guide: These "Selection Mistakes" Should Be Avoided
Mistake 1: Only Focus on Cost and Ignore Effect: For example, using digital printing for large-batch dark-color packaging may seem cheap per unit, but the total cost is 30% higher than flexo printing, and the ink layer is easy to wear.
Mistake 2: Ignore Post-Process Compatibility: Although flexo is fast, it is difficult to match complex gold stamping processes; the ink layer of digital printing is thin, and covering it with a thick film may cause pattern blurriness. It is necessary to confirm the feasibility of process combinations with the printing factory in advance.
Mistake 3: Insisting on Offset Printing for Small Batches: For orders of less than 500 units, the plate cost of offset printing (about 500-1,000 yuan) will account for 30% of the total cost, making digital printing more cost-effective.
In short, the core of choosing a printing process is to "match the priority of your own needs"—choose offset for precision, flexo for efficiency, and digital for flexibility. If you are still unsure, you can ask the printing factory to provide small-batch samples and make a decision after comparing the actual effects.