By Cassandra Balentine
Part 1 of 2
From floors and walls to tabletops, decorative laminates are used in many ways. Increasingly, digital print technologies are utilized to achieve desired effects.
In fact, Carsten Brinkmeyer, head of business development, Hymmen, believes there will come a day when digital printing will substitute analog printing. “Hereby some industries like the flooring market are quicker than other markets,” he predicts.
However, currently digital—specifically inkjet—is in the early stages of market penetration. “Growth is triggered by changing markets integrating inkjet into existing business models—same, same but different,” offers Thomas Blechinger, sales manager, PadaLuma Ink-Jet Solutions GmbH (Palis). He believes inkjet will now always have its place within décor production sites because decentralized production reduces time to market.
Driving Digital Décor
There are many points pushing surface decoration to digital, some cultural and design driven, and some technological.
One trend we can’t overlook is the fact that COVID-19 forced a large percentage of the workforce to work from home. “There has certainly been a big boost in consumers updating their home décor,” shares Bill Brouhle, solutions architect, digital print sales, Agfa. “Since we have been spending more time in our homes, it is natural for us to want to give our homes an update. Whether it be updating the office space or anywhere else in the home for that matter, it is a growing market for sure.”
This is further fueled by the amount of options now available because of digital technologies.
More than ever, Brouhle feels that people are looking for products that match their personalities. “Using all of the different types of uniquely customized decorative materials and applications now available means the sky is the limit. Today’s abilities to creatively customize your décor graphics like a custom piece of art work, wallpaper, or flooring; are all a natural fit for short-run applications. Whether it be a customized sports den, a rustic looking bar, or an Italian-themed country side dining room. There are many ways to jazz up a living space to make it unique and special to you.”
Inkjet technologies provide versatility. “So inkjet offers more customizable varieties via digital design editing and photorealistic designs. Longer repeats are possible with inkjet printing and it offers tailored solutions for customized product needs,” says Blechinger.
“Digital print technologies are changing the design world around us,” agrees Brouhle. They allow for shorter runs of uniquely customized decorative materials. “This enables a wider range of specialized offerings to catch the potential customer’s eye.”
“Digitally you can create endless décors, i.e. no repetition after a few meters. It is economically possible to produce the batch size of one without any time or material loss connected with the change of décors,” comments Brinkmeyer.
A Variety of Uses
A variety of manufacturing sectors are early adopters of digital print for décor work, including wallpaper, tile flooring, home crafting items, lighting, and seasonal window graphics, says Brouhle.
Brinkmeyer points out that single-pass printers on the market can print on all kinds of flat materials like boards—wood, multilayer/modular, LVT, glass, fiberglass, etc.—and foil and paper. This includes digital décor print as well as digital structure print.
In general, inkjet technologies are able to perform on many surfaces, which Blechinger admits is currently possible with gravure printing—except metallic colors. However, digital offers more freedom in terms of design as well as repeat lengths. “Inkjet is used in between the use cases of low volume, difficult setups—very light designs—and customized products. The economic question of whether digital or gravure printing needs to be considered is on case-by-case basis. We are discussing these questions in all aspects with potential customers to find out if a realistic business case is possible,” he shares.
Blechinger adds that digital printers in the decorative market are often utilized by décor paper manufacturers that use water-based inks while manufacturers of flooring, edge band material, laminate for kitchen worktops and furniture, doors and gates, and building materials such as wall claddings for houses are utilizing digital printers with UV-curing inks.
More Décor
The use of digital print technologies in décor settings adds more options. Customers are able to personalize the look of their homes, businesses can add special touches to brick and mortar shops and offices—the options are limitless. In part two of this series we highlight some of the print engines leading the way.
Nov2022, Industrial Print Magazine