Digital or flexo? It is the first question in almost every flexible packaging quote, and the answer can change the price of your order significantly. The short version: digital wins on speed and short runs, flexo wins on unit cost as runs grow. Here is how to tell which one fits.
The short answer
- Choose digital for quick turnarounds, short runs, test launches and many designs in one order.
- Choose flexo for medium and long runs of the same design, where a lower unit price pays back the cost of plates.
- Consider rotogravure for very long, repeat runs that need premium, photographic print.
How digital printing works
Digital presses print straight from your artwork file, much like a very large, very precise office printer. There are no printing plates to make, so setup is fast and every design in a run can be different. The trade-off is a cost per unit that stays fairly flat no matter how many you print.
How flexo printing works
Flexographic printing transfers ink from flexible photopolymer plates, one per colour, mounted on cylinders that turn at high speed. Making plates is a one-time cost for each colour, but once they exist, every extra unit is cheap to print. That is why flexo gets more cost-effective the longer your run.
Finding the crossover
Every job has a run length where flexo’s lower unit cost has paid back its plates. Below that point, digital is cheaper overall; above it, flexo is. The crossover moves with the number of colours, the bag size and the material, which is why we price both methods when it is close.
Many designs? Digital changes the maths
Plates are made per design. If you have six flavours, flexo needs plates for each one, while digital prints all six in one run without extra setup. Brands with many SKUs, seasonal artwork or frequent changes often stay digital longer, or split their range: flexo for best sellers, digital for everything else.
What about colour?
Both methods can match your brand colours. Flexo can print true spot inks, ideal for large areas of a single Pantone colour. Digital presses build colours from process inks and match Pantone references very closely. Either way, we proof your artwork before production so you can approve the colour.
Start digital, switch later
A common path: launch on digital to test the market with low risk, then move proven products to flexo when volumes justify it. Keep your artwork files and Pantone references organized and the switch is straightforward.
Not sure? Send your quantities per design. We will quote the method with the lowest total cost, not just the lowest unit price.
Compare the methods side by side on our printing options page, or request a quote.
