Printing & Materials
Digital, offset, screen — choose the right process, paper and ink for cost and quality
- Audience
- Designers・Procurement Staff・Brand Owners
- Digital Printing
- Offset Printing
- Inkjet Printing
- Screen Printing
- Letterpress
- Gravure
- Paper Materials
- Ink
- Cost
Complete guides
- COMPLETE GUIDEA Complete Guide to Printing Methods: How to Choose Digital, Offset, Screen, or Letterpress Without OverspendingThe same artwork can cost three times as much, take an extra week, and feel a full tier different depending on whether it is printed digitally, by offset, or by screen printing. This guide explains the principles, best-use scenarios, and cost structures of the main printing methods in one place, and gives you a decision tree you can follow to avoid choosing the wrong option7 STEPS
- COMPLETE GUIDEComplete Guide to Carton Packaging Production: From Material Selection and Die-Line Development to Press Submission — Every Step Determines Quality and CostPackaging is the first thing a customer physically holds in their hands at retail — it is your brand's opening statement on shelf. Choose the wrong substrate, skip structural prototyping, glance at the proof and rush it to press, and every overlooked step can send costs spiraling or your quality perception crashing. Based on client projects I have worked on over the years, more than sixty percent of packaging disputes trace back not to a bad print run but to poor communication during early-stage processes. This guide walks through the seven critical stages of carton production so you can avoid the most common pitfalls and get it right the first time7 STEPS
- COMPLETE GUIDEThe Complete Guide to Poster & Large-Format Output: From Size Specs to CMYK Color Shifts, Everything You Need Before Sending to PrintEven the most eye-catching poster design can go sideways at the print shop — wrong dimensions, insufficient DPI, colors that look vivid on screen but come out muddy on paper. These problems play out almost every week with clients I work with. This guide breaks down the entire large-format output workflow, from spec confirmation to final pre-press checks, so you get it right the first time7 STEPS
Epson ContourJet: How Does Direct-to-Shape Printing Work?
Epson ContourJet brings inkjet printing to curved, recessed, and irregular object surfaces. Readers will understand how it works, which jobs are worth testing first, and how Taiwan's small and mid-sized print shops and brand teams can move from sampling to quoting
Don't Just Compare Ink Unit Prices. Look at Supply Resilience First
Saving a few dollars per kilogram on ink can quickly turn into a higher total order cost if lead times slip or substitute materials have to go through validation again. Starting with a case of disrupted raw-material supplies in China, this article helps procurement teams evaluate price, lead time, color consistency, and dual sourcing under one set of acceptance criteria
PPWR Countdown: First Inventory the Three Layers of Fruit Label Materials
A single fruit label is bringing EU packaging compliance pressure into the view of Taiwan's supply chain; starting from Futamura and Bio4Life's compostable solution, brands and printers can understand how and when to inventory the three material layers, and how to turn the documentation into order‑taking capability
Dimense Surface: How to Take on Textured Wallpaper Projects
Roland DG has extended Dimense technology into its own wallpaper brand, moving digital printing beyond image output to the tactile surface of a wall. This article explains how it works, which projects it suits, and what small and midsize printers in Taiwan should confirm before taking on a job
SunVetro SGF Organic Ink: How to Choose Glass Printing
Sustainable options for glass packaging have reached the ink and surface decoration stage; Sun Chemical (a printing and packaging materials supplier) launches SunVetro SGF to help Taiwanese brands assess whether to adopt it based on application, durability, and evidence
3D Direct-to-Object Printing: Contourjet vs. Mutoh
3D direct-to-object printing is moving from a showcase technology toward real orders for small batches, custom work, and irregular-shaped products. By breaking down Epson Contourjet's equipment design and Mutoh's market signals, small and midsize print shops can make better calls from proofing and material selection through to quoting
Stop Judging Printing Technology by Unit Price Alone: How to Choose Among Four Processes
The easiest place to get burned on a print job is often choosing the wrong process at the very start. From Inkjet, Screen, Flexo, and Offset, this guide shows you how to make a choice based on run size, substrate, turnaround time, and cost, without guessing
A Century-Old Printing House Enters Reorganization: Taiwan Shouldn't Wait Until Orders Dry Up
France's Maury Imprimeur has entered court-supervised reorganization, a case linked to falling publication volumes, rising paper and energy costs, and the pressure of digital content replacing print. Brands and printing teams can use this case to examine supply-chain risk, delivery capability, and the sequence of their transformation efforts
How Papier Tigre Runs On-Demand Production
Papier Tigre installed a Canon imagePRESS V1000 and plugged short-run digital printing into its Paris workshop's handmade process; the case shows brands and print shops how on-demand production reshapes inventory and new-release timing
3 Ink and Processing Adjustments for Fiber-Based Packaging
Sun Chemical and Archipelago's partnership puts inks, barrier coatings, and forming processes into one validation workflow for fiber-based packaging. Designers can use substrate selection, color proofing, and PPWR procurement requirements to build a specification that printers can actually execute
Screen Printing vs. Digital Printing: How to Choose for Industrial Labels
Digital printing makes short runs and customization faster, but it has not replaced screen printing's capabilities with thick ink layers, specialty inks, and a wide range of substrates for industrial labels and electronics manufacturing. Readers get a practical way to decide based on materials, function, volume, and file delivery
Ignore Fujifilm's Plate Business Sale at Your Peril: 3 Supply-Chain Warning Signs for Taiwan Printers
Fujifilm is selling its European plate production line to China's JRT. This is not just a figure buried in a far-off European financial report. It is a clear signal that the global printing-consumables market is being reshuffled. This article breaks down how the deal will affect inventory planning at small and midsize plants in Taiwan, and what procurement and prepress teams can do about it
Heidelberg Moves into the Platform Game: How Should Taiwan's Small and Mid-Sized Printers Buy Their Next Press?
Germany's venerable printing giant Heidelberg is formally shifting its focus to maintenance subscriptions and cross-industry contract manufacturing. This is not just about balancing the books, but a strong signal that the entire supply chain is being reshaped. Only by understanding the manufacturer's transformation strategy can we see where Taiwan's equipment purchasing and digital transformation should go next
Personalized Printing Is More Than Just Adding a Name
Personalization isn't as simple as printing a name. It's about turning 'small runs, repeat orders, high unit prices' into a business that actually adds up. This piece breaks down where small and mid-sized print shops should find their entry point, so you don't sink money into equipment and then struggle to fill the order book
Sun Chemical's Two Major New Moves: What Should Packaging and Label Printers Watch For?
Sun Chemical has recently announced strategic alliances at LOUPE and Fakuma, shifting its resources toward narrow web labels and plastic additives. For designers and printers, this means the bar for specialty coatings and color management is about to change again
UPM and Sappi Joint Venture: A Guide to Purchasing Graphic Paper
UPM and Sappi have nominated a CEO and CFO for their planned graphic paper joint venture, but the deal still awaits regulatory approval and closing. For designers, the signal is that specified paper needs a fallback path. For printers, purchasing and lead times cannot rely solely on familiar paper grades
Quebec's DRS Upgrade Is Forcing a Packaging Shake-Up: How Export Brands Can Avoid Shipping Pitfalls
Quebec's expansion of its beverage container deposit return system directly affects compliance standards for packaging exported to North America. From label removability to material selection, it is a clear signal that production specifications are being reshaped. Getting ahead of it is the best way to avoid rejected shipments
Pantone 7549 C Is Dark Blue? 3 Ways to Beat the Purple Tint Disaster in Blue Printing
When a client specifies Pantone 7549 C but expects a deep navy blue, communication has completely broken down. This article clears up common color swatch mix-ups and breaks down the purple tint and muddy black traps that trip up 4-color process printing for deep blues like Pantone 289 C and 293 C
Ignore the North American Containerboard Price-Fixing Case, and Your Packaging Costs Could Spiral Out of Control
A US court just denied a motion to dismiss a containerboard price-fixing lawsuit, signaling that North America's paper price storm is far from over. This is not just legal drama overseas. It directly hits inventory costs for print shops and packaging quotes for brands in Taiwan. Here is a breakdown of what is happening and practical procurement moves you can make right now
Xerox Rebadging Xeikon Presses? 3 Shifts in Label and Packaging Outsourcing to Watch
Xerox announced it will sell Xeikon digital presses under its own brand. This is not just a hardware tie-up between two industry giants, but a shake-up of global distribution and tech. Here is what designers and small-to-midsize print shops need to know about the strategy behind the deal, plus what to watch for in outsourcing and equipment buying over the next three years
One Size Too Big? How Oversized Packaging Silently Eats 23% of Shipping and Warehouse Profits
When brands push for sustainability, they often assume switching to eco-friendly materials is enough, missing the fact that package dimensions are the real hidden margin killer. From the perspective of production lines and logistics, this guide breaks down how overpackaging drives up freight, storage, and damage costs, and gives you a practical reduction checklist for the decision-making stage
The Textile Digital Printing Reset: Why the Big Players Are Fighting Over 500-Piece Runs
Digital textile printing is going through a structural reset. When buyers demand ultra-short turnarounds and regulations mandate supply chain transparency, relying solely on high volume no longer works. This article breaks down why agile production and digital pigment technology are key to staying in business
Choosing Paper Fiber Inks: Differences Between Sun and Siegwerk
Want food boxes with direct food contact but worried about compliance? Sun Chemical launched bio-carbon-verified DFC inks, while Siegwerk teamed up on specialized coatings for fiber packaging. We break down both technical paths to show designers and small-to-midsize print shops when to pick which route, and how to bring plastic-to-paper conversion onto real production lines
Two Major European Paper Mills Exit Back-to-Back: Supply Chain Risks and Packaging Solutions for the Second Half of the Year
UK-based Cepac closing production lines and Germany's Schleipen halting operations highlight a severe structural contraction across the European papermaking industry. Taiwanese brands relying on imported paper face a double blow of soaring costs and missed delivery deadlines in the second half of the year unless they line up alternative materials early