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title: Once the Press Moves In-House, What Role Is Left for Printers?
lang: en
source: https://mindsprt.dev/en/knowledge/research-brief-epson-eps-direct-to-object-printing-system/
---

# Once the Press Moves In-House, What Role Is Left for Printers?

*Mai Strategy Lab · 7 min read · 2026-09-29*

> Epson and EPS have partnered to launch a direct-to-object printing system that lets printing happen directly at a brand's facility or in a retail setting. This article examines three things: why direct printing is evolving from a proofing tool into a new order channel, where the quality risks lie, and which capabilities small and midsize printers and design teams should build first

**Quick answer:** Epson and EPS have partnered to launch a direct-to-object printing system that lets printing happen directly at a brand's facility or in a retail setting

## Overview

Last month, a friend who runs a tea beverage brand asked me, "We're making only 300 limited-edition cans, with a different city name on each one. Do we still have to order labels first and wait for them to be applied?" The answer is changing. Epson and EPS have partnered to launch a direct-to-object printing system that puts the image directly onto the surface of a three-dimensional object, skipping the label and transfer-printing steps [1]. So, when a press can be moved directly to a brand's facility or an event site, what value can a printer actually provide?

## How Is a Direct-to-Object System Different from the Proofing Machines of the Past?

The biggest difference is what it is used for. It is no longer just for checking proofs. It is starting to take on actual production orders for small batches and customized products. According to firsthand reporting, this type of technology was once used mostly for proofing and personalized products. It is now extending into small-batch customized packaging and in-store displays [1].

The key shift is not in the printhead, but in the workflow. A traditional limited-edition package has to pass through the full chain of "printing labels, die-cutting, then applying labels or sleeves." Every additional step pushes the minimum order quantity higher. Direct printing compresses that chain into a single step, making a 300-unit order with every item different economically viable.

My read is that direct printing mainly saves the changeover costs built into the workflow. Ink itself has little impact on the economics. The demand it will take away is the segment where volumes are too small for traditional processes to make sense, not the existing high-volume label market.

## Where Do Quality Risks Arise When Printing on Three-Dimensional Objects?

The main risk is controlling the distance between the printhead and the object's surface, in other words, the z-axis, which flat-surface printing barely has to worry about. A 2026 study specifically examined how adjusting the height of an Epson DX4 printhead in UV LED inkjet printing affects the efficiency of black-line reproduction [3]. Even something as basic as a line requires print distance to be treated as a variable and tested systematically.

On curved or conical surfaces, or on bottles and cans with raised and recessed areas, the print distance naturally varies from one part of the same object to another. In my view, the most common misunderstanding on the brand side is that "you can print as soon as you buy the machine." Fine lines, small type, and barcodes are most likely to fail near curved edges, yet they often carry regulatory information and brand identifiers.

That is why the quality bar for direct printing shifts from equipment specifications to accumulated experience with object fixtures, print-distance calibration, and color acceptance testing. Those are exactly the things printers have traditionally been good at.

## Does the Prepress Workflow Need to Change Too?

Yes, and the change needs to happen by standardizing files earlier, not by patching problems afterward. Looking back, the prepress industry was already studying laser direct prepress systems in 1990, using direct imaging to shorten the chain of intermediate media [2]. Every move toward direct production removes an intermediate buffer, so errors land more directly on the finished product.

Direct-to-object printing works the same way. Without the label layer, problems in the file will not be caught before labeling. They will be printed straight onto the bottle. The Ghent Workgroup has long published technical specifications for the graphic arts industry, with the goal of making file exchange predictable and verifiable [4][6].

From what I have seen, these specifications are still built mainly around flat artwork and established printing conditions. I have not found clear evidence that they fully cover direct printing on three-dimensional objects. The practical approach is to carry over the spirit of GWG's file-exchange principles [5], then have the printer add object-specific checks:

・Printable area and dieline: Who is responsible for distortion compensation on curved objects?

・Minimum stroke width and type size: Set separate minimums according to the object's curvature instead of applying flat-surface rules directly.

・Variable-data fields: Proofread the content for each individual item before it goes to press.

## How Can Small and Midsize Printers Capture This New Entry Point?

The answer is to sell the ability to judge when direct printing makes sense, not just machine capacity. Firsthand reporting points out that the technology lets printers and designers skip traditional labeling or transfer-printing steps and take on limited-edition packaging and event merchandise orders directly from brands [1]. The reverse is also true: brands that buy the machines themselves can bypass printers.

My view is that most brands will not want to build and maintain an in-house production line capable of managing print distance, fixtures, and color management. The opportunity for printers lies in three places:

・Upstream: Assess each object's print suitability and decide which products are a good fit for direct printing and which are safer with labels.

・Midstream: Turn variable-data handling and file checks into a standard workflow, reducing the error rate when brands print in-house.

・Downstream: Even if a brand buys its own equipment, it will still need calibration, consumables, and quality-acceptance services.

Start with one product category, such as bottles and cans or event giveaways. Building up fixture and parameter data is steadier than expanding across many product types at once.

## Key Takeaways

・Direct-to-object printing is moving beyond proofing into small-batch customized packaging and in-store displays. Its main savings come from cutting the changeover costs tied to labels and transfer printing.

・The quality of three-dimensional direct printing depends on controlling the distance from the printhead to the surface. On curved surfaces, fine lines, small type, and barcodes are most likely to fail.

・Without the label layer as a buffer, file errors land directly on the finished product. Prepress checks must happen earlier and be standardized.

・For small and midsize printers, the real competitive advantage is assessing print suitability, managing variable data, and guaranteeing quality, not owning more machines.

・Direct printing is better suited to limited-edition, multi-variant, and event-driven orders. For high-volume packaging with stable specifications, traditional labels still have the cost advantage.

## Further Thoughts

For print manufacturing, direct-to-object printing creates an opportunity to break the "production line" into nodes that can be deployed in distributed locations. The printer's role shifts from processor to process consultant and quality gatekeeper. For design teams, a job cannot stop at a finished flat artwork file. It also needs to specify curved-surface distortion, minimum type size, and variable-data rules. AI has some very concrete entry points here, such as automatically checking printable areas from object geometry, flagging the risk of fine lines on curves, and proofreading variable data at scale. For SaaS, workflow tools that connect brand ordering, file checks, equipment parameters, and acceptance records will be more valuable than simple online quoting. Three questions remain unresolved: who will define file-exchange specifications for three-dimensional objects, how to set color and durability acceptance standards for direct-printed products, and how to draw the line of responsibility when quality disputes arise after a brand buys its own equipment.

## References

[1] [Epson × EPS Direct-to-Object Printing System: The Industry Implications of Moving the Press In-House](https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/epson-eps-direct-object-printing-system.html)

[2] Kume S., Nishio Y., Satoh Y. (1990). [<title>Laser direct prepress system</title>](https://doi.org/10.1117/12.19785). SPIE Proceedings. DOI: 10.1117/12.19785

[3] [Efficiency of Black Line Reproduction in UV LED Inkjet Printing by Adjusting Epson DX4 Printhead Height](https://doi.org/10.17559/tv-20251113003129). Tehnicki vjesnik - Technical Gazette. DOI: 10.17559/tv-20251113003129

[4] [Ghent Workgroup: GWG Technical Specifications Homepage](https://gwg.org/specifications/). Ghent Workgroup

[5] [Ghent Workgroup: Official GWG Homepage](https://gwg.org/). Ghent Workgroup

[6] [Ghent Workgroup: GWG Specifications Overview](https://gwg.org/specifications/). Ghent Workgroup

## FAQ

### What is direct-to-object printing?

Direct-to-object is a digital printing method that puts images directly onto the surfaces of three-dimensional objects such as bottles, cans, boxes, and giveaways, without first printing labels or using transfer printing. It suits small-batch customized orders where the content varies from one item to the next.

### What impact will the direct-printing system developed by Epson and EPS have on printers?

The system extends direct printing beyond proofing and personalized products into small-batch customized packaging and in-store displays. Printers can skip labeling and take on limited-edition orders directly from brands, but they also have to compete with brands that buy equipment and produce in-house.

### What are the most common quality problems in direct printing on three-dimensional objects?

The most common problems come from changes in the distance between the printhead and the object's surface. Fine lines, small type, and barcodes are especially prone to distortion near curved edges. Implementation requires object fixtures, print-distance calibration, and a color-acceptance process.

### Will direct-to-object printing replace traditional label printing?

Not across the board in the short term. Direct printing has an advantage for limited-edition, multi-variant, and event-driven orders. Traditional labels or sleeves remain more cost-effective for high-volume packaging with stable specifications.

### What should designers watch for when preparing files for direct printing?

Beyond finished flat artwork, they need to confirm the printable area and curved-surface distortion compensation, set minimum stroke widths and type sizes according to the object's curvature, and proof variable-data fields. They should also use the file-exchange principles behind standards such as those from the Ghent Workgroup as a guide for preflight checks.


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