Karstedt Partners releases a landmark study benchmarking the adoption and use of digital printing by Corrugated Converters in North America. 

With the assistance of participating converters, Karstedt Partners has collected data on the approximately 33 single pass and 70 multi-pass presses installed in North America. The data collected assesses market impact, value created, and the challenges faced in launching a digital operation.  

The introduction and adoption of single-pass digital printing has dramatically accelerated digital capacity in North America. Currently unknown, but a central focus for the study is the demand stream against that capacity.

The following chart depicts various scenarios. Market analyst estimate the North American demand for high graphics corrugated product at around 20%-30% of total market volume. Converters typically refer to an immediate digital participation rate of around 10%-20% share of their current high graphics production requirements, including litho lam and litho label purchases. We refer to this segment as the “low hanging fruit”. The first group of columns depicts digital capacity across the market range of 20%-30% high graphics share, and the low end of digital participation at 10% of high graphics demand. We classify this segment as the “low hanging fruit”. The columns on the far right depict high graphics again at 20%-30% share of market demand, and the “low hanging fruit” opportunity being 20% of high graphics demand.

• Is digital printing capable of creating new demand patterns expanding participation beyond the “low hanging fruit”.
• Will digital printing become another process for print to be used under certain conditions? 
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What value is being created to justify the investment by packaging buyers, converters, and industry suppliers? 

Future industry growth is dependent on finding the answer to these questions!

Karstedt Partners will be releasing three separate studies over the next 12 months “benchmarking” the impact of digital printing on corrugated packaging. Reports one and three will provide converter feedback. Report two will focus on supplier feedback and development efforts. Topics to be addressed include:

• The installed capacity vs. actual converter shipments-are the presses being utilized?  What does the future forecast look like?
• How does the type of converting operation, business size, applications, and customer base impact digital adoption, ramp-up and deployment.
• What are the challenges in establishing a digital operation?
• What value is being created?  Is digital printing creating new demand or replacing analog demand?

How will this impact your business? 

Digital printing is here, and with this new research, the impact is finally measurable. The reports provide timely, actionable data, plus as a subscriber, your company will have the opportunity to address converter concerns surfaced in the first report, in addition to highlighting your companies development efforts for corrugated packaging. 

Contact Karstedt Partners for more information, pricing, and to reserve your subscription now.

Contact info:

Kevin Karstedt:  716-992-2017        Kevin@Karstedt.com

Jeff Wettersten: 317-710-6744       Jeff@Karstedt.com