By Andy Thomas-Emans, Strategic Director at LOUPE Global, Informa Markets

The last two Labelexpo shows – Labelexpo Europe and Labelexpo Asia 2025 – demonstrated how core label converting technologies have been adapted to open up new opportunities in the flexible packaging and folding carton markets.

We can expect LOUPE to build further on these foundations. 

Flexible packaging has led the way. We have seen at Labelexpo in the last 12 years the building of a network of suppliers covering all aspects of flexible packaging relevant to label converters. At the last two Labelexpo Europe exhibitions, 40% of visitors registered an interest in flexible packaging as well as labels.

HP Indigo still leads the way on the digital printing of flexible packaging, most recently with its 200k press. Now we are starting to see the evolution of water-based inkjet, with Screen bringing its TruePress PAC 520P to the show for paper-based flexible packaging and Pulisi launching a water-based inkjet flexible packaging press at Labelexpo Asia. Miyakoshi demonstrated a prototype machine in Barcelona, where Fujifilm was promoting its FP790 technology.

At the same time, we have seen the development of wider, mid-web flexo presses (670-850mm/26-30in) optimized for the printing of flexible packaging, often configured with extended IR/hot air flexo or gravure units for water-based coatings and inline lamination.

We have also seen a growing number of suppliers demonstrating offline laminators tailored to the mid-web format, including ABG company Enprom, while JetFX demonstrated how tactile digital embellishment can be added with an inkjet bar at the laminating stage in a joint project with Karlville.

Pouch manufacturing has also emerged as an area of growing interest, with Galaxy, Karville and Zhoutai all demonstrating machines at Labelexpo shows.

Materials knowledge is a critical part of the learning journey when diversifying from labels, because the pouch, sachet or flow-wrap is now the primary product container.  Synthogra pioneered the supply of flexible packaging materials to label converters, and its mission has been to impart in-depth knowledge about the properties of laminated structures. Other materials suppliers have followed.

Similarly, ink suppliers have tailored their exhibition space to focus on flexible packaging as well as label applications.

LOUPE events, formerly Labelexpo, also host exhibitors who specialize in barrier coating technology, which is helping to make film and paper-based flexible packaging more sustainable by eliminating incompatible lamination layers. These are companies like Actega, Archroma, Tullis Russell and Sun Chemical.

Why has flexible packaging proved such a perfect match for label converters, once the very steep learning curve has been mastered? Because buyers of flexible packaging usually deal with wide-web converters with long lead times, high minimum orders and long delivery times.

Adapting core narrow and mid-web label technology – digital, flexo and hybrid – to this market harnesses the skills and agility of the label printer to deliver short lead times, rapid response, value-added inline decoration, personalization and mass customization.

Folding Cartons Next

Folding cartons will be the next package printing market to be positively disrupted by core labels technology, and for broadly similar reasons.

At the last two Labelexpo Europe shows, 25% of visitors registered an interest in folding cartons.

Industrial-scale folding carton production is overwhelmingly carried out in a multi-stage operation where offset printed sheets are moved between multiple offline processing stations. This involves long lead times, considerable work in progress and increased cost and work time for each subsequent decoration processes.

Inline technology allows the production of finished folding cartons in a single pass. At Labelexpo Europe in Barcelona, Canon-Edale demonstrated a CartonLine press configured with inline technologies well understood by label converters – turnbar, cold foil, UV flexo print and coating stations, cast+cure holographic film application, followed by an inline flatbed die cut/crease module, waste ejection and delivery of finished pieces on a shingling conveyor.

In principle an inline narrow/mid-web press, flexo or offset, could include any module common to a label press, including screen or inkjet bar for variable imaging or digital embellishment.

For longer runs, rotary cutting and creasing dies can be used for single-pass production, a configuration shown by Hontec at Labelexpo Asia.

“Near line” digital printing with off-line finishing is another possible labels-derived workflow. We can expect our existing finishing and embellishment suppliers to develop innovative solutions here, just as they have for narrow web flexible packaging.

Hybrid inline folding carton production systems are another option for future development, again developed on the basis of existing label technology. A system such as the Bobst DM-55 is a good example.

Inline or near-line production changes the landscape for buyers of folding cartons, presenting them with new options in terms of lead times, speed of delivery and cost-effective and innovative single-pass decoration.

There are many possibilities for adapting label technologies to folding carton production. One might be incorporating RFID labels into folding cartons in an automated single pass operation or adding inline multi-sheet booklet labels.

At the first LOUPE show, LOUPE Americas 2026 in Rosemont, we can expect to see suppliers of equipment, materials, consumables and software building on the foundations created by Labelexpo to deliver new and compelling solutions across labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons.