Digital printing is a tool like nothing I've ever seen before. Not ever!" raves Richard Small, CEO of Portland, Ore.-based label converter IdentiGraphics. Small was among a select group of package printers featured during the recent Digital Printing for Packaging conference sponsored jointly by Pira Intl. and Converting.

Some important trends were revealed via survey data reported by Mary Ann Falkman, editor in chief of Packaging Digest, in her presentation, "Packaging Graphics—Digital Views." Already 18.3 percent of the packagers and converters responding own a digital press, and fully four out of 10 use digital along the way as a printing process for their package manufacturing.

What's pushing digital applications for end users? Speed is tops for food, beverage and pharmaceutical packaging buyers who (from 29 to 50 percent of respondents) cited fast turnaround as the most prevalent reason. Using digital printing for product samples was most popular (28 percent) for personal-care makers, and cost savings ranked first for a third of the household-care product packagers responding.