Richard Small, president of Portland, OR-based IdentiGraphics, part of the WS Packaging Group, also uses the HP Indigo Webstream system. He presented 11 questions to answer before buying a digital press. Some crucial aspects of the technology include substrates, consumables, slitting, coating, printing, productivity, color, finishing and maintenance, he says.

Small summarized a host of positive and negative factors weighing on the business of digital printing. On the down side, the technology requires a hefty initial investment; there can be both color and frame-to-frame registration variations; speeds are slower compared to other processes; and all materials must be top-coated.

"Until workflow is smooth, productivity is only 50-60 percent," Small says, and there is a long learning curve.

On the positive side, Small says plateless printing offers extreme flexibility, fast turnaround time, variable data, client satisfaction and great print quality. "It's the best game in town for short runs," he says.

Account executive Scot Tennyck and digital production specialist Darrell Truitt with Menasha Display Group, Mequon, WI, revealed how "going digital" with the Aprion Bel2000 color-inkjet printer for corrugated and paperboard helped their POP-packaging company stay ahead of the curve.

Three-quarters of North American converters can't do medium to short runs with existing equipment, says Truitt. As a result, 90 percent of small orders are not done economically, he says. Enter the Bel2000, which prints sheets up to 63 x 102 in. at speeds of up to 3,600 sq ft per hr, using water-based inks and an IR drying system, says Truitt.

Profitable applications of the technology are possible for customers' seasonal promotions, time/date sensitive programs, trial runs, prototypes, product launches, and promotional events, say the Menasha converters.