BEYOND THE LABEL

Labels have never had to work harder. Once viewed simply as a means of identifying a product, today’s labels are expected to do a great deal more. They need to communicate quality, create shelf appeal, support accessibility, improve traceability and even become part of connected packaging through technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID).

For converters, that changing landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. To explore how the market is evolving, Nicola Penhallow, Editor of Specialist Printing Worldwide, spoke with Tom Overgoor and Steve Caples of SPGPrints. They discussed the current state of the US and global label-printing markets. They also spoke of the opportunities for rotary screen printing and how the company’s latest developments – including the next-generation MARBLE Rotary Screen Integration (RSI®) platform and RotaPlate Wide – are helping converters respond to changing market demands.

Despite economic uncertainty over recent years, the label sector continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience. While individual markets have experienced fluctuations, both SPGPrints’ executives agree that demand remains strong and continues to evolve.

Nicola Penhallow (NP): “Let’s start with the US market. How would you describe the current state of the label industry?”

Steve Caples (SC): “The label market in the United States is very healthy.

Food and beverage continues to dominate, but we’re also seeing strong activity across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, wines and spirits. Those sectors continue to invest because packaging has become an increasingly important part of how brands communicate quality and differentiate themselves on the shelf.

“Alongside those core markets, we’re also seeing specialist applications emerge. Temporary tattoos, for example, have become an interesting niche, but overall it’s the established sectors that continue to drive demand and create opportunities for converters.”

Tom Overgoor (TO): “Globally, we’re seeing a very similar picture. One of the strengths of the label industry is that production is largely local. Labels tend to 
be produced close to where the packaged products themselves are manufactured, 
which gives the market a degree of stability.

“Over the past year we’ve also seen production levels recover as customers worked through existing inventories. Confidence is returning and, with it, renewed investment across many regions.

“While the market itself remains healthy, customer expectations continue to change. Increasingly, success is determined, not simply by producing a label, but by producing one that attracts attention, communicates quality and creates a memorable consumer experience.”

NP: “Where does rotary screen printing fit within that changing market?”

SC: “Rotary screen printing has always been a specialist process. One of its biggest strengths is opacity. Take a dark beverage bottle as an example. Rotary screen allows us to lay down a highly opaque white that masks the background before the remaining colours are printed, producing much brighter, more vibrant graphics.

“Another important application is tactile varnish. Consumers don’t simply look at products – they pick them up. Whether it’s a premium wine, a cosmetic product or a pharmaceutical package, that physical interaction becomes part of the purchasing experience. 

“People often buy with their eyes first, but they also buy with their hands.”

NP: “That tactile element seems to have become increasingly important, particularly for premium brands?”

SC: “Absolutely. Raised varnishes, textured finishes and speciality effects all contribute to that experience. With screen printing, you can easily apply these effects with inks that would otherwise be difficult to print, with other printing technologies due to ink viscosity or particle size in the ink.”

TO: “That’s why we often describe rotary screen as an embellishment technology rather than simply another printing process. In many applications we’re adding the finishing touches that make a product stand out, whether that’s tactile varnishes, glitter effects, specialist metallic finishes or high-build coatings.”

One theme emerges very quickly during the conversation. For SPGPrints, rotary screen printing is not competing with other technologies. Instead, it is complementing them by delivering specialist effects and functional applications that conventional print processes cannot always achieve.

NP: “Would you describe those applications as primarily luxury products or are they becoming much more mainstream?”

SC: “I wouldn’t necessarily call them luxury. Wine and spirits remain an important market, but we’re seeing the same requirements across nutraceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

“Consumers respond to products that look distinctive. Nutraceuticals are a particularly interesting area because presentation has become an important part of how those products are marketed.

“We’re also seeing tremendous growth in craft breweries across the US. Many of those producers are using shrink sleeves, with rotary screen increasingly being used to create tactile and decorative effects.”

While premium embellishment remains one of the best-known applications for rotary screen printing, the discussion soon moves beyond decoration. Increasingly, converters are investing in specialist applications that combine visual impact with functionality.

NP: “You’ve mentioned tactile finishes and shelf appeal, but where are you seeing the biggest growth opportunities?”

TO: “One of the most important areas is pharmaceutical packaging, particularly braille. Braille is a regulated application where the height and consistency of every dot must meet strict requirements. Rotary screen printing is exceptionally well suited to achieving those specifications consistently, making it a reliable and cost-effective solution for converters. We see that market trends and regulations require braille on more types of packaging other than pharmaceuticals.”

SC: “Those standards are recognised internationally. For example, wherever pharmaceutical manufacturers require compliant braille packaging, rotary screen offers a proven solution. It’s a great example of screen printing providing functional value as well as visual appeal.”

NP: “Printed electronics and RFID are attracting increasing attention. How significant do you see those markets becoming?”

TO: “We believe they represent one of the most exciting long-term opportunities. RFID is finding increasing use in inventory management, authentication and connected packaging. Printing also offers a more sustainable alternative to traditional etching because it is an additive manufacturing process, depositing material only where it is needed. Printing also avoids the need for heavy and unsustainable chemicals that etching would require.”

NP: “So sustainability is becoming part of that conversation as well?”

TO: “Absolutely. Environmental regulations continue to tighten – particularly in Europe – and printing provides a cleaner manufacturing route while reducing material waste. As costs continue to fall, we expect adoption to accelerate.”

SC: “We’re seeing growing interest throughout North America too. More converters are asking about printed electronics and RFID than ever before, particularly as customers look to bring more production capabilities in-house.

“Rather than replacing conventional label production, these applications demonstrate how rotary screen printing is expanding into new areas where functionality, sustainability and added value are becoming increasingly important.”

NP: “Embellishment has been a major talking point across the industry. How does that fit into SPGPrints’ approach?”

TO: “We see screen printing as an embellishment technology. In many cases, we’re not printing the entire label. We’re applying the finishing touches that help products stand out, whether that’s tactile varnishes, glitter effects, metallic appearances or specialist coatings.”

SC: “There’s also an important security aspect. Many security effects used on banknotes and security documents rely on screen-printing principles to prevent counterfeiting. The same technologies can help brand owners protect premium products while creating striking visual finishes.”

As converters look to improve productivity – while simplifying increasingly complex production environments – SPGPrints believes the future lies not only in new capabilities, but in making those capabilities easier to adopt.

NP: “SPGPrints has recently introduced the next-generation MARBLE platform. What customer challenge was it designed to solve?”

TO: “For many years, we developed dedicated screen units for different OEM press manufacturers. At one point we were supporting well over 100 variants. MARBLE changes that by creating one common print platform with dedicated integration kits for different presses. That means we develop innovations once and deploy them across the platform, making future development, servicing and support much more efficient.”

NP: “Does that also benefit customers commercially?”

TO: “Yes. Manufacturing around one common platform improves efficiency and makes the system more cost-effective. Screen printing has traditionally required a significant investment, so reducing that barrier is an important objective for us.”

NP: “Next to the company’s current RotaMesh and RotaPlate portfolio, RotaPlate Wide has also generated considerable interest. What’s driving that?”

TO: “Particularly in North America, we’re seeing a clear move towards wider presses. Wider webs allow more labels to be produced in every pass, increasing throughput and reducing production costs. RotaPlate Wide extends our technology to support that trend.”

SC: “It also gives smaller independent converters a more accessible route into premium screen printing. Instead of making 
a much larger investment, they can bring embellishment and high-opacity applications in-house while maintaining excellent quality.”

NP: “How do you see the label industry evolving over the next three to five years?”

SC: “We’re very optimistic. Brands will continue looking for ways to differentiate themselves and packaging will remain central to the customer experience, whether products are purchased in-store or online.”

TO: “One of the biggest challenges will be skills. Equipment must become easier to operate and less dependent on specialist knowledge. That’s a major focus for SPGPrints. We don’t see rotary screen replacing other print technologies. We see it complementing them by delivering premium embellishment, functional applications and greater value for converters.”

Throughout the discussion, one message remained consistent. SPGPrints sees rotary screen printing not as an alternative to other print processes, but as an increasingly valuable addition. It helps converters combine decoration with functionality while responding to changing customer expectations.

Visitors to LOUPE Americas in Chicago (from 17–19 September 2026) will have the opportunity to see the latest developments from SPGPrints at Booth 901. These include the next-generation MARBLE platform and RotaPlate Wide screens. Attendees will be able to discuss how these innovations are helping converters improve efficiency, expand application capabilities and prepare for the future of label production.