When two or more entities come together or work together, they form a mixture, which means the results will change, usually for improvement, not necessarily for replacement. New and different outcomes will indeed emerge. Of course, this is what is expected when deploying composite (mixed) printing. With the increasing popularity, cost reduction, and ease of use of digital printing, the understanding of hybrid printing in the narrow web industry has become synonymous with the combination of traditional flexographic printing and digital printing. The advantages of flexographic and digital printing in real hybrid systems are obvious. By combining the best technology and increasing processing techniques, waste and time savings can be achieved.

However, combination printing or hybrid printing has been around for many years - whether it's a line of sight or a standalone process. It may sometimes look very different from today's assumed digital models. Therefore, let's focus on other combination printing or mixing technologies. The shift from single printing technology to combination printing or hybrid printing is driven by factors that most of us are aware of - more product customization, smaller batch sizes, more SKUs for single designs, and more efficient and sustainable production.

We have indeed seen that combination printing has stabilized and maintained its position in the market. By combining the unique features of specific printing technologies and fully utilizing multiple techniques, printers can create highly attractive products that enable brand owners to stand out.

Flexographic+Offset Printing

In the past few decades, we have seen flexographic printing devour traditional offset printing operations, however, offset printing still holds a place in the modern narrow web label and flexible packaging market. Undoubtedly, flexographic printing has evolved from a relatively low-cost, low-quality, and large-scale technology to a very high-quality technology, which has greatly helped it replace traditional high-quality technologies such as offset printing.

However, the combination of flexographic printing and offset printing will continue to exist. At the same time, due to functional reasons, there will always be certain applications that require the use of unique technologies, such as sealing, coating, and laminating. Unlike in the past, modern printing machines eliminate multiple process steps by combining them into one machine and performing line processing, making the process more efficient.

Whether the basic machine is based on offset printing or flexographic printing, other technologies and decorations such as screen printing, coating or laminating can be easily integrated. Offset printing and flexographic printing are the ideal combination for high-quality special labels. When discussing anti-counterfeiting printing, specific secure offset printing techniques can be easily combined with flexographic printing techniques used for special glazing, spot colors, and screen printing to add another secure step. Digital solutions such as hot stamping for special effects, adding decorative barcodes or variable data printing can also be easily integrated.

Flexographic printing+silk screen printing

Flexographic and silk screen printing are well-known combinations of label and film operations. The high white opacity of silk screen printing, as well as the possibility of extreme ink layers to enable printing brush/tactile effects, have made this combination widely accepted.