The Innovative Packaging Conference, recently held in Poland and hosted by Digiprint, Highcon’s partner in the region, brought together industry leaders to discuss advancements in print and packaging technology. A standout session, titled “From Concept to Box: Digital for Packaging Production,” explored the impact of digital workflows on print and packaging.

Bartosz Nowakowski, Poland Country Manager at Eurographic Group, shared valuable insights into the role of digital die-cutting in the production of packaging. Eurographic Group, a leader in advanced digital printing solutions, has significantly expanded its digital capabilities under Nowakowski’s leadership. In 2023, the company invested in a Highcon Beam 2 system and, one year later, became the first beta customer to upgrade to the Highcon Beam 3, the most productive digital die-cutting system on the market.

Here are some key takeaways from the discussion, as led by Szymon Symonowicz from Digiprint:

Why is digital die-cutting so important?

“Digital die-cutting is crucial in planning a job’s execution, from choosing between analogue and digital machines to determining embellishments. It optimizes costs by creating an efficient production path tailored to client specifications. Organizing a digital job queue ensures fast, cost-effective production that aligns with client needs.”

How does digital die-cutting work?

“I adopt a holistic approach, viewing it as part of a larger whole. Digital die-cutting isn’t just a standalone process; it’s part of a larger workflow. Right from the very start, we focus on aggregating order data processed by our systems, ensuring everything is seamlessly in place. Our advanced digital printing capabilities allow us to produce both Pantone and non-Pantone boxes. To optimize costs, we combine jobs, as digital unit costs differ significantly from offset printing. Our digital finishing is equally efficient, with job combinations on a sheet further enhancing cost-effectiveness.

However, this brings us to a less obvious challenge in today’s market: what happens next with the packaging? Cutting it out presents a unique issue. With traditional analog solutions, we would need to order a custom die. If we’ve combined jobs, the die often becomes a one-time-use tool because future orders will likely involve different quantities or configurations. When combining jobs from different clients on a single sheet, the die becomes even less reusable, which is where digital die-cutting proves essential. In my view,  digital die-cutting is actually the starting point for planning. At this stage, we determine whether to use laser cutting, whether we’re combining jobs from multiple clients or working with a single client, or even handling varying package sizes. This integration of data and planning begins right here. With traditional analog methods, it’s nearly impossible to make this process both optimal and cost-effective. For this reason, I consider digital die-cutting one of the most critical components of the entire workflow.

To support this, we’ve invested in a Highcon Beam 3 machine for production. Frankly, I’m not aware of another solution on the market that comes as close to achieving analog-quality results. The product quality is virtually indistinguishable from traditional die-cutting. Today, when we deliver this product, we no longer specify to the client whether it was cut using laser or rotary methods. While industry experts can identify certain differences and understand the limitations of each approach, clients ultimately care about just one thing: the quality of the final product. Whether the packaging is produced digitally, through offset, or another method, the only expectation is that it meets high-quality standards.

Thanks to advancements in digital die-cutting, we now have a solution that meets those expectations for digital packaging production. Creasing and die-cutting have reached a level of precision and quality with this technology that we can confidently use it for mass production. So, to answer the question, “How does it work?”—it works, and it works exceptionally well. All the samples you see here were produced on the Highcon Beam 3. As an industry expert, you might notice subtle differences, but 99% of clients wouldn’t. For them, the product simply meets their standards, regardless of the production method.

Balancing analogue and digital processes

“We use both analogue and digital solutions. The greatest advantage is the flexibility to choose the most  cost-effective path during planning. With a diverse order portfolio, we can optimize for digital production, particularly for short runs, achieving excellent cost efficiency.”

The role of automation in cost optimization

“Automation is key for cost optimization. Using an Esko module, we aggregate orders and automatically combine them without manually pairing jobs with dies. The system optimizes sheet layouts, minimizes waste, and handles the entire process. One person supervises the system rather than manually performing the work, streamlining operations significantly.”

Nowakowski added, “With Highcon’s laser cutting, we can achieve intricate designs, like cutting detailed text in packaging, which would be extremely time-consuming and costly with analogue methods. The Highcon automates these processes, delivering precision and eliminating tedious manual clean-up.” This allows for creating designs that would otherwise be unattainable or prohibitively expensive using traditional methods.

Looking beyond die-cutting, Nowakowski said automation extends to folding, glueing, and other finishing stages: “We use fully automated solutions compatible with the entire digital process, with setup times in minutes rather than hours.”

“Digital production must be approached holistically. Printing alone isn’t enough if the rest of the process isn’t optimized. Rapid execution and seamless integration allow us to handle orders ranging from one to 100,000 packages within 24 hours. While producing small batches is straightforward, managing hundreds of small orders efficiently is a greater challenge — one that automation helps solve.”

Final Thoughts
We thank Nowakowski for his detailed insights into the transformative role of digital die cutting. Check out the full panel discussion here.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you overcome challenges, drive growth and meet the evolving demands of your customers.

• Get more information about Highcon’s solutions
• Reach out directly for an in-depth discussion on how Highcon can transform your business