Hybrid Flexo Printing: The Evolution of Label Printing Technology

Optimizing Print Production: The Intersection of Digital and Flexographic Printing

The Traditional Trade-Off: Choosing Between Digital and Flexographic Printing

For years, brands and packaging specialists faced a challenging decision when selecting printing technology for their label projects. The choice involved trade-offs: digital printing allowed quick setup and customization, while flexographic presses offered advanced embellishments like varnishes and foils. Although digital printing has made significant strides in decorative options, flexo has traditionally been the go-to for high-end embellishments. Brands often had to choose between efficiency and enhanced visuals, rarely achieving both in one process—until the rise of hybrid flexo printing, which blends the strengths of both technologies to deliver premium labels without compromise.

The Middle Ground: When One Technology Isn’t Enough

Many projects suited one technology—flexo for large, consistent runs and digital for short, variable runs. However, many fell in between, requiring both digital flexibility and flexo embellishments. These hybrid projects posed challenges, often demanding complex workflows with multiple presses and extra handling, increasing time and costs.

Meyers’ Solution: Hybrid Flexo Printing Technology

At Meyers, we embraced hybrid flexo printing early, combining digital and flexo units in one press. This innovation eliminates compromise, delivering the best of both in a seamless process.

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Understanding Hybrid Flexo Technology: The Perfect Balance

The Evolution of Label Production

Hybrid printing technology represents the natural evolution of label production, bringing together the strengths of both digital and flexographic processes. Meyers’ hybrid presses integrate digital printing units alongside traditional flexographic stations, creating a production powerhouse that delivers unique versatility, quality, and efficiency.

The Best of Both Worlds: Digital and Flexographic Advantages

The digital components offer advantages like quick setup, easy customization, variable data, and cost-effective short-run production. However, for very short runs, purely digital printing may still be the most economical choice. Hybrid printing is ideal for mid-length runs needing both customization and high-end embellishments. Flexographic units further enhance shelf appeal with effects like rotary screens, cold foils, specialty varnishes, and precise die cutting.

To better understand where hybrid printing fits in, here’s a comparison of cost considerations across digital, flexo, and hybrid printing:

• Upfront Costs: Hybrid presses require some setup for the flexographic units, but they eliminate the need for full plate changes, reducing overall preparation time compared to traditional flexo.
• Per-Unit Cost: Flexo becomes the most cost-efficient for very large volumes, while purely digital printing is ideal for very short runs due to its minimal setup requirements.
• Break-Even Point: Hybrid printing is most advantageous for medium-length runs where setup costs are offset by the need for embellishments, making it a balanced solution between cost efficiency and decorative premium labels.

A Seamless and Efficient Production Process

This technological marriage creates a solution that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Hybrid technology enables faster production of complex, premium labels with multiple SKUs and custom artwork. This cutting-edge innovation allows us to create superior labels in a single pass with maximum efficiency.

Unlocking New Creative and Operational Possibilities

For brand owners seeking distinctive pressure sensitive labels, hybrid technology opens new creative possibilities without the prohibitive costs or extended timelines previously associated with premium labels. Operations teams benefit from faster turnarounds and consistent quality, while procurement specialists appreciate the cost efficiencies gained through streamlined production processes.

When Hybrid Flexo Printing Makes Sense

Optimizing Short to Medium Production Runs

Hybrid printing has expanded possibilities for brands by making high-quality, customized labels more accessible and efficient. It’s an ideal solution for short to medium runs that would be cost-prohibitive with traditional flexo but require more embellishments than digital printing alone can provide. This technology reduces setup time and material waste, allowing brands to create premium labels to market faster and more cost-effectively—without compromising on quality or creative impact.

Managing Brand Families with Multiple SKUs

Brand families with multiple SKUs require a balance between shared design elements and unique, variable content for each product. Hybrid technology helps maintain consistent brand colors and decorative elements while efficiently managing these variable components through digital printing, ensuring both cohesive brand presentation and production efficiency.

Enhancing Security and Brand Protection

Hybrid printing combines digital and flexo embellishments for security and brand protection. It offers features like specialty varnishes and tamper-evident coatings, while digital-only printing provides advanced options like microtext, serialized barcodes, invisible inks, and UV printing. By blending both technologies, hybrid printing enhances security while maintaining high-quality product label design.

Streamlining Seasonal and Promotional Variations

For seasonal or promotional variations that maintain core brand identity while introducing special elements, hybrid printing offers a cost-effective solution—particularly when both customization and embellishments are required. By combining digital printing’s flexibility with flexographic decorative effects, hybrid technology reduces setup costs compared to traditional flexo. However, for simpler variable data applications without embellishments, purely digital printing may be the most economical choice.

Customizing for Regional and Targeted Marketing Campaigns

Regional or targeted marketing campaigns often need customization for different markets or consumer segments. With digital printing, variable elements can be managed efficiently while ensuring consistent quality and brand standards across all versions.

A Smarter Approach to Complex Label Projects

Hybrid printing’s flexibility allows many projects originally planned for flexo OR digital to shift seamlessly to hybrid equipment. This improves Meyers’ ability to serve clients with complex packaging needs, balancing premium labels and production efficiency.

The Growing Demand for Hybrid Printing Capabilities

Evolving Consumer Expectations and SKU Growth

The pressure-sensitive label industry is evolving rapidly, driven by changing consumer expectations. Modern shoppers seek more personalized products that align with their preferences and values. As a result, brands are expanding their product lines to serve diverse consumer segments, leading to a growing number of SKUs. Managing this complexity efficiently requires advanced production technology that can handle variety without compromising quality or increasing costs. Hybrid printing technology is becoming increasingly valuable in meeting these demands.

The Rise of Regionalized Labeling

This growing demand for variety also extends to regionalization, as brands tailor product labels to meet local preferences, regulations, and languages. Hybrid technology plays a crucial role in enabling cost-effective production of these regional variations while ensuring consistent brand presentation across all markets.

Limited Editions and Seasonal Offerings

There is an increased emphasis on limited editions and seasonal offerings that create urgency and consumer engagement. The reduced setup time of hybrid presses makes these short-term offerings economically viable where they might previously have been cost-prohibitive.

Premium Packaging for Mid-Market Products

Mid-market products are seeing a growing demand for premium labels as brands use packaging to stand out in competitive categories. Hybrid technology makes high-end decorative effects more accessible, once limited to only the most premium products.

Variable Data Printing for Personalization and Security

The need for variable data printing to support personalization, tracking, and authentication. Digital components of hybrid presses excel at these applications while the flexo units maintain consistent brand elements and decorative features.

A Future-Proof Printing Solution

These market trends show no signs of reversing. If anything, the demand for customization, regional relevance, and premium presentation continues to accelerate across categories. Hybrid printing technology positions brands to respond effectively to these expectations, delivering product labels that engage consumers without unsustainable increases in production costs or timelines.

Sustainable Label Printing: Reducing Waste and Energy Use

Sustainable labels are an increasing priority for brands, and hybrid printing helps reduce waste and environmental impact in several ways:

• Less Material Waste – Traditional flexographic printing requires new plates for every design change, often leading to excess material waste. Hybrid printing’s digital components allow for on-demand customization without extra plates, minimizing overruns and reducing raw material usage.
• Lower Energy Use – By integrating digital and flexographic printing in a single pass, hybrid presses eliminate extra production steps, reducing overall energy consumption compared to running separate digital and flexo processes.
• Right-Sized Production – Hybrid printing allows brands to produce only what they need, preventing excessive label inventory that may become obsolete. This is especially beneficial for seasonal products, promotional packaging, and brands with frequent design updates.

For brands committed to sustainable custom label printing, hybrid printing offers a way to achieve premium aesthetics while maintaining eco-conscious production practices. By reducing waste, optimizing energy use, and enabling just-in-time production, hybrid technology supports both environmental responsibility and cost efficiency.

The Future of Flexo: Where Hybrid Technology Fits

While hybrid printing technology offers compelling advantages for many applications, it’s important to understand its place in the broader production landscape. Hybrid presses won’t completely replace traditional flexographic printing in the near term, and perhaps not ever. Conventional flexo still offers advantages for particularly large runs where the initial setup costs are amortized over millions of impressions, resulting in very competitive unit costs.

Similarly, as digital print quality and speed continue to improve, standalone digital presses will maintain their importance for certain applications, particularly those requiring extreme customization or very short runs. Meyers has always embraced technological diversity, with different solutions addressing different market needs.

What makes hybrid printing technology particularly valuable is its ability to fill the space between traditional flexo and digital-only production. It excels in the middle ground of run lengths and complexity, where neither conventional approach delivers optimal results. Hybrid is especially beneficial for the shorter-run, high-SKU-turnover jobs that are becoming increasingly common as brands respond to changing consumer expectations and retail environments.

At Meyers, our early investment in hybrid printing technology reflects our commitment to offering clients the most appropriate solution for their specific needs, rather than forcing projects to fit our available equipment. By maintaining capabilities across traditional flexo, digital, and hybrid platforms, we ensure that each project utilizes the optimal technology for its particular requirements and objectives.

The Future of Hybrid Printing: Emerging Trends and Innovations

The future of hybrid printing technology is driven by advancements in print quality, automation, and sustainability—helping brands create more innovative, cost-efficient, and sustainable labels. As brands seek greater customization, efficiency, and eco-friendly solutions, hybrid presses are being designed to meet these future needs. Here are some key trends shaping the future of hybrid printing:

• Advancements in Digital Embellishments – Digital printing is rapidly closing the gap with flexo in premium decorative effects, including raised textures, metallic inks, and digital foiling. These innovations are expanding the range of high-end packaging options available through hybrid technology.
• AI & Automation in Hybrid Printing – New hybrid presses are integrating AI-driven color correction and workflow automation, improving consistency, reducing errors, and minimizing waste. These smart systems optimize ink usage and press performance, making hybrid printing even more efficient.
• Sustainable Inks & Substrates – With sustainability becoming a top priority, hybrid printing is evolving to support sustainable materials such as compostable label films, water-based inks, and recyclable substrates. These advancements allow brands to maintain premium print quality while reducing their environmental footprint.

As these innovations continue to advance, hybrid printing will become even more versatile—offering brands the perfect balance of efficiency, customization, and high-end decoration while aligning with evolving consumer and regulatory demands.

How Hybrid Technology Benefits Your Brand

Enhanced Shelf Impact with Premium Decorative Effects

Hybrid printing technology enhances shelf appeal by combining digital precision with flexographic embellishments. This fusion allows brands to create eye-catching packaging that captures consumer attention at the critical moment of purchase decision.

Faster Speed-to-Market for New Products and Promotions

Hybrid technology accelerates production timelines, enabling brands to respond quickly to market opportunities and competitive challenges. By reducing setup time and combining digital flexibility with flexographic efficiency, hybrid printing allows for smaller, more frequent production runs, helping brands maintain leaner inventories and minimize waste. For fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and seasonal promotions, hybrid printing also enhances demand responsiveness—allowing brands to adjust label designs on the fly without the delays associated with traditional plate changes. This agility is particularly valuable for industries with rapidly changing consumer preferences or evolving regulatory requirements. For example, a beverage brand launching a limited-edition holiday variant can use hybrid printing to quickly produce small batches with premium embellishments while maintaining a consistent brand identity. If demand spikes, additional production can be ramped up without costly retooling or long lead times—ensuring the product remains available throughout the season.

Consistent Branding Across Product Families and Regions

Maintaining a cohesive brand image across multiple SKUs and regional variations is critical. Hybrid printing allows for a seamless integration of fixed and variable elements in a single production pass, ensuring consistent color accuracy and quality standards across all product lines and markets.

Efficient SKU Management for Complex Product Portfolios

For brands managing extensive product portfolios, hybrid technology simplifies packaging production. By reducing the complexity and cost of printing across diverse SKUs, it enables more efficient workflow management and resource allocation.

Lower Inventory Risk with Cost-Effective Short Runs

Hybrid printing supports just-in-time production, reducing the need for large print runs that can lead to excess inventory and obsolescence. This is particularly beneficial for brands with frequent product updates, seasonal packaging changes, or limited-time promotions.

Affordable Access to High-End Packaging Features

Premium label designs are no longer restricted to large production volumes. Hybrid technology makes sophisticated decorative effects more accessible, lowering the total cost of ownership for high-quality pressure sensitive labels and enabling brands of all sizes to compete with premium-tier aesthetics.

Empowering Brands in a Fast-Paced Market

In the fast-moving consumer goods environment, where product lifecycles are shortening and competition at retail is more intense than ever, hybrid technology gives brands the agility and creative flexibility needed to stay ahead. By blending efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness, hybrid printing is an essential tool for brands looking to elevate their packaging and market presence.

Experience the Hybrid Advantage with Meyers

As early adopters of hybrid printing technology, the Meyers team has developed deep expertise in maximizing its potential for brands across industries. Our years of experience with the MPS EF SYMJET and other advanced hybrid systems allows us to guide clients toward solutions that optimize both visual impact and production efficiency.

Our collaborative approach to pressure sensitive label development ensures that we understand your brand objectives, operational requirements, and budget constraints before recommending a specific production approach. This consultative process often reveals opportunities to leverage hybrid technology in ways that deliver unexpected benefits, from creative possibilities to cost efficiencies.

Whether you’re looking to refresh existing packaging, launch new products, or simply improve the efficiency of your current label production, our hybrid printing capabilities offer compelling advantages worth exploring. The technology continues to evolve rapidly, with each generation bringing new features and capabilities that expand creative and operational possibilities.

Get in Touch for Your Hybrid Printing Needs

Ready to discover how our hybrid printing technology can enhance your product packaging, streamline operations, and optimize your budget? Contact Meyers today to discuss your pressure sensitive label needs. Our team of experts will guide you in finding solutions that balance visual impact, operational performance, and cost efficiency—helping businesses of all sizes innovate and contribute to a greener future, one label at a time.

Talk to the Meyers team of experts and explore how our pressure sensitive labels can help your brand’s packaging stand out!