Creation Reprographics (‘Creation’), a dedicated prepress partner to packaging and label printers, has shared perspective on the evolving role of reprographics, which is now seeing a more protective role for label printers in the face of the current paper shortages. The specialist business, which supports printers in the food, beverages and FMCG sectors, has noted shifting priorities in the market as companies look to shore up their supplies by reducing the risk of waste.

Matt Francklow, Managing Director at Creation, explains: “One of the most fascinating sides to the packaging and print sector is how it flexes, adapts and changes. It’s a true melting pot of consumer needs, brand priorities and market conditions. What we are seeing at the moment is reprographics taking a more protective role in the print process. By that, we mean that printers are looking at origination differently – it’s not just about making print look great, but also making the process more secure.

“The key to this changing view is that with the right repro partner in place, the risk of print-critical errors is reduced, which means paper supplies are not at the mercy of misprints or colour variations. We’re in a market where no printer, regardless of size, can afford waste and the paper shortage is now hitting the mainstream news agenda. It’s likely that costs will continue to rise and lead times will extend, which has the potential to hit label printers hard. When we talk to our existing and prospective customers about areas such as colour management, workflow digitalisation and sustainable flexo plate production, it’s clear that more than ever, they’re viewing reprographics as a protective element. It’s a nuanced view, but very clear.”

Shaped by the evolving needs of the market, Creation Reprographics provides a tightly curated range of products and services to packaging and label printers. The business takes a sustainability-focused approach to reprographics, ensuring its industry partners and clients can create more environmentally conscious label and packaging designs without compromising on quality, performance or speed.

Matt adds: “With mounting retail pressures and the headaches of the paper shortage, printers need to be high performance, sustainable, cost-effective, fast, precise and secure. It’s a lot to ask, but it doesn’t need to be complex to achieve. A dedicated reprographics partner like Creation thrives on helping printers achieve more in a fiercely competitive market. More printers are seeing repro support as protective rather than ‘just’ a way to boost quality and efficiency. It’s an interesting perspective shift that we look forward to seeing develop over the coming months.”