How to compare presses for short run label production

Define what a short run means in your factory

There is no single order length that makes one printing process best for every label business. Artwork changes, repeat lengths, colors, material and finishing can matter as much as the number of meters ordered.

Choose several jobs from your actual order book. Include the small orders that interrupt your schedule, repeated designs and a longer repeat order. Avoid making the whole equipment decision from a single ideal demonstration.

Compare the complete job time

Record preparation, changeover, register and color setup, productive running, finishing and cleanup. Keep machine occupancy separate from tasks performed off the press, because they affect planning differently.

For a simple running-time estimate, divide required net material length by the sustained speed for that job. That estimate excludes setup, stops and finishing, so it must not be presented as the total job time. Use measured saleable output when comparing production results.

Give each process a fair comparison

These are evaluation points, not a universal ranking. An intermittent press does not automatically beat full rotary or digital on every short order, and full rotary machine speed alone does not establish the lowest total job cost.

• Intermittent flexo: evaluate changing repeats, tooling arrangements and changeover work within the supported format.
• Full rotary flexo: evaluate repeat/tooling requirements and sustained production on repeat orders or longer runs.
• Digital printing: include it when very small quantities, artwork changes or variable data are important, while checking material, image quality and finishing requirements.

Build a cost comparison from your own inputs

Use the same sellable quantity and agreed quality level for each option. Record substrate used, setup waste, plates and tape, ink, curing energy, labor, maintenance and the selected finishing process. Note which costs recur and which tooling can be reused.

Separate equipment purchase cost from operating cost. A quotation can define the capital scope, but it cannot prove a cost per label without job-specific assumptions and production evidence. Do not count a claimed waste or speed improvement twice.

Agree the demonstration before it runs

If a test uses a different material or excludes an inline process, record the difference. It may still be useful evidence, but it should not be treated as the result for your complete production job.

• Use representative artwork and the specified substrate construction.
• Write down the machine configuration, repeat, colors, curing and finishing.
• Agree the checks for register, print appearance, curing and finished-label requirements.
• Record preparation time, setup material, stops, sustained output and the quantity accepted.
• Keep the conditions with the results so you can compare another configuration fairly.