Automation and quality finishing will key to staying competitive says Rafa Menéndez, Head of Sales and Marketing, PLASTGrommet
In 2025, wide-format print businesses investing in automation will no longer be simply a way to boost profitability; it will be absolutely necessary to remain competitive. As demand for quicker turnarounds continues to increase, printers will need to get their work out the door as efficiently and as quickly as possible, without compromising on quality, and this means paying just as much attention to the finishing process as the print process. Inferior finishing that risks the need for costly reprints can damage customer relationships and brand reputation. Add the ongoing labour challenges to the mix, and we anticipate printers will invest further in automation and equipment that remove the number of manual touchpoints throughout 2025.
Sustainability also remains a hot topic across the print and signage industries with more PVC-free and sustainable solutions coming to market, and we hope to see more widespread adoption of these materials as more emphasis is put on environmental initiatives in 2025. Our commitment to helping customers be more sustainable will be continuing too. Our clear, plastic eyelets for use with our manual and automatic eyelet machines, have better recycling properties compared to metal options and are the only completely recyclable eyelets on the market. Unlike metal eyelets, if used with media that is PP, PE, or polyester-based, the entire product can be recycled into PP, PE, or polyester waste streams, removing the need for a sorting process to remove the eyelets.
Whilst we are seeing an increase in consumers seeking environmental solutions, they aren’t prepared to compromise on quality. Clear eyelets offer additional performance benefits such as not rusting, and their invisible nature means the look of prints are improved. We expect demand for products that are both sustainable and high in performance to continue into 2025.