Folding carton interest at Labelexpo Europe 2025

Given how much print, converting and embellishment technology is shared across all package printing sectors, it is perhaps not surprising that over 25 percent of existing exhibitors at Labelexpo Europe 2025 have portfolios that reach across labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons.

Inks and coatings

This is most evident in the inks and coatings sector. Ink suppliers at Labelexpo Europe 2025 which service all three package print sectors include Sun Chemical, Flint Group, Eckhart, HuberGroup, INX, Paragon Inks, Toyo Inks and Zeller+Gmelin. GSE focuses on liquid ink logistics where traceability is a key requirement.  

These exhibitors span sheetfed/rotary offset and flexo technologies across a range of chemistries from UV and LED-UV to water-based inks and coatings, and the show also features a strong lineup of UV and LED-UV lamp technologies from companies like GEW and Excelitas. 
Barrier coatings are a key technology for both flexpack and folding cartons and are well represented at Labelexpo Europe 2025 by companies including Actega, Archroma Packaging Technologies and Triwill Group. Adhesives suppliers with specialist folding carton grades include Bostik and Eukalin.

Foiling and embellishment

Foiling is another Labelexpo technology which spans labels and folding cartons. Kurz, for example, is a key supplier to the folding carton sector, both for inline cold foil application on sheetfed presses and in offline hot stamping configurations. 

Pantec’s Cheetah W850/1060 rotary stamping technology is available for both in-line and off-line folding carton applications, and is a strong performer in the tobacco packaging market. 

Other foiling suppliers at Labelexpo Europe spanning both sectors include API, Univacco and Gietz, with Leonardus demonstrating its holographic foils. 

Digital embellishment is gaining increasing traction for both label and folding carton converters and this technology can be seen at Labelexpo Europe 2025 from suppliers like Konica Minolta, which demonstrated its MGI AlphaJET single pass B1/B2 digital print and embellishment system at drupa.

Ancillary and consumables

Because wet glue labels are still the dominant technology for primary labels, Labelexpo Europe 2025 features suppliers of all types of ancillary technology and consumables for offset presses. 
These include suppliers like Continental showing offset blankets and Felix Boettcher displaying its offset pressroom chemicals. 

Inline flexo coating units are standard equipment on offset presses specified for folding cartons, and the complete flexo ecosystem can be seen at Labelexpo Europe 2025. This includes varnishes, plates, anilox rolls, doctor blades, enclosed chambers, double sided tapes, anilox cleaning systems and ink and varnish pump dispensers.

Inspection companies also span the three main package printing applications. Suppliers exhibiting at Labelexpo Europe include AVT and Luster Lightech, a Chinese AI-based inspection system developer. EyeC supplies the ProofRunner Carton 100 percent quality control system which sits directly on the folder gluer.

Die cutting/creasing

Die cutting and tooling suppliers use Labelexpo to promote their label die cutting plates and cylinders, but these companies are also active in the folding carton market, particularly with male-female die sets for cut/creasing on rotary flexo and offset presses. Labelexpo exhibitors who also supply to the folding carton market include Kocher + Beck, Wink, Sysco, Maxcess/Rotometrics and Lartec. 

Laser die cutting is an area of increasing importance at Labelexpo Europe, and laser cut/crease has also been a focus of development for the folding carton industry. Labelexpo exhibitor Lang Laser, for example, has developed the Cartos Singular laser cutter which allows for the production of folding carton samples, scalable up to full production runs. The Cartos system can also be used for intricate cutouts. 

Among the new exhibitors at Labelexpo Europe 2025 is Technifold, whose retrofittable Technicrease cassette is designed to replace custom male and female creasing dies. More details on this in the next issue of Folding Carton Industries magazine.

Pre-press

Automation of key prepress processes including preflight, imposition and colour management is common to all package printing processes. Both Esko and Hybid Software specialize in full folding carton workflows including structural design and 3D visualization.  GMG offers its colour-accurate prototype proofing system for folding cartons, while Hamilroad promotes its Belissima DMS screening technology for both litho and flexo package printing applications.

Printing presses

Edale will demonstrate its CartonLine folding carton press at Labelexpo Europe 2025, demonstrating fully inline print and converting of folding cartons. The press will be configured with six LED-UV flexo units, a rail-mounted turnbar, lamination, and Edale’s EZ foil unit with inline flatbed die cutter.

Although this is currently the only folding carton press confirmed for the Labelexpo Europe 2025, a wide range of presses at the show can be configured for inline folding carton production. This is particularly the case for the ‘mid-web’ (26in/670mm) presses displayed at the show by Nilpeter, Mark Andy, Lombardi and Chinese supplier Spande. 

Omet has a long history of building dedicated folding carton presses based around its Varyflex platform, combining offset, flexo, gravure and screen.Rotatek, which specializes in rotary offset technology, will demonstrate a print unit from its Universal 850 press configurable for folding cartons, along with an AI project which models ink-water balance on offset press platforms. 

Mark Andy recently announced that its MAPP division, which supplies consumables and plate-making equipment to packaging converters, will now add folding carton consumables. 
There is also great potential for digital printing of folding cartons among Labelexpo Europe 2025 exhibitors. Xeikon has demonstrated digital print and embellishment of folding cartons at previous Labelexpo shows, while HP Indigo has a portfolio of digital sheetfed solutions. Fujifilm has the JetPress 750 sheetfed press configured for folding carton production.