By Cassandra Balentine
Part two of three
Common packaging applications printed and finished digitally include folding cartons, corrugated board, luxury packaging, and those that incorporate specialty materials.
Matteo Muto, product manager, Summa, says digital, die-less cutting technology is widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods packaging, folding carton is typically printed using offset or digital printing technologies before being cut and creased on a digital cutting system. “Its excellent printability and premium appearance make it a popular choice for retail packaging.”
Corrugated materials are extensively used throughout the food, beverage, and ecommerce sectors, and this is another area for digital cutting systems because they process everything from micro-flute materials to heavier corrugated grades using dedicated cutting, creasing, and perforating tools.
“The ability to produce prototypes and short production runs without tooling makes digital cutting particularly attractive for corrugated packaging applications,” explains Muto.
Greyboard is commonly used for rigid boxes and premium packaging products, and luxury packaging often requires precise bevel cuts, including 45-degree edge constructions that create elegant box structures.
Muto says digital cutting technology enables these sophisticated cuts to be produced accurately and consistently before the finished box is wrapped with decorative papers, fabrics, or printed materials.
Beyond paper-based substrates, modern flatbed cutters are capable of processing polypropylene, laminated materials, coated boards, display materials, and various specialty packaging substrates. This versatility enables manufacturers to meet the increasingly diverse requirements of today’s packaging market without investing in multiple dedicated production systems.
Baker says in a market increasingly driven by customization, shorter product lifecycles, and faster time-to-market, digital flatbed cutters have become an essential complement to conventional die-cutting equipment. “Together, these technologies provide packaging manufacturers with the flexibility, efficiency, and scalability needed to remain competitive while serving the full spectrum of customer requirements.”
Oct2026, DPS Magazine
