Screen Print Label Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The screen print label market is expected to reach a CAGR of 2.12% over the forecast period. One of the growing uses of the screen label process is in the area of product security. Microscopic taggants are blended into coatings and applied via screen printing onto labels and other packaging products. Such taggants, when scanned, deliver proprietary brand information and are aimed at foiling counterfeiters. The usage of product security will follow a positive trend in the coming future.

Key Highlights

• Abrasion and moisture-resistant properties and smooth ink coating drive the market over other printing process. The ink film thickness is so appropriate that this process excels in applications where properties such as resistance to weather (outdoors), moisture, abrasion, and chemicals, are needed. This property makes a natural fit for beverage labels.
• Additionally, the single greatest advantage that screen printing has over all other production printing processes is in the volume of ink that can be laid onto a substrate. UV letterpress can deposit ink as thick as 2 to 3.5 microns; UV offset is 1.5 to 2.5 microns; gravure is 2 to 5 microns; and UV flexo can lay down from 3 to 8 microns. However, the UV screen has an ink thickness ranging from 4 to 30 microns and beyond. The thickness of the ink provides screen-printed inks with opaque properties than in other printing process for labeling.
• Moreover, the adoption of screen-printing silicon ink is driving the market. With new fabric availability in the market, ink suppliers are stepping up to the plate to offer new, enhanced products that enable decorators to use their skills fully. Silicone inks are highly based on cutting-edge silicone polymers for delivering the ultimate stretch and feel on the latest performance fabrics. The inks have been innovatively designed, which brings out the strengths and benefits of silicone chemistry to the textile screen printing operation. In the future, the trend will focus on its usage of high-density silicone ink for 3D heating press transfer labels in applications other than apparel.
• Expensive solution for printing with many colors challenges the market growth. The alternative to lower the cost is a digital printing solution, which provides a better option when printing with many colors. Moreover, fine text may be difficult to screen print due to the thickness of the ink, whereas digital or flexographic printing is a good option for fine imagery.
• The two biggest problems the epidemic created for print label companies were productivity growth and remote customer service. The consistent demand throughout the epidemic's early stages put enormous pressure on the manufacturing capacity of the labeling companies, stressing the necessity for automation throughout the different stages of the product life cycle. Furthermore, the Russia-Ukrain war has an impact on the overall market.

Screen Print Label Market Trends

Fashion and Apparels to Hold Significant Market Share

• With the increasing value of the apparel market worldwide, the demand for screen print label technology is increasing. Label manufacturers are continuously thinking of innovative ideas for clothing labels and novel materials, finishes, and other methods of designing. Clothes labeling is considered critical for the brands promoting consumer protection agencies to have stringent apparel care labeling requirements. Additionally, independent organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have their labeling requirements that the companies must follow if they wish to receive certification.
• Screen-printed fabric labels for the apparel industry achieve excellent detail on custom complex designs. It is comfortable for baby clothes, t-shirts, and lingerie apparel. Firms manufacture printed satin labels using rotary printing and screen printing techniques. However, RFID and fabric-based labels have emerged as a serious challenge for the market as they offer additional industry advantages and may create challenges for future opportunities.
• Printed labels on cotton sheet fabric look and feel like a cotton linen sheet. These are typically used for logos with larger sizes, e.g., 2.75" x 2.5". With washing, edges fray to give a vintage appearance. A label with numerous colors and a difficult logo can be achieved with a silkscreen print on organic cotton.

North America is Expected to Drive Technology Innovation

• The screen print label manufacturers in the United States experience most of the demand from the food, beverage, and apparel segments. Various players, locally and globally in the region contribute to the market's growth through innovations, partnerships, etc.
• Furthermore, the demand for custom silkscreen printing is increasing. This silkscreen printing process allows printing any graphics, company logos, legends, or labels the customers would like directly onto their finished products.
• Screen printing enables printing on substrates of any size, shape, and thickness. The greater thickness of the ink that can be applied to the substrate with screen printing, which is generally not possible with other printing techniques, enables the creation of effects like braille, glitter, scratch-offs, and raised text. This is another significant factor influencing the growth of the market for screen-printed labels.
• California-based Fabri-Tech offers custom silkscreen printing where their printing capabilities allow for multiple colors, varying fonts, or anything else that customer requires in design. Fabri-Tech uses its silkscreen label printing methods on various substrates, such as paper, PET, PC, PMMA, PP, PS, ABS and PU plastics, rubber, and different metals.

Screen Print Label Market Competitor Analysis

The screen print label market is fragmented in nature, as the market is highly competitive and consists of several major players. Furthermore, players invest in new machinery to gain market share through their unique addition. Key players are Fort Dearborn Company, Mondi PLC, etc.

In August 2022, in direct response to customer demand, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD), a marketing, packaging, print, and supply chain solutions provider, said that it had doubled its capacity for direct thermal linerless label production by almost 40%. At its facility in Monroe, Wisconsin, RRD recently added a second linerless press, positioning it to offer a cutting-edge and easily accessible labeling solution that satisfies increased production and sustainability demands.

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