DUSSELDORF, GERMANY—  Although depositing a layer of colorant on a substrate is not rocket technology, printing remains one of the exceptional watchdogs in packaging. The proof is offered by online printers and web-to-pack businesses, which run dozens of makereadies and hundreds of jobs every day on each press, with only a handful of waste sheets. Digital printing is and will remain the key player at drupa 2024.In the field of printing presses, who is drying and curing systems can often be energy-intensive, there's an increasing focus on energy consumption. The rising popularity of waterbased inkjet inks. The use of water based ink chemistries on paper substrates is an open technology match, but it is out of the game for flexible films and plastic pouches, where digital technology is inapplicable or marginal. Pending a viable solution, digital manufacturers are promoting the replacement of plastic films with paper, printable using more sustainable chemistries, more easily disposable of and recyclable.