As human beings, we’re creatures of habit. If something works for us in the past, we’re likely to take the same approach in the future. Or in other words: if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
However, in the competitive industry of medical devices – especially wearables – the status quo isn't always the best way to go. Take, for instance, the printing technique for your product. If you’ve been using traditional methods like flexographic and screen printing, now may be the time to switch to digital printing to improve the quality and manufacturability of your wearable.
What is digital printing?
Digital printing is a category of printing where text or graphics are transferred directly to a substrate from a digital file. We’re all familiar with this approach in our personal and office lives, but the technology has come a long way for functional and industrial printing.
Since digital printing doesn’t require the creation of screens or plates, it can be faster and more cost-efficient compared to traditional printing methods. The quality of digital printing has greatly improved over the years, so now you can also expect complex colors at high resolutions, along with the opportunity for variability.
Finally, within the realm of digital printing, there are multiple technologies to choose from, including electrophotography, inkjet, and thermal transfer. So it's important to use the approach that best suits your application and needs.
Advantages of digital printing for wearables.
When it comes to the unique demands of manufacturing wearable devices, digital printing offers many enticing benefits.
- There are no additional costs for plates or screens
- Variable printing allows you to print multiple SKUs per run
- Some digital printing is FDA approved for indirect food contact, which is the category that pertains to direct skin contact
- Ability to print on stick-to-skin materials
- Graphics can be abrasion-resistant
Complete manufacturing partner for wearables.
Of course, printing is only one piece of the puzzle to producing an innovative, high-quality wearable.
With over 30 years of experience manufacturing medical devices, Tapecon can help you take your wearable from design to finished product. We also offer a wide range of converting processes and additional capabilities such as packaging, options, testing, and new product introduction support.
We also take great pride in our comprehensive, proven quality management system. In addition, we are registered with the FDA and our facility is ISO 13485:2016 certified to manufacture medical devices and solutions.
Get started with wearable product solutions.
At Tapecon, we have over 100 years of experience helping customers solve their complex product challenges. Learn more about our durable printing and coating services and our wearable skin tapes and patches applications.
