Direct to Shape Printing Delivering Value Through Customization

Simon Daplyn, Product & Marketing Manager, Sun Chemical

Why Direct‑to‑Shape?

1) Mass customisation and late‑stage differentiation

Direct to Shape (DTS) inkjet prints directly on cylindrical or shaped items, such as stadium cups, tumblers, tubular packaging (such as sealant cartridges) and perhaps the most widely adopted use in  metal decoration such as 3 piece cans, enabling personalisation, rapid design changes and efficient short runs without the need for printing plates or labels. That means print jobs that can be challenging for conventional printing processes such as pre‑season trial cup for a team, a limited‑edition run for a festival weekend, or brand limited editions, can be executed with minimal make‑ready and minimal inventory risk. Technology providers highlight on‑the‑fly changeovers, no minimum order, and direct integration of variable data (e.g. 2D QR and barcodes, , batch codes or consumer engagements graphics) as an achievable benefit of DTS printing.

Market studies back-up the growth in direct to shape or direct‑to‑object (DTO) digital print for the beverage market, in particular with bottles, cans, coffee cups, tumblers and more.  The suggestion is that this method of decoration has moved from emerging to mainstream, driven by demand for personalisation and faster time‑to‑market. For drinkware specifically, modern cylindrical DTO systems can deliver full‑wrap, full‑colour graphics with instant curing and fine detail, making short runs as cost‑effective per item as long runs.

2) Operational efficiency and cost control

Whilst labels are certainly here to stay, DTS offers the possibility to remove labels (and their liners and adhesives) from certain lines, and it reduces material handling, mis‑application waste, and obsolescence tied to versioned labels.  As such it can sit as a complementary technology to enable maximum workflow and production flexibility. Non‑contact, optimized systems support efficient line speeds while coping with curved surfaces and tapered shapes common in cups. For brands and converters, this enables late‑stage decoration, printing late in the process to cut stockholding and markdowns offering events and venue spaces such as sports stadiums, theme parks and other attractions the efficiency required when attendance and SKUs fluctuate.

3) Sustainability gains

Inkjet DTS printing can support cuts in waste further by avoiding over‑ordering and enabling exact‑quantity production.  This adds to benefits brought by inkjet printing such as reduced energy consumption and the removal of the need for plate-making, storage and cleaning.  Some DTS platforms also note the non‑contact process can even allow thinner wall containers in certain applications, further reducing material use (where structurally appropriate).

Why Low‑Migration LED Inks?

Much of the increase in Direct to shape decoration in the beverage and packaging segments has coincided with the introduction and upgrade of “Low‑migration” (LM) UV‑curable inks.  These inks are formulated to minimise the transfer of ink components (such as photoinitiators or monomers) into the product through the packaging substrate or via set‑off in stacks. For some specific markets such as drinking vessels, lip contact is further managed by a separated lid or application of an overprint varnish.  For LM inkjet formulations there is a need to balance the need for high crosslinking functionality for durability whilst ensuring that inks cure rapidly enough for high-speed printing without exceeding the lower viscosity constraints of the printheads.

LED UV curing strengthens the case further. Compared with mercury UV lamps, LED systems deliver instant on/off, low energy consumption, long lamp life and minimal heat to the substrate—important for thermoplastics used in items such as cups and tubular packaging. They are also mercury‑free and ozone‑free, supporting environmental and operational goals while enabling high‑speed, uniform curing that stabilises print quality on 3D surfaces.

The Whirley‑DrinkWorks! Fit

One application area where direct to shape printing is being used successfully is in re-usable cups.  A leader in this space are Whirley‑DrinkWorks! Who design and manufactures reusable, custom‑decorated drinkware for concessions, attractions and brands worldwide, with programmes that build refill value, elevate fan experience, and support circularity at events. Whirley emphasises environmental stewardship (reporting a 98% waste‑to‑landfill diversion at its Warren, PA facility) and global food safety certification (SQF Level 2) across its operations.  These are capabilities that pair naturally with DTS and LM LED inkjet to deliver safe, durable, and on‑brand cups at scale. Whirley partners with Sun Chemical as an ink supplier to provide specific ink chemistry to meet their exacting requirements and ensure the quality of their product.

The connection between reusable cup systems and Whirley‑DrinkWorks!’s offer is increasingly visible at major venues. Recent programmes at Levi’s® Stadium, supported by partners such as PepsiCo, Levy and Bold Reuse illustrate how returning, sanitising and re‑circulating cups can replace tens of thousands of single‑use items over a season, engaging fans in a low‑waste experience while maintaining brand presence on every cup.  It is essential for Whirley that the ink and processing gives  them the durability, application performance and compliance that make these schemes increasingly popular. 

From a sustainability standpoint, at the venue level, reusable cup programmes dramatically outperform single use options across environmental metrics when cups are kept in circulation. A recent life cycle assessment by Upstream Update shows reusable cups substantially reduce waste and overall impacts compared with single use plastics or aluminium, an approach increasingly adopted by leading stadiums and event operators.

________________________________________

You can find out more about Whirley’s products and placements at https://www.whirleydrinkworks.com/ and about Sun Chemical’s technology for DTS printing at https://www.sunchemical.com/packaging_plastic/.