Xaar at Labelexpo 2025: Digital embellishments take centre stage

The Xaar team has returned from another busy and successful industry event at Labelexpo 2025 in Barcelona. Held at the Gran Via venue, the show attracted impressive footfall, with printers and OEMs of all sizes showcasing a wide variety of technologies and live print demonstrations. In this blog, we take a closer look at the packaging and labelling innovations our team discovered at the show and explore how Xaar’s technology is helping to shape the future of the industry and is at the forefront of the growth in digital embellishments.

Digital continues to grow

As anticipated, Labelexpo 2025 highlighted the rapid growth of digital printing and its increasingly vital role in label personalisation and enhancement. Digital embellishment is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but is now a must-have feature for many OEMs. The demand for customised products and the evolution of digital printing is driving a clear shift towards more personalised, tactile and interactive packaging and labels.

Embellishments such as varnish, foil, and raised textures are strongly associated with premium packaging. These features not only enhance the visual appeal of goods but also create a tactile experience that reinforces brand value. In sectors such as wine, spirits, and luxury goods, embellishment of labels and packaging is often a key differentiator.

Indeed it is here that products like our Xaar Versatex Printbar powered by Xaar’s Nitrox printheads, are key enablers of this trend, allowing brands to incorporate high-opacity white, intricate textures, varnish effects and digital cold foiling that elevate the consumer experience.

Productivity and workflow efficiency

Productivity also remained a central theme throughout the show, with a strong emphasis on reliable, high-speed printing supported by robust printheads and fluid management systems.

With this in mind, the Xaar Versatex’s High Creativity mode enables the simultaneous application of multiple textures and digital embellishments between 15 to 100 microns in a single pass – a capability that streamlines production and enhances label quality. With the ability to jet three varnish effects at once, it eliminates the need for multiple substrate passes, improving production efficiency while reducing energy consumption and costs. This allows designers to unlock endless creative possibilities, combining textured and high-build print effects, varnishes, and foils with the striking impact of high-opacity whites and vibrant colours on labels and packaging.

The ability to jet high viscosity fluids and varnishes reliably at speed offers OEMs greater flexibility in the types of finishes they can deliver, supporting more complex, high-build effects without compromising throughput or consistency.

This not only helps premium products stand out on crowded shelves but also strengthens brand identity and consumer engagement. Additionally, there were conversations on how mass customisation supports anti-counterfeiting efforts by enabling short-run labels with unique digital embellishment cold foil effects.

A shift in mindset: inkjet as manufacturing

One of the most notable takeaways from this year’s Labelexpo was the industry-wide shift in perception: digital inkjet is now seen as a manufacturing method, not just a printing solution.

Printbars are increasingly being integrated into new machine configurations or retrofitted onto existing presses. This allows printers to meet the growing demand for label embellishments with greater efficiency and precision, without the need to replace entire systems. The result is enhanced creativity, improved sustainability and significant cost savings.

This transformation was evident at Nilpeter’s stand and also at Esagraf, which hosted showroom tours throughout the event and an open house on 18^th September, showcasing its advanced label machines in action. More than 70 participants from 23 countries attended a day filled with innovation, insight and state-of-the-art technology.

Using our Xaar Versatex Printbar, Esagraf demonstrated digital embellishments with varnish and foiling, including doming onto shampoo label samples, highlighting how premium finishes can be achieved at scale without compromising on quality or speed.

The Xaar team has returned from another busy and successful industry event at Labelexpo 2025 in Barcelona. Held at the Gran Via venue, the show attracted impressive footfall, with printers and OEMs of all sizes showcasing a wide variety of technologies and live print demonstrations. In this blog, we take a closer look at the packaging and labelling innovations our team discovered at the show and explore how Xaar’s technology is helping to shape the future of the industry and is at the forefront of the growth in digital embellishments.

Digital continues to grow

As anticipated, Labelexpo 2025 highlighted the rapid growth of digital printing and its increasingly vital role in label personalisation and enhancement. Digital embellishment is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but is now a must-have feature for many OEMs. The demand for customised products and the evolution of digital printing is driving a clear shift towards more personalised, tactile and interactive packaging and labels.

Embellishments such as varnish, foil, and raised textures are strongly associated with premium packaging. These features not only enhance the visual appeal of goods but also create a tactile experience that reinforces brand value. In sectors such as wine, spirits, and luxury goods, embellishment of labels and packaging is often a key differentiator.

Indeed it is here that products like our Xaar Versatex Printbar powered by Xaar’s Nitrox printheads, are key enablers of this trend, allowing brands to incorporate high-opacity white, intricate textures, varnish effects and digital cold foiling that elevate the consumer experience.

Productivity and workflow efficiency

Productivity also remained a central theme throughout the show, with a strong emphasis on reliable, high-speed printing supported by robust printheads and fluid management systems.

With this in mind, the Xaar Versatex’s High Creativity mode enables the simultaneous application of multiple textures and digital embellishments between 15 to 100 microns in a single pass – a capability that streamlines production and enhances label quality. With the ability to jet three varnish effects at once, it eliminates the need for multiple substrate passes, improving production efficiency while reducing energy consumption and costs. This allows designers to unlock endless creative possibilities, combining textured and high-build print effects, varnishes, and foils with the striking impact of high-opacity whites and vibrant colours on labels and packaging.

The ability to jet high viscosity fluids and varnishes reliably at speed offers OEMs greater flexibility in the types of finishes they can deliver, supporting more complex, high-build effects without compromising throughput or consistency.

This not only helps premium products stand out on crowded shelves but also strengthens brand identity and consumer engagement. Additionally, there were conversations on how mass customisation supports anti-counterfeiting efforts by enabling short-run labels with unique digital embellishment cold foil effects.

A shift in mindset: inkjet as manufacturing

One of the most notable takeaways from this year’s Labelexpo was the industry-wide shift in perception: digital inkjet is now seen as a manufacturing method, not just a printing solution.

Printbars are increasingly being integrated into new machine configurations or retrofitted onto existing presses. This allows printers to meet the growing demand for label embellishments with greater efficiency and precision, without the need to replace entire systems. The result is enhanced creativity, improved sustainability and significant cost savings.

This transformation was evident at Nilpeter’s stand and also at Esagraf, which hosted showroom tours throughout the event and an open house on 18^th September, showcasing its advanced label machines in action. More than 70 participants from 23 countries attended a day filled with innovation, insight and state-of-the-art technology.

Using our Xaar Versatex Printbar, Esagraf demonstrated digital embellishments with varnish and foiling, including doming onto shampoo label samples, highlighting how premium finishes can be achieved at scale without compromising on quality or speed.

Collaboration and innovation

Collaboration was another key theme at the show. Inkjet Solutions featured a range of Xaar and Megnajet products on its stand, highlighting how combined expertise can deliver innovative, high quality label solutions.

At the Brotech stand, Xaar’s 2002 printhead was showcased within its varnish embellishment module, chosen for its superior productivity and versatility. Designed to meet the rising demand for intricate, high quality label finishes, the module leverages Xaar’s High Laydown and TF Technology to handle a wide range of fluids and deliver consistent results across various substrates.

All in all, Labelexpo 2025 was a fantastic opportunity for the Xaar team to connect with partners, engage in meaningful conversations and witness the continued innovation driving the industry forward.

From vibrant whites and colours to enhanced textures and embellishments, digital inkjet is no longer just about printing – it’s about manufacturing with impact. These innovations are not only improving production efficiency but also unlocking new levels of creativity and consumer engagement in labels and packaging.

Collaboration was another key theme at the show. Inkjet Solutions featured a range of Xaar and Megnajet products on its stand, highlighting how combined expertise can deliver innovative, high quality label solutions.

At the Brotech stand, Xaar’s 2002 printhead was showcased within its varnish embellishment module, chosen for its superior productivity and versatility. Designed to meet the rising demand for intricate, high quality label finishes, the module leverages Xaar’s High Laydown and TF Technology to handle a wide range of fluids and deliver consistent results across various substrates.

All in all, Labelexpo 2025 was a fantastic opportunity for the Xaar team to connect with partners, engage in meaningful conversations and witness the continued innovation driving the industry forward.

From vibrant whites and colours to enhanced textures and embellishments, digital inkjet is no longer just about printing – it’s about manufacturing with impact. These innovations are not only improving production efficiency but also unlocking new levels of creativity and consumer engagement in labels and packaging.