Proven in High-Volume Production
The best demonstration of digital printing’s capabilities comes from manufacturers already relying on it every day. These examples illustrate an important point: digital printing is no longer limited by production volume. It is increasingly being selected because it combines industrial output with unmatched design flexibility.
FIFA World Cup
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, two Polytype customers produced most of the reusable cups used throughout the stadiums. Their digital printing lines ran continuously for several weeks, producing hundreds of thousands of cups featuring numerous different designs throughout the production campaign. Rather than slowing production, the ability to change artwork instantly became a major operational advantage.
Music and Sport Events
Another Polytype customer supplies reusable cups for some of Europe’s largest music festivals as well as one of the world’s most iconic motorsport events: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This means that hundreds of thousands of cups are produced with event-specific graphics, sponsors, and branding, demonstrating that digital printing can successfully handle both high volumes and high customization.
Industrial Goods
The same trend can be seen beyond the reusable cup market. A fourth Polytype customer produces millions of industrial cartridges every year using digital printing. He manages dozens of different designs while maintaining the productivity and consistency expected from an industrial manufacturing process.
When Volume Meets Variety
High-volume production no longer means producing a single design for weeks at a time.
Many brands now require multiple artwork versions within the same product family, whether to target different markets, launch promotional campaigns, comply with local regulations, or create event-specific packaging. Digital printing makes it possible to combine these different designs into a single production workflow without the downtime and costs traditionally associated with artwork changes.
Manufacturers no longer have to choose between flexibility and productivity. They can achieve both simultaneously.
Industrial Productivity Without Compromise
Modern digital printing systems are designed for continuous industrial production. Automated workflows, reliable print quality, consistent colour reproduction, and minimal operator intervention allow manufacturers to maintain high productivity over extended production periods.
At the same time, the absence of printing plates means new artwork can be introduced instantly, without interrupting production or generating additional setup costs. Whether the next product features the same design or a completely different one, production continues seamlessly.
Asking the right question
The question is no longer whether digital printing can handle long production runs, because it already does, the real question is whether the production requires artwork flexibility or not.
If it does, then digital printing is the way to go, because it enables manufacturers to do with one machine what would traditionally require separate production runs. If it doesn’t, then traditional processes remain to best and most efficient solution.
As brands continue to demand greater variety without compromising efficiency, digital printing is proving that long production runs and design flexibility are no longer mutually exclusive. The future of industrial decoration isn’t about choosing between volume and customization, it’s about delivering both at the same time.