The short answer
Digital Label Services supplies product identification systems to businesses across Australia. They are the TrojanLabel overprinters Australian packers use, the T2-C, T3-OPX and T4: inkjet systems that print onto packaging that is already made.
They print full colour and variable data (details that change from box to box, such as barcodes, batch codes and best-before dates) directly onto plain cartons, corrugated boxes, mailers and paper bags, replacing pre-printed packaging. Each system is quoted on application, tested on your own board before purchase, and backed by our installation, training and servicing. Call 0431 942 464 to book a test print.
Digital Label Services · 7A Melissa St, Green Point NSW 2251 · 0431 942 464 · Monday to Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm
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Tell us what you need labelled and we will come back with a tailored quote.
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Pre-printed cartons commit you twice: once to a minimum order quantity, and again to the artwork on them. Every promotion, every recipe change, every new warning statement turns part of that stockholding into waste, and the pallets sit in the warehouse either way. Overprinting inverts the model by printing the box as you pack it.
This page covers the economics of moving from pre-printed to on-demand, what corrugated and kraft do to ink and colour, how print quality compares with flexo, and which TrojanLabel system suits which packing line. Bring a sample of the box you use now and we will print on it.
What does an overprinting system actually do?
An overprinter is an inkjet system that prints onto packaging that is already made. Plain cartons, corrugated shippers, kraft mailers, paper bags and sleeves feed through, and branded packs come out the other end with logos, product panels, barcodes, batch codes and destination data applied in one pass.
The plain stock stays generic, so one line of inventory covers every product, every variant and every promotion. What used to be a purchasing decision made months in advance becomes a file selected at the machine on the morning of the run.
What do pre-printed cartons really cost?
The unit price on the quote is the smallest part of it. The real cost is spread across minimum order quantities, the cash tied up in stock, the pallet spaces that stock occupies, the lead time before a new design is available, and the write-off when artwork changes before the pallet is used.
Regulatory change makes the exposure concrete. Australia’s pregnancy warning label was gazetted on 31 July 2020 with a three-year transition ending 31 July 2023, and a later date of 1 February 2024 for post-printed corrugated outers. Any pre-printed outer still carrying old artwork on those dates was stock to be written off, not stock to be used.
The costs that rarely appear on a carton quote:
- Minimum order quantities that force you to buy a year of stock for a three-month promotion.
- Pallet spaces held for every design, every size and every language variant.
- Lead time before a new pack can ship, including plates, proofs and delivery.
- Obsolete inventory when a recipe, claim, warning statement or brand refresh lands.
- Slow product launches, because packaging arrives on the printer’s schedule rather than yours.
Where does overprinting pay off first?
The best first application is usually the outer carton rather than the retail pack, because outers change often and nobody buys the product because of them. From there it extends to whatever carries variable information or short-lived branding.
Common applications for overprinters Australian businesses run:
- Outer cartons and shipping cases, printed with product, GTIN-14 and handling information.
- E-commerce mailers and satchels branded on demand instead of held in printed stock.
- Promotional, seasonal and limited-edition packs with a short shelf life.
- Variable data: batch numbers, best-before dates, SSCC codes and destination detail.
- New product trials and short runs where committing to printed stock is premature.
- Private label and contract packing, where every customer needs different artwork.
How do corrugated and kraft substrates affect the print?
Uncoated kraft absorbs ink. Colours dry back duller and shift warmer than the same file printed on a coated surface, and pure whites are not achievable because the board’s own colour shows through. Recycled liners vary batch to batch, so the same file can look slightly different across deliveries.
Board structure matters too. Flute profile can telegraph through as fine banding on large solid areas, board dust affects nozzle health, and print speed has to allow for absorption and dry time before the box is handled or stacked. None of this is a fault, and all of it is predictable once we have printed on your actual board.
How does overprinting compare with flexo?
Flexo and litho-lamination still win on very long runs of a single unchanging design and on large flat areas of an exact brand colour. If you buy one carton design by the hundred thousand and it never changes, pre-printing is hard to beat on unit cost.
Digital overprinting wins everywhere else: no plates, no make-ready, no minimum quantity, and variable data at full speed. Barcodes deserve their own check. GS1 allocates GTIN-14 for non-retail outers, and symbol quality is graded to ISO/IEC 15416:2025, with a minimum of 1.5/10/670 for GS1-128. On brown kraft the constraint is contrast, so print the symbol into a white panel and verify it on the finished box rather than on paper.
Which TrojanLabel system suits your packing line?
Three systems cover the range we supply. The trojanlabel t2 c sits where label and packaging printing overlap, the trojanlabel t3 opx is built around printing onto packaging, and the trojanlabel t4 sits at the production end of the range. All are quoted on application.
We publish no speeds, resolutions or prices here, because the honest answer depends on your board, your box format and your daily volume, and a specification sheet read out of context has misled plenty of buyers. Send a box and a target throughput, and the current specification comes back with a printed sample. Where the requirement turns out to be labels rather than packaging, commercial label presses may be the better answer.
What should you check before switching?
Cost the current position honestly first. Add the carton unit price to the stockholding, the pallet spaces, the freight on part-loads and the write-offs from the last two years, then compare that with plain stock plus ink and maintenance. Most businesses have never added the second column.
Then check the practical constraints: where the machine sits in the packing line, who loads and operates it, how artwork reaches it, whether boxes are printed flat or erected, and how the printed box is handled while the ink dries. Packaging materials, inks and finishes should be selected according to the intended application and relevant Australian requirements. Discuss specific technical or regulatory requirements with Digital Label Services before production.
Pre-printed cartons or overprinting on demand?
The comparison is rarely won on unit price alone, so read the whole column.
| Factor | Pre-printed cartons | Overprinting in-house |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order quantity | Set by the carton printer, often thousands per design | One box |
| Lead time for new artwork | Weeks, including plates, proofs and delivery | The same day the file is approved |
| Artwork or compliance change | Remaining printed stock becomes obsolete | Load the new file and keep packing |
| Number of variants | Each is a separate line of stock and a separate pallet | Selected at the machine |
| Warehouse space | Plain stock plus every printed design | Plain stock only |
| Variable data | Applied afterwards by a second process | Printed in the same pass |
| Large solid brand colour | Flexo gives flat, even coverage | Depends on board, ink and coating |
| Unit cost at very high volume | Lowest, once the volume is genuinely high | Higher per box, without the stockholding risk |
How often artwork changes and how many variants you carry usually decide this, not the price of a single box.
“Digital Label Services have delivered quality labels and consumables, cost savings and support for the last 7 months for our colour label printers ensuring that a key component of our business runs efficiently.”
Kim Jardine, General Manager, James Bennett P/L
Frequently asked questions
Will an overprinted box look as good as a pre-printed one?
On coated white board the difference is small. On brown kraft, colours dry back duller and there is no true white, so designs are best adapted rather than transferred directly. Send your board and your artwork and judge a printed sample instead of a specification sheet.
Can we still print barcodes on outer cartons?
Yes, and they should be verified on the finished box. GS1 allocates GTIN-14 for non-retail outers, and grading follows ISO/IEC 15416:2025. Contrast is the practical limit on brown board, so symbols are normally printed into a white panel rather than straight onto kraft.
What do overprinting systems cost?
The TrojanLabel range is listed price on application, because the configuration depends on box format, substrate, throughput and how the system integrates with your packing line. A quote built from a sample box and a real daily volume is worth more than a headline figure.
Do we still need pre-printed cartons for anything?
Sometimes. A single high-volume design that never changes, carrying a large flat area of an exact brand colour, is still cheaper pre-printed. Plenty of businesses run both: pre-printed cartons for the flagship line, and overprinting for variants, promotions, trials, export destinations and anything with a short life.
What packaging can be overprinted?
Corrugated shippers and outer cartons, folding cartons, kraft mailers and satchels, paper bags and sleeves are the usual work. Board thickness, flute profile, coating and whether the pack is fed flat or erected all affect what a given system will handle.
Can we see a system running before we buy?
Yes. Bring or send the box you use now, plus your artwork and a realistic daily volume. A demonstration on your own substrate answers the questions that matter, because absorption and colour shift on your board cannot be predicted from anyone else’s.
Further reading
Want to stop buying pre-printed boxes?
Send a sample of your current carton, your artwork and your daily volume. We will print on your own board, show what the finished pack looks like, and quote the overprinters Australian packers are moving to.
Get a Personalised QuoteSpeak With Our Printer SpecialistsCall 0431 942 464
References and further reading
- Pregnancy warning labels – design elements — FSANZ. transition dates, including 1 February 2024 for post-printed corrugated outers
- Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) — GS1 Australia. GTIN-14 is the identifier used on non-retail outer cartons
- 1D Barcode Verification Process Implementation Guideline — GS1. verification method and the minimum grade for GS1-128 symbols
- ISO/IEC 15416:2025 — ISO. current edition of the 1D barcode print quality standard