As brand owners demand ever more differentiation at the point of sale, the decoration of cylindrical packaging is undergoing a significant technological shift. Hinterkopf GmbH is addressing this evolution by positioning three complementary printing technologies, Dry Offset, HD-Print, and Digital Printing within a unified production approach for tubes, cans, and other cylindrical hollow bodies. All three printing processes are already being used successfully in the market and are well established in the industry.

From Mass Production to Photorealism and Personalization
For decades, Dry Offset has been the industrial backbone of direct-to-shape decoration. The process enables high-speed, multi-color printing with excellent opacity and robustness, making it the preferred choice for large-scale production in FMCG, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical packaging.

However, increasing demand for photorealistic designs and finer gradients has driven the development of enhanced offset-based approaches. Technologies such as HD-Print, a process-capable, waterless offset variant, extend traditional Dry Offset by enabling CMYK-based image reproduction directly on cylindrical substrates. This allows brand owners to achieve near-photographic quality without leaving the efficiency domain of offset printing.

A key feature of HD-Print by Hinterkopf is its hybrid approach: two systems work in tandem within a single printing process. Four printing units operate in the CMYK color space, delivering photorealistic print results. Up to five conventional offset printing units apply vibrant solid color areas to the substrate. Additionally, users have the flexibility to switch between Dry Offset and HD-Print and to convert existing printing units to HD-Print, depending on the product, design requirements, and print run size.

Furthermore, HD-Print offers a significant advantage in terms of investment security. Existing printing units can be retrofitted and upgraded, enabling converters to expand their capabilities without replacing installed equipment. This reduces capital expenditure while opening new application and design opportunities.

At the same time, Digital Printing introduces unmatched flexibility, enabling short runs, rapid design changes, variable data printing applications, and late determination which are increasingly relevant for targeted campaigns and product personalization.

Three Technologies – One Integrated Strategy
Rather than positioning these processes as competing alternatives, Hinterkopf emphasizes their complementary strengths within a single production ecosystem:
• Dry Offset: maximum efficiency and industrial throughput
• HD-Print: enhanced design complexity, photorealistic quality, and hybrid flexibility
• Digital Printing: flexibility and customization

Comparison Hinterkopf Printing Technology

Criterion	Dry Offset	HD-Print (Process Offset)	Digital Printing
Printing principle	Waterless indirect offset	Waterless offset with CMYK capability	Inkjet (non-contact)
Typical use case	High-Volume Standard designs	High-end, image-driven designs	Short runs & personalization
Image quality	Excellent (spot colors)	Photorealistic (CMYK + spots)	High, system-dependent
Productivity	Very high	High	Medium
Cost efficiency (large volumes)	Best	Very good	good
Flexibility	Low	Medium–high (reconfigurable units)	Very high
Variable data	No	No	Yes
360° decoration	Full	Full	Full
Industrial maturity	Established standard	Emerging extension	Rapidly growing
Retrofit capability	Limited	Yes (upgrade existing units)	Not applicable

Positioning for Converters and Brand Owners
With this portfolio, Hinterkopf enables packaging producers to select the optimal technology depending on application requirements: Mass-market products benefit from the speed and cost efficiency of Dry Offset. Premium brands gain new creative freedom through HD-Print and Marketing-driven applications leverage the agility of Digital Printing.

A New Industry Mindset
“With our printing technologies, we offer our partners and customers the optimal solution for every printing process: proven Hinterkopf quality, directly from the manufacturer, with a single point of contact for all inquiries,” explains Alexander Hinterkopf, Managing Director and owner of Hinterkopf GmbH. He sums up his approach as follows: “Three technologies. One partner. Maximum creative freedom.”

Conclusion
By integrating Dry Offset, HD-Print, and Digital Printing into a cohesive offering, Hinterkopf reinforces its role as a technology partner for the next generation of packaging decoration, where industrial performance meets creative freedom and investment security.