Replacing Videojet TTO with FlexPackPRO Why More Operations Are Making the Switch

In flexible packaging, Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO) is foundational. Without it, compliance, traceability, and throughput break down. Date codes, lot codes, barcodes, and regulatory markings have to print cleanly, consistently, and at speed. Every shift, every SKU, every run.

For decades, Videojet Technologies has been the default choice for TTO. Their systems are widely installed, commonly specified by OEMs, and familiar to most maintenance teams.

But familiarity is no longer enough.

Today, more manufacturers are actively replacing Videojet TTO systems with FlexPackPRO, not because Videojet fails to perform, but because FlexPackPRO delivers equal or better print performance with materially lower operating costs and greater ownership control.

This is what is actually driving the shift.

What Both Platforms Do Well

At the core, Videojet and FlexPackPRO solve the same technical problem.

Both are Thermal Transfer Overprinters designed for high-resolution variable data printing directly onto flexible packaging film, including:

• Production and expiration dates
• Lot and batch codes
• 1D and 2D barcodes
• Text, symbols, and simple graphics

Both platforms typically operate at 300 DPI, which remains the industry standard for barcode readability and small text clarity. Both integrate with VFFS, HFFS, and flow-wrap machines, and both support intermittent and continuous motion applications depending on line configuration.

From a print quality standpoint, there is no disadvantage to moving away from Videojet.

The difference shows up everywhere else.

Videojet TTO: Reliable Performance, Expensive Ownership

Videojet’s DataFlex® series earned its reputation by delivering consistent output in demanding production environments. In food, snack, bakery, and pharmaceutical plants, that reliability matters.

Commonly cited strengths include:

• Consistent print quality across long production runs
• Ribbon management features designed to reduce waste
• Rugged construction suitable for washdown environments
• Diagnostic tools aimed at maximizing uptime

Where Videojet increasingly struggles is total cost of ownership.

In real-world evaluations, customers consistently raise concerns around:

• High consumables costs, particularly proprietary ribbon programs
• Service dependency, with limited flexibility outside OEM support
• Escalating long-term operating expense, even when the printer itself remains functional

For many operations, the printer works fine, it just costs far more than it should to keep running.

FlexPackPRO TTO: Superior Performance with 40% Lower Consumables Cost

FlexPackPRO was designed to deliver the same industrial output without the economic penalties that come with legacy TTO platforms.

The FlexPackPRO lineup is intentionally broad, allowing companies to right-size the printer to the application:

• 130 Series (32 mm / 1.3 in) - compact coding and small print areas
• 210 Series (53 mm / 2.1 in) - high-volume mid-range applications
• 420 Series (107 mm / 4.2 in) - larger codes and graphics
• 500 Series (128 mm / 5 in) - wide-web flexible packaging
• Multi-lane and traversing TTO systems for complex film layouts

Like Videojet, FlexPackPRO supports inline installation on packaging equipment as well as stand-alone and tabletop configurations for pre-made pouches and offline coding.

Where FlexPackPRO clearly separates itself is cost and control.

Across comparable applications, FlexPackPRO consumables average roughly 40% less than Videojet, without sacrificing print quality, durability, or uptime. That reduction compounds quickly in multi-shift, high-volume environments.

Additional advantages include:

• Non-proprietary consumables strategies, reducing vendor lock-in
• Longer standard warranties in many configurations
• Distributor-based support models, giving customers flexibility instead of dependency
• Simpler ownership economics, especially as SKUs and production volumes scale

This is not about cutting corners. It is about removing unnecessary cost from a mature technology.

Why Companies Are Actively Replacing Videojet

When manufacturers replace Videojet TTO systems with FlexPackPRO, the motivation is rarely emotional. It is operational and financial.

The most common drivers are:

• Consumables costs that no longer make sense
• Pressure to reduce cost per package without risking compliance
• Frustration with locked-in service and ribbon programs
• New lines where legacy specifications are no longer justified

FlexPackPRO allows these companies to maintain or improve coding performance while materially reducing ongoing expense.

That combination is difficult to ignore.

The Bottom Line

Videojet built its reputation when TTO was still evolving.

FlexPackPRO is winning business now because TTO is mature, and mature technologies should not come with inflated ownership costs.

With comparable or superior print performance, broader configuration flexibility, and consumables that average 30-40% less, FlexPackPRO is not just a replacement for Videojet. In many packaging environments, it is the better long-term platform.

At Ganson Engineering, we do not recommend change for the sake of change. We recommend it when the math, the uptime, and the operational reality all point in the same direction.

For many TTO users today, that direction is clear.