Abstract: Packaging printing is the key to success, and it is also the direction of future market investment. Interactive packaging, which includes sensory packaging, functional packaging, and smart packaging, allows packaging to print beyond just the category of improving image quality, but becomes part of the product, or even the product itself.
In today's society, a major challenge faced by consumer goods processing companies is not only the development of new products to attract consumers' attention but, more importantly, the maintenance of consumer loyalty. All this depends on the proper application of product packaging. Packaging and printing is the key to success, and it is also the direction of future market investment.
Flexographic printing technology brings vitality to the packaging field, which can effectively improve the characteristics of the outer packaging. In recent years, there has been a new concept in the packaging field - interactive packaging, which includes sensory packaging, functional packaging, and smart packaging. This concept has enabled packaging printing to go beyond merely improving the image quality but becoming a product. Part of it is even the product itself. The packaging and processing technology uses the way of directly linking the packaging and products, marking and categorizing the packaging, and makes people have a strong sensitivity to these final packaging, which brings considerable benefits to both consumers and consumer goods processing companies. profit.
Now we can see a variety of packaging products on the market. For example, packaging with odor, packaging with a certain texture, and packaging with exaggerated visual effects. At the same time as packaging products continue to diversify, it also opens up a market gate for flexographic printing. This is another application in the packaging field after offset printing and higher cost gravure printing.
First, functional packaging
Functional packaging is a scientific method for solving content-related packaging problems. An example of a functional package is the antiseptic nature of a liquid package. The use of such a package allows the perishable product to maintain a longer freshness, for example, adding a special lid to the juice package and heat sealing it. You can extend the shelf life and taste of the juice.
Another example of functional packaging is a packaging designed to eliminate some of the product's own deficiencies and uncertainties. If an accessory is attached to the package to remove the odor and gas from the product, such package attachments can also extend the shelf life of the product and maintain the fresh taste of the product.
Functional packaging can effectively prevent content from being disturbed and maintain its function, such as packaging of medicines with shrink film. In addition, anti-jamming packaging is also widely used in product promotion and promotion activities. A printing company abroad printed the product slogan on the outside of a beverage packaging box, and printed the barcode on the inside of the packaging box. Since the bar code is printed on the inside, it is very difficult to fake. In the case of internal printing, inks that are harmless to the human body are used, and these inks will not come into contact with the products. There are also some images that are laminated between two films, that is, images are printed on two films, and the two are pasted together.
Second, feel the packaging
Sensory packaging allows consumers to have an intuitive feeling about the packaging product, such as touch, vision or smell. As mentioned earlier, functional packaging is mainly used to protect the inside of the packaging (the actual product) without losing any value, and the sensation packaging mentioned here is mainly to create an overall external sensation, such as odor, texture structure and visual effects.
For example, some feel that the packaging extracts the odor of the internal product to attract guests, such as toast, grilled meat, chocolate, or fruit odor, and the extracted odor is incorporated into the adhesive or paint, so that the entire package is full of attractive taste. In this way, a link can be established between the product and the consumer.
Another purpose of the package is to maintain the integrity of the product. For example, manufacturers of potato chips add the taste of potato chips to the packaging materials of the products to prevent the taste of potato chips.
Another example of a sensation package is a promotional event that Coca-Cola has done and hides a winning message hidden in the shrink film label on the product. Consumers must buy Coca-Cola products and store them in the refrigerator to know if they are winning. This is because the label is printed with temperature-sensitive ink and can only be seen by the human eye when the temperature drops to a certain level. Noticed.
Third, smart packaging
Intelligent packaging can contain a large amount of product information inside the package. It combines tagging and monitoring systems to form an extended tracking system for checking product data. The monitored sequence includes the detection of printed colors, as well as advanced quality tracking information provided by computer chips.
Intelligent packaging uses internal sensing elements or advanced barcodes and trademark information systems, and uses the principles of sensory packaging and functional packaging to track and monitor products.
The use of UV and EB inks can effectively avoid bar code distortion. For more accurate data detection, data chip or micro spot detection system can also be used for control.
Smart packaging is mainly used to detect deviations in packaging structures or materials. For example, the density of the packaging board material is checked to determine whether the produced carton has sufficient stiffness to meet the needs of the product, such as ensuring that the juice or milk does not leak out. Using laser detection technology, several parameters of the package can be measured, such as the microstructure of the packaging printing ink.
Fourth, flexographic printing
Flexographic printing is characterized by stable ink and high product repeatability. Since the color of the field is easily affected by the light and changes the hue of the color, this process can simplify the control of the toner and reduce the color drift. When printing on cardboard, surface tension and smoothness need to be monitored in order to achieve the desired sensory effect. If the surface of the product is not smooth enough, the effect of the product will be greatly reduced. The ideal printing process should ensure that the values ​​of these packaging products have a certain repetition rate without change. Therefore, flexographic printing is a good choice.
Fifth, future packaging
In recent years, the market for various types of multi-functional packaging mentioned above has been continuously expanding, and packaging is no longer limited to only packaging products, but should have more functions. For example, a specially designed drink box, once unfolded, becomes a fine coaster.
If you apply new designs to various smart packaging, you can get more high-end interactive packaging products. Packaging can deliver information and data to reduce overall costs. If you use advanced UV and EB inks or use digital feedback information, you can eliminate the need for coating or laminating the package, and it will not affect the original efficacy of the package.
Reprinted from: Art Design