In film packaging, two trendsetters make use of the printed films. In both cases, it is a matter of being distinctive. For the freshly sliced and fresh produce products, it is mainly the supermarkets who choose their own way when printing the films. Additionally, it is the growers and exporters who use the printed films to stand out in the supermarkets. “We have seen an increasing demand for a natural appearance in the print,” Leo continues. The trend of printing recipes on the bags seems to be turning. “It differs per supermarket. For example, you see Albert Heijn back-pedalling from the recipes on the packaging, and that the products have to sell themselves. Other supermarkets are still printing recipes on the packaging.”
Leo van der Meer from Van der Windt Verpakking shows the inkTouchables.
Authentic appearance
In addition, classic, old-fashioned fonts are on the rise. “We've seen a trend in the last two years in which fonts, which are a bit crazy and whose letters are not boldly printed, are widely used.” These are, for example, the fonts with a western look or the fonts that look like chalk marks. With these fonts, supermarkets are looking for an authentic appearance.
In continuation of the fonts that must realise an authentic, perhaps nostalgic look, Van der Windt developed a special coating that feels like the packaging is made of paper. These ‘inkTouchables’ are a coating that is printed over the film. “The film is necessary for the shelf life of the products,” Leo explains. “The inkTouchables give the packaging a natural look.” It sounds contradictory to recall a paper experience with ink, especially since paper has a more durable image than film or ink. Still, it's not so crazy, Leo explains. “If you laminate paper on film, you consume more packaging material. In addition, you cannot recycle the packaging because the paper and the plastic cannot be separated.”
Paper-look printing demands less packaging material, but what about the ink? “The inkTouchables coating is fully recyclable and can simply be put in the plastic recycling bin. The recycled plastic is no longer used for food packaging.”
Digital printing revolution for film
A much larger shift will occur with the breakthrough of digital printing. Thanks to this printing technique, much is changing in the printing world and those changes can be seen on the shelves. Simply put, digital printing means that on a roll of film, all the different packages can be printed without stopping the machine or making different printing plates. “You send a PDF from the computer to the printer,” Leo explains. An example of the possibilities are the personal labels that Coca Cola recently wrapped around the bottles.
Quick and cheap
In addition to the fact that a printed film can be personalised, it offers more benefits. “If a retailer wants to test a package, at least 10 rolls of film must be bought. Delivery time is four to five weeks.” The delivery time is to make the design and developing the printing plates, which takes time. With digital printing, however, this time is reduced to a few hours, depending on the crowds. It can be delivered in a print run of one roll. This offers possibilities for testing new packaging.
This way of printing is also beneficial for the wallet. “The cost of the mock-up and printing plate would be 2,000 to 2,500 euro (depending on the number of colours), and you wouldn’t have had a roll of film,” Leo calculates. “With digital printing, you can already print some rolls of film.” That makes it easier to anticipate public holidays. “I expect it’ll be the same as for, for instance, business cards in the end. These are also easy to order online now.” A large printing company that Van der Windt Verpakking works with has already switched, and no longer invests in ‘current' flexographic printing. “I was recently at a major fair for printing companies in Düsseldorf, Drupa, and there was a HP setup with a packing line for nuts. Blank film was fed into the machine. On the other side, the nuts came out of the line in a printed packaging. That is the future.”
Less ink, more colour
Sustainability remains an important subject for the packaging industry. Biodegradable packaging is still more expensive than conventional. Therefore, demand seems to grow slowly. “If the price difference were to be smaller, the market would grow more rapidly,” Leo expects. For printing of packaging, the environmental impact of the ink is a subject. “With HD techniques, we can print a clearer image with less ink,” Leo describes one of the developments. With HD technology, printing can be done with the four standard colours. For the old technique, eight colours were often needed. This often means higher ink usage. “In addition, you need fewer printing plates, which also cost 250 to 300 euros per plate. Therefore, sustainability should not always be more expensive,” Leo laughs.
With HD technology, the grid (halftone) work of the printouts has been greatly improved. While 42 to 48 lines per cm3 ran vertically previously, HD has 60 vertical lines. As a result, images have become much clearer. “Two years ago, you could still see the dots on which the image was built on the packaging, now you need a magnifying glass to see those dots.”
More information:
Van der Windt Verpakking
Leo van der Meer