Labelexpo is excited to bring the label industry back together

Tarsus Group, organiser of Labelexpo Europe, is planning to deliver its most ambitious show to date in a year from now, bringing the global industry back together after the challenges faced from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lisa Milburn, managing director, Labelexpo Global Series, said: “While the label and package printing industry has shown incredible ingenuity during the Covid-19 pandemic, there is simply no substitute for the face-to-face contact that only a unique trade show like Labelexpo can bring. Labelexpo Europe 2021 promises to showcase the very latest advancements in label and package printing. With an abundance of working machinery showing the latest technology, design solutions and feature areas, Labelexpo will bring the future of the industry to life.”

One film does not fit all—Why Specialist Products can pay off

A multi-purpose graphics film could seem like a good deal, but you may end up spending more money and time than you bargained for. Jerry Hill from Drytac explains why.

The term 'multi-purpose' sounds great. One product for different applications, helping your business keep costs low and stock keeping units (SKU) simple - what's not to like? However, in reality, that smart multi-functional product will be better for some jobs than others, in terms of appearance, performance, cost efficiency and longevity. This might seem like an acceptable balance, but some products claiming to be effective across multiple applications might do well for some jobs but perform downright poorly for others.

This is especially important when choosing graphics media. The type of product, and particularly its adhesive element, should be dictated by the application's environment and required longevity. A multi-use product might perform well for a few weeks but may cause problems if left in place for months, after which the adhesive will fail. In the case of floor graphics, curling edges would pose a safety risk aside from looking unsightly. Conversely, the product may be designed for long-term or permanent use when the application is short-term. If so, you will spend more time and money removing it than you expected.

Global Flexo Innovation Awards now open for entries

Miraclon recently announced that the Global Flexo Innovation Awards – to honor businesses that are pioneering the transformation of the flexo industry – are open for submissions from companies wishing to be recognized for their exciting, creative and innovative commercial packaging projects printed using Kodak Flexcel NX Plates.

The awards, which are open to any prepress provider, printer or brand (team entries are encouraged), bring together the whole flexo community, creating opportunities to build new contacts, relationships and partnerships across the print and packaging industry. Entries will be judged by an independent panel of nine highly experienced flexo industry experts on four criteria: the degree of creativity in the graphic design of the project, conversion from other print processes to flexo, the efficiency of the company’s workflow and the level of sustainable print in the project. Entries establishing excellence in two categories will receive a silver award, in three categories a gold award and in all four categories a platinum award, demonstrating to the industry and to the winner’s customers a commitment to the highest level of print production in all aspects.

“The Global Flexo Innovation Awards is different from other competitions. It’s not about one company beating another; it’s about highlighting companies doing great work. Our goal is to demonstrate how the flexo process continues to innovate and grow, becoming more powerful as a tool,” says Christopher Horton, chair of the judging panel. “Most of the potential participants operate in the food packaging value chain, and in the current difficult environment, these companies are essential. They are working, many under difficult circumstances, to supply their product so that people can eat. While the Covid-19 crisis has been undeniably disruptive, the flexo printing value chain has played a key role in helping the world’s response. I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing award entries displaying genuine innovations, ones with real strategic substance, which show companies driving efficient, consistent and sustainable manufacturing processes.”

Cosmo Films launches BOPP Clear Thermal Lamination Film with Antimicrobial Properties

Cosmo Films Ltd., a global leader in specialty films for packaging, lamination & labeling applications and synthetic paper, has developed a novel BOPP based clear thermal lamination antimicrobial film. The film has an extrusion coated surface with low temperature melting resin, which enables easy lamination of film on paper products by heat and pressure. This technology is safe, affordable and can be easily replicated into all types of labels, flexible packaging solutions, and synthetic paper.

The antimicrobial technology used in this film tackles the globally growing problem of bacterial infections on packaged items, by providing a completely new approach of preventing microbial colonization on the surface. This antimicrobial film is effective against a broad range of bacteria, inhibits germ growth and supports optimum hygiene. It also shows a positive effect against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 as per JIS Z 2801 certification.

17th Label Industry Global Awards Winners Revealed

GMG Color, Lenze SE, Paper Machine Converting Company and Avery Dennison Brazil are among the category winners for this year’s prestigious Label Industry Global Awards, which have been honored in a special online video announcement. Now in its 17th edition, the awards recognize the most innovative, influential and successful work from the label and package printing industry across the globe in the last twelve months.

The Award for Innovation (for companies with up to 300 employees) went to GMG Color for its GMG ColorCard digital proofing system, which impressed judges with its ability to enable printers to achieve significant time and cost savings. Proofs are color accurate first time, with very tight delta tolerances, and substrate changes can be quickly recalculated and printed.

The Award for Innovation (for companies with more than 300 employees) went jointly to Lenze SE and Paper Machine Converting Company. Lenze SE was recognized for its use of data already available in a press servo drive to provide Smart Condition Monitoring instead of adding extra sensors. This innovation was regarded by the judges as a look to the future with its potential to transform how machines are built and maintained. Paper Machine Converting Company was recognized for its Meridian Elite laser ablation technology for anilox cleaning, developed completely in-house. The judges were impressed with how this innovation completely eliminates the possibility of hotspots, provides higher performance and reliability, and allows customers to have complete documentation of the cleaning process for the life cycle of their anilox.

Avery Dennison Brazil won the Environmental & Sustainability Award for its implementation of a Circular Program to connect converters, brand owners, recyclers and others, to direct waste that would have previously been discarded in landfills into the production of cellulose paper and paper towels. It was recognized by the judges as a blueprint for the future development of the industry.

Printed Label Market Unidentified Segments – The Biggest Opportunity

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Printed Label Market is accounted for $38.02 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $67.02 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. Increasing demand for manufactured goods and an upsurge in the disposable income of people worldwide are the key driving factors for the market growth. However, Rise in raw material cost such as plastics in various forms increases overall cost of the labels is some of the factors hindering the market growth.

A label is a piece of paper, metal, cloth or polymer which is attached to a container or box of a product which is printed with information about the product. These labels are known as printed labels. Information printed directly on the container of the product can also be considered as printed labeling. Printed labeling is used to identify products and to avoid counterfeiting of products and maintain credibility. They are also essential for creating brand identity and impart useful information to consumers. 

Cosmo Films to invest Rs 300 crore to set up a new line of speciality polyester films

Packaging products maker Cosmo Films has announced that it will invest Rs 300 crore to set up a new line of speciality polyester films. In a regulatory filing, the company said it plans to set up a new line of speciality polyester films (Biaxially-Oriented Polyethylene Terephthalate or BOPET) by the second quarter of 2022-23. 

“The new line will be commissioned at the Waluj plant site in Aurangabad, Maharashtra with capacity of 30,000 MT (metric tons) per annum...,” the filing said. “The project cost is estimated to be Rs 300 crore, which will be financed through a mix of internal accruals and loans,” it added. 

"Speciality BOPET is a niche segment which caters to multiple application segments, with high margins and opportunities for import substitution as well as worldwide exports," Cosmo Films Ltd CEO Pankaj Poddar said. 

BOPET films offer high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, gas and aroma barrier properties and electrical insulation.

ET Packaging Summit 2020 : Packaging the Unpacked, the Smart and Sustainable Way

Considered to be the ultimate opportunity for marketers to visually describe the brand’s message, positioning the same as a better choice than any of its competitors, packaging industry in India is one of the industries which is witnessing a strong growth. Sustainability, branding and smart packaging technologies are the buzzwords resonating among the professionals for building the future. This creates opportunity for the vendors with innovative solutions to gain the competitive advantage in the local market, as well as gain the market share with strategic partnerships of long-term material supply. With the rising demand for packaging applications, along with technological advancement across the Indian economy, many companies are increasing their market presence by expanding their business footprint across various end-user markets.

Tarsus postpones Labelexpo India 2020 and Brand Print India 2020

Tarsus Group, organizer of Labelexpo India 2020 and Brand Print India 2020, has today confirmed that the upcoming editions of the co-located shows, due to take place at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR from 02–05 December, have been postponed in light of ongoing concerns over coronavirus/COVID-19.

Markem-Imaje joins EuPIA as part of ongoing commitment to ink safety

To help drive the change to more sustainable business practices and help its customers better navigate the associated compliance issues, Markem-Imaje has joined the European Printing Inks Association (EuPIA). Concerns about safety and sustainability have become increasingly important stakes for governments and consumers worldwide. Everything is under scrutiny, even down to the inks used to code products with data such as best before dates and traceability details. Joining EuPIA reinforces Markem-Imaje’s already strong position on ink compliance by enabling it to directly shape regulations and make its advice to manufacturers even better.

Holography in India: Fishing for New Opportunities

Investment in materials and technologies alongside new applications, is driving growth for holography in India, says Dr Paul Dunn, chair of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).

Demand continues to strengthen the market in India for holography as we see continued integration of holography alongside other authentication and track and trace technologies driving growth. In turn, this will herald sustained growth and progress, revealing a technology set to forge ahead in the coming years; underpinning moves to support overt and covert protection strategies by authorities, local government and law and enforcement agencies seeking quick and effective security solutions.

Indeed, it is throughout Asia, where counterfeiting remains pervasive, where we can see unmitigated commercial potential for holography. India will continue to offer widescale growth as law enforcement and national government intensify their war on counterfeiting and the supporting criminal infrastructures - it’s expected increased integration of holograms in these territories as part of brand protection strategies will be adopted by those looking to tackle the problem. With several regulatory bodies in India and abroad laying out stringent rules and standards and manufacturers realising the importance of authentication, the business is set to grow, providing growth opportunities for existing and even new entrepreneurs.

Importance of barcode and development in barcode labelling

Use of GS1 barcodes on product labels ensures 100% accurate & automated data capture

If you are a brand owner, running a successful business is never an easy task. It includes managing data and record-keeping for products. Manual processes make it time consuming and tedious. On the other hand, barcodes help businesses in capturing accurate data with a simple scan.

GS1, a global standards organisation, develops the standards for barcodes, besides allocating unique barcode numbers to help brand owners assign a unique identity to their products. GS1 barcode number is a de-facto retailing standard and enables companies to sell their products through modern retail channels (in-store and online), besides helping them enhance the visibility of their product pages. In India, GS1 India is only authorised body to allocate GS1 barcode numbers. 

Set up in India by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, GS1 India is a standards organisation that works in tandem along with other apex bodies and institutions, with an objective to help Indian Industry in adopting global GS1 standards in their supply chains to enhance efficiency and profitability.

It’s time to send your entries to Asian Print Awards

The annual Asian Print Awards was founded to recognise outstanding achievement in the print and packaging industries across Asia. With more than half the world’s population represented in this fast growing area, communication in the form of printed matter links Asia’s diverse cultures. It is imperative that such print achievements do not go unrecognised, especially among the population base that Asia enjoys. The Awards are judged on a wholly quality-oriented set of criteria to ensure that fair play is enacted at all times.

The Independent Judging Panel comprises highly qualified personnel from within Asia and around the world. The independent judging panel has no knowledge of the actual entrants details. ALL ENTRIES ARE NUMBER-CODED. Entries must be commercially produced work.

The Asian Print Awards is the only regional print quality competition of its kind in Asia. Supported by leading industry-supply companies, any progressive quality print house should enter and prove that they are the best - by winning the Gold, Silver or Bronze award. Proving pride in quality awareness is what customers love to see. It’s not just empty words, you can prove it.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the judging will be done in Australia. The Awards Gala Dinner will continue to be held in Southeast Asia.

To enter and for the full terms & conditions, download the entry form: Click here