Considering the growing competition between the retail as well as e-commerce markets, the owners of the brands are encountering the highly imperative mode of innovations that surpass the rivals in different marketplaces. Other than investing in extensive marketing strategies while fortifying the in-house teams of customer service, businesses are growingly discovering a better avenue to attain sales quotas towards carefully built product packaging with the help of a package printing company.
It comprises the ideal blend of functionality and aesthetics, where both the graphics and the texts aim to serve a realistic goal, possessing the possible ability to stand out on the shelves while translating into mere purchases.
The impact of packaging on both short—and long-term profits is hardly overstated. Brands are harnessing the full potential of product packaging design, conveying details while captivating consumers’ attention. In our guide today, we will unravel the complexities of numerous printing procedures, empowering your brand to make well-planned packaging decisions.
Types of Packaging Printing Methods
During the entire process of packaging designs, you will be required to compare and differentiate between the numerous printing methodologies well-suited for your products. The package printing company uses numerous techniques, each of which fits its role towards the end-user applications.
Flexography
Flexographic printing, also known as flexo, has been used for several decades now. It is a unique high-volume printing technique used in most product labels and flexible packaging, mostly in the food and beverages sector. Another versatile form of printing, flexo, uses a rubber relief plate for enhanced printing.
In the flexography process, an anilox roller, a cylinder with cells in microscopic dimension made of metal or ceramic, holds the ink’s fountain solution and transfers it to the relief plate. Thus, when the plate is in contact with the substrate, image transfer is fast and at a low cost of operation. Flexographic printing has evolved over the years to increase automation and enhance quality, which is now close to the offset printing method.
Flexography proves to be more economical for large-scale production that does not have much restriction concerning the print. Its application particularly comes to the fore because the printer can accommodate nearly any shape or format – something that cannot be said of lithography, where a flat surface is required. Especially suitable in lines of production where labels stick on roll-formed products rather than sheets, flexography provides an ability to attain good quality print images in addition to perfectly matching spot color.
Lithography
While flexography is more versatile for smaller and curved items such as folding cartons, headed and shouldered, corrugated cases, and expansive labels in packaging and retail sales areas, lithography or offset printing is also ideal for large or flat products. Litho printing is one of the most informative and complex methods, spreading the image on an aluminum plate and then on rubber.
The last process is when the image is finally transferred onto the substrate, where some form of additional appearance, such as a coat or varnish, is applied.
Compared to other types of printing, offset litho is immensely versatile. It can print in either small or large formats, making it perfect for mass production with detailed graphic designs. Considered the measure with which all other package printing techniques are compared, offset litho is frequently referred to as the industry benchmark.
Of interest, color-matching is done to the highest degree of accuracy, and one can even add laminating or coating solutions like gloss or foil embellishments. However, some of the benefits of offset litho include high quality and a variety of choices for the finished product, and the speed of printing contributes to productivity.
Gravure
Gravure helps print the engravings while designing right into the metallic cylinders. Each corresponds to a distinctive hue, and the printing machine carefully applies the ink that eventually generates the top-end image. Mainly recommended for detailed packaging designs, gravure remains a prevalent pick for packaging food products using flexible materials.
The premium image quality, along with the durability, offers a competitive edge in ultra-high-volume printing jobs where both flexography and lithography prove slower and prone to a decreased image quality over time. The strategic approaches with the trustworthy custom packaging supplier allow the production to be done at a higher speed and low operating costs without impacting the quality.
Final Thoughts
The tactics used by the package printing company bring along unique benefits as there is no one-size-fits-all solution, with the key relying on the knowledge of the way the method starts to operate to determine the best fit for your business. The extensive knowledge will help empower your brand to make sound decisions matching your packaging needs, whether you emphasize towards affordability, complex design details, or the speed of production.