10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Package Printing

Package design is increasingly being driven by customer needs—indeed, consumers and brand managers alike are demanding packaging that is more customized, personalized, specialized, or “promotionalized” than ever before. Package designers also are altering packaging to enhance perceived product quality or desired marketplace positioning. These market trends are leading to shorter production runs; they also require package printers to adapt processes quickly and inexpensively. Below are 20 tips from Heidelberg on how to get the most from your package printing in the current industry environment.

1) Be flexible. Packaging is increasingly diverse, making it crucial for package printers to employ the most adaptive and flexible printing methods—and to avoid processes with inherent constraints or that require expensive retooling in order to change.

2) Stay current on technology. With constantly evolving customer demands, it’s critical for package printers to update their equipment and take advantage of the latest technologies. Package printers should look for technologies that deliver increases in productivity while ensuring high quality and those that allow them to remain compatible with market-driven strategies.

3) Think large – and fast. Very-large format (VLF) presses are changing the package-printing process. With the ability to get more ups on a sheet and speed the printing process, printers can be more productive with less.

4) Keep quality king. To remain competitive, printers need to satisfy end customer requirements for lowest cost per unit without sacrificing quality; incremental costs and quality differences between various printing methods must be minimized (or
beneficial) if new methods are to be adopted.

5) Automate across the shop. Next-generation automation is available in the packaging industry today. Package printers should explore the latest options in automated prepress, press, and postpress offerings so that they are not left behind in an increasingly competitive environment.

6) Remember makeready matters. With shorter runs and greater variety of printed packaging and materials, efficient makeready becomes more important than ever. Printers should look for ways to reduce set-up times at the feeder, cutting station, stripping station, etc. Even prep work and seemingly simple steps like how the tooling is positioned can have a big impact.

7) Think past the press. Some say that package printing begins with postpress. Printers must be careful that they are not sacrificing the quality coming off the press by using lower-quality diecutters or folder gluers. This is especially important given the advancements in press technologies. Postpress equipment must be up to date in order for package printers to keep up with the increased volume coming off the press.

8) Go with integrated workflow. When things break down between the printing and postpress processes, shops lose time and money. Developments in workflow and MIS now provide end-to-end integration with transparency and productivity benefits across the shop. These developments enable package printers to react faster to customer needs and meet aggressive job deadlines without added complexity on the back end.

9) Don’t overlook security. Brand protection is paramount in today’s packaging environment. There are three primary ways to enhance packaging security: altering the substrate, altering the ink or the coating, or adding a special ink or coating. Printers should consider both overt and covert techniques for addressing package security.

10) Aim to sustain. Green printing/sustainability is here to stay in the packaging environment. When you’re making new equipment investments, look for those that will minimize impact on the environment while maximizing productivity in your shop. You’ll want solutions that can reduce waste, energy consumption, and VOC emissions while improving overall shop efficiency.

by Mark Rasmussen, product manager, postpress packaging, Heidelberg USA