Combine and Conquer

That is the game—adding value to the product to meet customer needs. By combining a number of processes, printers can use the strengths of each particular process to provide the best possible look for a product.

There are several requirements driving the popularity of combination printing, but they are all rooted in competition at the store shelf. Steve Leibin, sales manager for Matik North America (a distributor of Omet and Codimag printing presses), lists three interrelated needs that package printers are being required to meet: better print quality; improved shelf presence; and demand for products with the "no-label" look, reverse-printed, or with metallic/fluorescent labels.