Packaging’s Treasure

To say that both packaging design and materials have taken on vastly increased importance isn’t saying anything new. As advances in ink technologies and substrates occur, packaging becomes more than just a means to transport and display product—it becomes a critical tool to draw consumers to individual products. “The function of packaging is no longer limited to containing and protecting the product,” says Amir Veresh, VP marketing and business development, HumanEyes Technologies. “Packaging [has become] a main tool for product vendors to prevail in the sales-per-square-foot war.” One group of substrates is enjoying increasing popularity as a means to attract consumers.

Holographic and lenticular substrates are two materials that have enjoyed growth in the package-printing industry for various reasons. “While holography is being used in packaging mainly for brand protection purposes, lenticular substrates are stable enough to serve as the material for the packaging itself, fully or partially replacing folding cartons,” says Veresh.

According to Marty Kelem, Spectratek, “Lenticular or Fresnel lens array patterns are not only the trend in packaging, they set the stage for what is quickly becoming the way that products are placed in the marketplace, and their subsequent success or failure.”

Pervading packaging trend

Holographic and lenticular substrates are enjoying a stronger foothold in the package-printing market as the trend to use packaging as a means to draw time-of-purchase attention to the products continues to emerge. “The inclination of packaging specialists and marketing gurus to use Fresnel lens materials to draw attention to their products signals the next step in decorative packaging as it relates to increased sales,” says Kelem. Adds Michael Dillon, business manager, Graphic Packaging Laminations (GPL), “Consumer products manufacturers are seeing the positive impact on sales that holograms/lenticular substrates provide, and are more willing to invest in holographic packaging because they get their ‘bang for the buck.’”

According to Veresh, “As in all other industry segments in which design and printing are involved, the packaging industry also faces increasing competition, eroding profit, and a never-ending need to innovate, differentiate, and offer additional value and benefit to the end user.” Often, the packaging of the product is the final straw in a consumer’s choice to purchase product A over product B. “The actual and final buying decision is made at the shelf, where the customer reaches out his hand to add the selected product to his shopping cart,” says Veresh. “Extensive marketing, branding, and positioning efforts must be directed at this dramatic moment. Attractive, stand-out packaging is a vendor’s last opportunity to influence the decision-making process at its final stage. The packaging can become, single-handedly, a failure or a success factor.”

Kelem sums up with, “Top executives at all consumer product companies are reevaluating the effectiveness of advertising spending that is hard to translate into return on investment, while the correlation between visually enticing packaging and consumer discretionary spending is hard to deny.”

Future growth

The future for these substrates looks very good based on recent applications and products that allow designers to convert 2D images into 3D creations. “Adhesive lamination (metallized films and holograms) is experiencing excellent growth,” says Dillon. “GPI believes it will exceed the five percent growth rate forecasted by the industry.”

HumanEyes has released PrintPro v2.0 software that allows users to convert 2D images to 3D creations, and offers a new timeline workflow that allows users to create a wide array of 2D animation effects that are printable, adding impact to packaging to attract consumers.

GPI has developed a top coat that provides both excellent clarity, which is essential for holograms, and scuff resistance. “Unlike gravure and flexo printing processes, offset printing of holographic materials requires a top coat to assure proper ink adhesion and curing,” says Dillon.

Finally, the frequency at which these substrates are being employed provides further proof that the outlook for them is good. Kelem cites recent successful applications of Fresnel lens and Fresnel lens combined with holographic backgrounds including beverage packaging, the Matrix DVD game package, and other high-profile consumer product applications. “Major brands are embracing Fresnel lens/holographic combination packages,” he says. “Not only for holiday-themed, once-a-year packaging, decorative packages with Fresnel lens arrays are seen on everyday products, and are enhancing sales wherever they are utilized.” pP