Spectratek Technologies

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

Holograms can do more than just attract consumers. They can also protect against counterfeiting, diversion, and product tampering. ACCORDING TO MARTY KELEM, sales and marketing manager, Spectratek Technologies, a consumer travels at seven miles per hour down store aisles, which only allows a product one-tenth of a second to make its impact. An impulse purchase occurs half of the time when a consumer visually notices the product, but that rate raises to 85 percent when the product is touched by the consumer. This is one of the main reasons for all of the product displays at the checkout aisles of retail stores.

Color, glitz, and sparkle will be all around you in your stroll down the store aisle. By Tom Polischuk Editor-in-chief LOOK AROUND THE store shelves next time you drop by your local supermarket. Chances are, what catches your eye will be any number of products whose packaging literally sparkles on the shelves, or gives you a 3D view of the product's image, or changes its image as you look from different angles. Much of what you'll see comes from the use of holographic substrates. These materials can provide colorful, sparkling images with 3D and motion effects. Not quite as prevalent at this time,

If a consumer product doesn't leap off the shelf with its graphic appeal, it might just be there awhile. by Tom Polischuk THE BATTLE FOR the consumers' buck is fought on many fronts, but usually a consumer product company's (CPC) last shot is taken at the store shelf. All those advertising dollars might not mean much if a competitor is able to get a potential buyer to pick up its product just because of its attention-getting graphics and packaging. CPCs are well aware of this and that's why you see such attractive packaging just about everywhere on the store shelves. At the forefront

For many printers, the question is not whether to incorporate a specialty substrate, but which one? by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor AS THE POPULARITY of packages incorporating metallized film, foil, and holography continues to rise, the "shiny look" is becoming almost commonplace on store shelves. So how are each of these substrates carving out individual uniquenesses? Metallized film has recently figured prominently in new flexible packaging constructions, including StarKist Tuna's recently released alternative to the alumimun can, the Flavor Fresh Pouch™ retort pouch. Foil is finding a new niche as a softer, subtler attention-getter on packages for products such as cosmetics, which may require