Wikoff Color

Although it is difficult to define exactly what smart packaging is, one significant component of any smart package is its ability to communicate with the person interacting with it. In food packaging, some packages can communicate freshness, while others can communicate a product’s history or expiration. In terms of the pharmaceutical market, packages integrating RFID tags to verify authenticity is another example. Other smart packages combine communication with functionality, like self-cooling beer kegs or self-heating soups and coffees. According to a report from NanoMarkets, LC, titled, “Smart Packaging Markets; 2006-2013,” the global smart packaging market will grow to $4.8 billion in 2011 and reach

UV inks are commonly used in package-printing applications. So much so that Don Duncan, director of R&D, Wikoff Color Corp., thinks it’s about time to rephrase how we reference ink categories. In referring to water-based and solvent-based inks, he says, “I use the phrase ‘so-called conventional’ because UV inks are now so common that they are no longer ‘unconventional.’ We need a new word for the mixture of oil-based, water-based, or solvent-based inks that UV is replacing. How about ‘old-technology.’” The term “old technology” might not fly (Duncan admits that it’s “a little over-the-top”), but the point is well made. UV inks are firmly

With the use of shrink-sleeve labeling for product decoration growing at a double-digit rate, suppliers of shrink film inks are developing a steady stream of products to carve out a piece of the action. But in addition to the normal adhesion issues that are common with non-porous film applications, shrink inks have several other factors to contend with that make their development more challenging. Some of these issues include distortion (cracking, delamination, etc.), blocking, coefficient of friction (COF), and in food and beverage applications, low odor. Demanding applications Shrink labeling is growing in popularity because it offers brand managers at least two advantages. It

J ACCEL GRAPHIC SYSTEMS The Sentinel Ink Management System is an electronically-controlled, completely automated cartridge-based ink dispensing system. Write 941, Visit www.accelus.com, See Ad p. 26 American Water Graphics Water-based ink systems for flexo printing applications. Write 942, Visit www.awg-ink.com Braden Sutphin Ink Company Supplies high-quality sheetfed, flexo, and other inks. Write 943, Visit www.bsink.com Colorcon NO-TOX® printing inks are ideal for packaging and labeling that directly contact food surfaces. Write 944, Visit www.colorcon.com Deco-Chem UV flexo, water-based flexo, rotary screen, conventional, and UV screen printing inks; UV adhesives; and letterpress. Write 945, Visit www.decochem.com DNP IMS America Offers a wide range of wax, wax/resin, and resin

It’s a fact that people are attracted to certain genetic traits in others. For instance, some women look for men with blonde hair and blue eyes, while others only date the tall, dark, and handsome types. Some people even take steps to have specific physical attributes—like wearing colored contacts to make their dark eyes appear blue, or sitting in a tanning bed to turn their light skin golden. The world of package printing likes to play these same tricks because, what it really comes down to is, it’s all about the packaging. One of the best ways to add that something special to a