packagePRINTING August 2009
Better Treatment
When new technology can be acquired to improve product quality, increase productivity, and offer additional cost reductions with an attractive return on investment (ROI) it doesn't take long for a company to incorporate it into its operation. Such is the case for De Pere, Wis.-based Green Bay Packaging Inc.'s Folding Carton Division (www.gbp.com) and its recent investment in atmospheric plasma surface treating technology.
Close to Perfection
Judgement Day for the Excellence Awards contest is a special day at the offices of packagePRINTING. This year's contest brought in a total of 82 awards, including 28 first-place awards and the Best of Show. packagePRINTING's 2009 Best of Show honors went to All Stick Label's (ASL, www.allsticklabel.com) "Panama Jack's French Vanilla Cream" entry.
Excellence —Polischuk
This issue highlights the winning entries in packagePRINTING's 23rd annual Excellence Awards competition. The judging took place in June and as usual, it was one of my favorite days of the year.
Ink-Substrate Interactions...
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of ink-substrate interactions: desirable and undesirable. Desirable ink-substrate interactions are defined by their outcome: satisfactory ink adhesion; appropriate scuff-, weather-, or moisture-resistance; light-fastness, color-fastness, printability, etc. Undesirable interactions fail on one or more counts.
Mark Andy launches new press series
ST. LOUIS, Mo.—When Mark Andy goes about designing a new press platform, it starts where it hopes the press will end up—with its customers. It did so in 2006 with the introduction of the Comco C2 and now has repeated the process with the introduction of its all-new Performance Series, to be unveiled in September at Labelexpo Europe.
Near Miss
"Above all, plan for the unforeseen," read the beginning of a February 2008 packagePRINTING feature on offset printing. The subject of the article, Colonial Carton Company (now 3C Packaging, www.3cpackaging.com), had taken steps to ensure its customers would not see a disruption in service in the event of a catastrophe. The printer did have to put its plan into place when it almost lost its building and equipment to fire.
PackPrint to Debut at PRINT 09
During the past several years, one trend has emerged in the graphic arts industry that has become impossible to ignore—more and more commercial print shops have discovered the value of offering package-printing services. To meet the growing demand from the graphic arts industry for packaging-related products, PRINT 09 will debut PackPrint—a show within a show specifically geared toward package-printing professionals.
Release Liners: A Commentary
At a conference on release liners held last year, Corey Reardon, CEO of industry consultant AWA Alexander Watson Associates (www.awa-bv.com), commented, “We must not forget that the release liner industry is a producer of waste material after a self-adhesive application is completed. As it positions itself for the future, this becomes more and more of a critical issue.”
