September 2008 Issue
Get the Message Out
What’s it take to be a successful package printer? There’s a simple, one-word answer—everything. The right product, technology, engineering, management information systems, sales and marketing, and sometimes even a little luck. And if you believe in the adage, “The harder I work, the luckier I seem to get,” you can throw in hard work, too. It does take an awful lot of factors to be successful in business these days, not the least of which is top-notch marketing strategies. The annals of business school studies are probably teeming with examples of great products that failed only because they weren’t marketed properly. It’s real clear—having
Good To Go
When considering the gains and losses that result from automating the product development cycle, it’s helpful to take a look at what lies outside the realm of package production—namely, the creative process itself. As a package travels from a creative idea to the retailer’s shelf, the opportunity and challenge for suppliers of packaging preproduction software lies in identifying and eliminating steps in the development cycle that can compromise the integrity of the design process and prevent the speedy execution of a project. “The function of packaging prepress is to find the best possible compromise between the greatest creativity and the limitations of the
Increase Your Odds
Last month’s stamping and embossing feature established that employing such techniques allows for cost-effective value enhancements that will grab consumers’ attention—perhaps even the most cost-effective way to give packages the eye-catching appeal brand owners demand. Foil decoration is one effect stamping and embossing affords. It can be done inline on the press or treated as an off-press finishing effect. Either way, metallic effects continue to improve. “Foil and metallic effects have continued to be a popular choice for packaging applications due to the eye-catching appeal they evoke,” says Jeff Peterson, executive director of the Foil Stamping and Embossing Association (FSEA). “One of the best
Marketing Sustainability —Tom Polischuk
Sustainability could be the topic of the decade, and hopefully, for years to come. There’s no doubt that it is a hot topic in the news today, and there’s a lot riding on the eventual outcome of long-term, worldwide sustainability efforts. One of the problems with sustainability is that it’s an extremely complex technical issue. As an example, both National Geographic in its October 2007 issue and Time in its April 7, 2008 issue, did thorough reviews of the environmental equations relating to biofuel production and use. It was clear from both of these reviews that the net environmental impact from biofuels does not
State of the Industry: Folding Cartons — Doing Well and Getting Better
Observing current trends in the folding carton market, it would be easy to consider this a market in trouble. True, mills in North America are closing. Capacity is declining or flat. Also true is that offshore producers are encroaching on territories traditionally dominated by North American packaging producers. Energy prices affect everyone, and consolidation is a continuing issue. But is it a market in trouble? Not for Joe -Elphick, president and CEO at Colonial Carton (Clayton, N.C.). His business has grown 20 percent this year. And, sales are up 30 percent at Mid-York Press, according to Robert Tenney, president and CEO. Ben Markens, president
Teaching Packaging in China
For the past several years I have been teaching professional English for the printing industry at the University of Wuhan, China. I had delivered lectures there while I was president of the NPES, The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies. After retirement, I was asked if I would teach the subject for a 3-month period to which I readily agreed. I was well prepared because, for 30 years, I had served as the CEO of the association which had offices in -Tokyo, Shanghai, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, and Moscow, and I frequently made presentations about the state of the U.S. printing
The Long Haul
Offset printing is a standard bearer for quality in package printing and has a long history of successful use in the folding carton arena. As much headway as flexographic printing has made during the last decade, its quality is still measured against that of offset. It is not surprising that offset printing is still the process of choice for many folding carton converters in the packaging market. Many suppliers with a long history of providing high-quality printed products to their customers hold firm to their successful roots. Carded Graphics, located in Staunton, Va., is one such folding carton converter that focuses entirely on
Top Folding Carton Converters — Up Is Up
The results of this year’s Top Folding Carton Converters survey reflect the growth reported by package printers in this month’s State of the Industry Report on folding cartons, despite industry reports that the market is hurting. A majority of participants in the survey reported growth. About 80 percent of converters said that their businesses grew in 2007, while the remaining companies said business stayed the same. And, 77 percent of participating converters plan to expand into new areas of package printing. This number increased slightly from last year. Most respondents reported that they would like to look into new end-use markets, as well as
Web Inspection Technology Showcase
Company: Advanced Vision Technology (AVT), www.avt-inc.com Product: The PrintVision/Orion What is it?: A 100-percent automatic inspection system and quality assurance for folding carton single pack applications. Features: • Inspects quality with a Linear CCD camera • Detects diecut and creasing faults and will eject defective blanks while collecting and stacking good ones • Can handle blanks of up to 17˝ at speeds up to 40,000 blanks per hour Company: Rotoflex International, www.rotoflex.com Product: VLI eDRIVE series What is it?: Inspection slitter/rewinders designed for consistency, low maintenance, lower tension, higher speeds, and easy job setup/operation. Features: • AC Vector Motor
