ASK THE EXPERTS: How to grow in a confined space

To grow our businesses and capitalise on the predicted growth in decorated packaging, the challenges we face require a positive outcome. We aim to help our customers achieve this by providing packaging print solutions through inks and coatings and associated services.

Many involved in the printing of packaging will be only too aware that inks and coatings have been upgraded to accommodate the necessary elements to comply with new regulations and legislation. Working with numerous official organisations and trade associations, Sun Chemical has, and continues to responsibly take the lead to develop and supply a range of options across all print disciplines to meet the latest requirements, particularly for food and sensitive packaging.

Sustainability is increasingly a key topic to be addressed and Rudi Lenz, president and CEO, Sun Chemical, explains; “As the world’slargest producer of inks, pigments and coatings, we are the materials leader in the graphic arts industry. As such, we are committed to lead in establishing analytical protocols and high operational and product performance for sustainability. The markets in which we participate, with our influence, should strive to set a standard for resource efficiency, safety and environmental protection. At Sun Chemical, we are constantly looking for ways to make our customers profitable and responsible leaders.

“We have recently released our first sustainability report, which provides data-driven performance measurement for seven key sustainability metrics to help customers and consumers understand the company’s environmental footprint.” (www.sunchemical.com/company/sustainability).

Optimising processes

Operational efficiency in the printing of packaging is often intertwined with the application of inks and coatings. Some established processes have been optimised, with the help of ourselves and others, although as the dynamics of developing technologies increase with sophisticated machine capabilities and shorter lead times with no compromise on quality, we are able to help by providing a one stop shop service for all standard products that deal with the complexity and demands of customers. Utilising our applications expertise, we are able to give extra support directly or introduce specialised consultation advice provided by one of our expert partners.

At the point of sale in the retail environment we provide the colour that gives the brand identity, through the printed graphics. With the growing globalisation of many brands and companies, Sun Chemical is perfectly equipped to support colour standardisation and uniformity requirements. The complexity of different packaging specifications and common brand colours is an aspect where we have developed tools and solutions that deal with the difficulties created by the use of different substrates (which have a direct effect on the printed colour), thus helping our customers have the ability to manage and produce packaging that conforms to set colour standards.

The requirements for shelf stand-out and appeal of branded packaging will increase as consumers are faced with more and more choice. Their expectations of the quality that they translate into the perceived value and worth of what they are purchasing, needs to be satisfied.

Providing appealing effects through special inks and coatings must be incorporated into the graphic design and packaging specification from the very beginning of a pack’s life. This means that all of us potentially involved engage at the earliest stage of a redesign or new product concept. Where the coming together of all elements involved occurs, this has proved conclusively time and again to yield success, therefore the holistic approach involving the experts directly attaches added value.

Unscrupulous counterfeiters of packaged products threaten to steal the genuine value and inhibit growth, but protection of branded packaging is possible and cost effective through printed ink options. These can be overt versions or uniquely covert which are verified by simple detectors, supplied by Sun Chemical as a complete package.

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC group, is the world’s largest producer of printing inks and pigments and a leading provider of materials to packaging, publication, coatings, plastics, cosmetics, and other industrial markets.