Digital printing technology could boost confectionery sales

22-Jan-2009 - Last updated on 22-Jan-2009 at 10:49 GMT

With confectionery makers keen to drive additional sales as they tackle today's tough economic landscape, a new in-house system that applies shiny gold and silver to printed labels could help their products stand out on the shelves, claims its manufacturer.

Launched by US firm Primera Technology, the FX400 foil imprinting system works in-line to apply shiny gold and silver borders, fonts and other graphics to inkjet-printed labels.

“Adding shiny gold and silver graphics to your labels dramatically increases your visibility on the retail shelf,” commented Mark Strobel, Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing.

The colour effect

In terms of visuals, colour is widely-held as the dominant factor in packaging. It is used extensively by confectioners to attract the eye of the consumer, to suggest a message or sensation and to entice the consumer to buy the product.

According to the UK's Society of Dyers and Colourists certain packaging colours are associated with particular tastes or qualities. For example, “pink and red indicate sweetness, white and blue suggest purity and refinement and green is synonymous with mint flavoured goods,” they say.

Further, the colours purple, gold and black are used "to indicate exclusivity, expensiveness, luxury and quality, dependent on the nature of the product."

Graphics in combination with colour are also in the roll-call of key packaging factors: Primera Technology claims that speciality, high-end products in particular can benefit "from the shiny metallic borders and graphics" that its FX400 foil imprinting system provides.

"The effect is virtually identical to traditional metallic hot-stamp technology, adding brilliant, shiny highlights to labels. Since the process is 100 per cent digital, there are no set-up charges," claimed the Minnesota-based firm, adding that "virtually any design imaginable can be printed."

Clear film benefits

The firm said clear film is also available for the FX400. According to Primera Technology, when printed onto inkjet-printed labels, the film "not only adds a professional, glossy finish but also makes labels virtually waterproof."

Additionally, the clear film can boost UV resistance to the printed output, "allowing longer exposure to natural and artificial light sources."

In terms of software, the firm's PTFoil package is included with the FX400 that can combine two different graphics – one for inkjet printing and the other for foil imprinting – on the same label.

Also included in the system is a powder-coated metal stand for holding the LX-Series inkjet printer and the FX400 imprinter. Primera added that the stand itself can keep "both units perfectly aligned during production” and allows a “loose loop” between the two printers.

“Getting noticed almost always means more sales. This makes it easy to cost-justify adding an FX400 to your in-house label printing capabilities,” added Strobel.

The FX400 Foil Imprinting System is selling at $1595 (€1213), with shipments beginning this month.