Operational Guide: Finishing and Embellishing Labels and Packaging

Whether it’s creating an eye-catching finish on a prime label, adding tactile effects to a flexible package, helping a carton shine on the shelf with a touch of foil, or improving a printed package’s ability to shrug off moisture and UV damage, advanced finishing and embellishing capabilities can bolster a package converter’s offerings, differentiating a label or packaging manufacturer from its competition.

This article explores some of today’s most popular finishing techniques for printed packaging and labels, factors for converters to consider when selecting print finishing and embellishments techniques, and tips for optimizing finishing and embellishment processes.

Transformative Finishes

Thanks to technological advancements, there are several finishing options converters can use to enhance the appearance of printed packaging, including foiling, embossing, laminating, or laying down specialty coatings.

Foil stamping adds a metallic shimmer that catches consumer attention when scanning store shelves full of similar-looking products. The texturing effect created by embossing or debossing makes it easier for shoppers to identify their favorite brands from a distance. Together, these finishing effects can be show-stoppers.

“It’s amazing,” Brian Techter, senior vice president of sales for packaging, forms, and labels for RR Donnelley (RRD), which is headquartered in Chicago with locations in 29 countries, says. “Go to the store and look at the toothpaste cartons and just that little indentation that they put on the score line. They hit that with foil, and the carton stands out 10 times more than the package next to it that also has laminate foil. These are small things but add a lot of value to what would otherwise be a more traditional tuck-top carton sitting on a shelf.”

In addition to aesthetics, finishing effects can be strong protectors of printed packaging. “Lamination adds an increased level of protection from not only the elements such as UV, but it also adds strength to a package,” Techter explains. “Having a laminate on there helps protect a package when there are concerns about tearing or abrasion.”

Acknowledging the controversy around the sustainability of laminates on paperboard, Techter argues that technological advancements are also making lamination a more eco-conscious option than many people realize. He asks, “Did you know there are film laminates out there that are actually considered curbside recyclable?” Because of the size of RRD’s carton [and trading card] printing business, the printer’s own internal research-and-development teams work with a carefully selected pool of suppliers to ensure the laminated print they produce today is more recyclable than
its predecessors.

“They’ve actually engineered the plastic to be able to float to the top and be scooped off of the slurry to be discarded,” Techter says. “Today, we’re able to recycle around 70% of that paper material. In years past, it was far less than that.”

Through his work as Judging Committee Chair for TLMI’s annual printing competition, Paul Teachout sees a variety of label finishing applications. The prime label for Le Pich by Multi-Color Corporation, which has 110-plus production facilities in more than 29 countries, was printed offset on a Gallus press and finished with in-line foiling, embossing, and coating. | Credit: TLMI

Coatings are another popular embellishment for package and label printers. Speaking on how much these varnishes have evolved, Harper Corporation of America’s technical marketing and content specialist and TLMI’s Judging Committee Chair for the association’s annual printing competition Paul Teachout says, “Coatings and overprint varnishes have come a long way. Traditionally, gloss coats were very functional in purpose and were used to protect the label.

“Coatings still serve that functional purpose in a lot of cases, for example, by adding scuff or slip resistance,” he continues. “Today, they also offer something more engaging that adds another appeal to the purchase point, and have become a strategic part of the sales process and engaging the consumer.”

Through his work with TLMI, Teachout has seen coating applications in a wide variety of label applications across multiple markets, from automotive to health and beauty to wine and spirits. “We [the judges] get to see all the different ways converters take advantage of these materials,” he says. “Coatings are not just functional barriers anymore! Today’s converter has a lot of different options now; there are literally hundreds of coatings. There are so many different effects beyond traditional high gloss and matte coatings. There are pearlescent or metallic coatings or those with a soft-touch or grit finish.”

The appeal of soft-touch coatings was highlighted at the FTA Forum 2023 session “Off the Shelf and Into Your Cart.” When starting the development of Jergens Melanin Glow illuminating moisturizer’s packaging, Kao USA, which owns the Jergens brand, explored the role specialty coatings for flexible packaging would play in introducing this new product to shoppers. At the FTA Forum 2023 session, Kao USA’s design manager Beth Baker explained that soft-touch was specifically discussed because it is a well-established cue for moisturization in the personal care product category. This showcases how coating and lamination finishes have evolved to become marketing communication vehicles for brands.

Collaboration and Agility

Given the vast array of finishing and embellishment choices available, it is crucial for printers to collaborate with stakeholders across a packaging development project to have a thorough understanding of the right effect for a particular package.

Going back to the example of how brand owner Kao worked with its flexible packaging supplier Berry Global, which has more than 265 facilities worldwide, and premedia partner Olberding, headquartered in Cincinnati, with additional locations in Columbus, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Atlanta; Dallas; and Ashford in the U.K, on the package development for tubes for Kao’s Jergens Melanin Glow. Even though Kao identified soft-touch coating as a potential finishing effect early in the development of Melanin Glow’s printed tube, the brand wanted to know about the range of viable coating options available to the partners.

This desire kicked off a three-year package development project. Kao’s print quality manager Paige Massa explained to the audience at the 2023 FTA Forum that Kao and Berry collaborated closely with all stakeholders throughout the multi-year timeline to help ideate and identify finishing options, trial those options, and adjust how the packaging was finished to support real-world transport conditions in the CPG’s and their retailer’s, in this case — Target’s, distribution chains.

Kao’s marketing team and Berry worked with Kao’s other internal teams and Olberding. Additionally, Berry made sure to include its internal teams, from carpet to cement, in discussions to identify printing and finishing options for the project that would meet the brand’s marketing, product protection, and sustainability goals but also enable all the stakeholders to pivot quickly when challenges arose in the execution of the packaging strategy.

When Jergens Melanin Glow launched at Target, the packaging had a luxurious look and feel thanks to the collaborative efforts and the teams’ ability to be open to new ideas and change direction based on feedback and testing. Both collaboration and agility were essential to the product launch’s success.

Selection Criteria

The offset-printed label for True Myth was printed CMYK on uncoated felt paper with subtle hot-foil-stamped graphics; a flexographic, matte varnish; rotary, tactile, silkscreen gloss; flatbed, sculpted embossing; and rotary diecutting. | Credit: TLMI

In many package development projects, the goal of creating a “North Star” early in the timeline is weighted strongly. While understanding the overarching goal is essential, Techter advises package printers and converters to remember that a brand’s team still has multiple goals, and sometimes a print buyer’s goals can be competing. For example, if one decision maker is from marketing and the other comes from the procurement department, Techter explains, “those two can have polar opposite goals.”

To reach a customer’s competing goals, Techter says, a holistic approach is needed. To that aim, RRD starts its package printing projects by discerning “the real value that a packaging supplier can bring, and how do we create those different options?” Once the viable options are identified, RRD creates a menu — or roadmap, when applicable — that the CPG’s team can use to make an informed decision around a package that will meet those goals, whether aesthetic, cost, sustainability, or end-user experience.

Teachout also stressed the importance for packaging printers and converters to determine their “achievable” options. “It’s very important to know the processes and environment in your production facility,” he says. “You want to make sure that you don’t go out and sell something just to figure out later that you don’t have a machine that can apply that effect.”

Using coatings as an example, Teachout adds, “A lot of coatings work better with specific printing applications or printing methods. Some coatings work very well with flexo, and others work better with screen or rotary screen because those processes can deliver a heavier coat weight. If I wanted to do a tactile coating for Braille, I would use a rotary screen unit to put that kind of coat weight down — despite the fact that digital systems can do tactile finishes now.”

Teachout explains using a proven technology, such as, rotary screen would remove any uncertainty regarding how to build that tactile finish using digital inkjet or even flexo. In addition, best practices around using rotary screen for Braille are already established.

Optimizing for Profits

The TLMI award-winning label for J Harden was stochastically printed on a Nilpeter litho press, diecut, and embossed. The prime label was also finished with Kurz hot foil. | Credit: TLMI

Techter stresses the importance of Designing for Manufacturing (DFM) in the package development process. Before finalizing a design, DFM considers various factors, such as materials, production methods, and equipment capabilities. By doing so, package printers and converters can identify potential issues early in the packaging development process and make necessary changes to reduce material waste, shorten lead times, and minimize overall costs. “Design for manufacturing,” Techter says, “might result in changes that have to take place on the plant floor. But there also may have to be concessions made by the designer or the brand owner. … We need to not only create the most beautiful packaging, but packaging that makes sense financially.”

Another way to ensure the finished packaging makes sense financially — for both the brand and the converter — is to optimize the finishing and embellishment application to printed packaging. For example, Teachout cautions against buying materials for finishing and embellishing without addressing the technical aspects of applying these materials. “There’s definitely a technical aspect and expertise needed to identify the right methods,” he says.

Citing the example of applying a metallic coating using a flexo press, Teachout says, “When I start breaking down the transfer process of an anilox roller, I need to know the size of that particle, I need to know the transfer [rate] recommended by the coating supplier, and I need to be able to take that coat weight information, the flake size, and design an anilox roller that can deliver not only that weight, but also that flake size. If I have a cell that’s too big or too deep, the flakes will tumble when I apply it and I won’t get the sheen effect I want. It’s only when my flakes are delivered flat, when they lay on top of each other, that I get that reflectance. Cell depth, cell opening, coat weight, particle size, and the solid content are all important variables when scientifically spec’ing out a roller.”

Diamond Packaging converted the trapezoid-shaped folding cartons for Crest 3D Whitestrips Radiant Express using SBS paperboard, cold foiled, and offset printed with four-color process, opaque white, and PMS inks, in-line with DiamondTouch soft touch coating. | Credit: Diamond Packaging

Leveraging the product intelligence of material and equipment suppliers can help package converters ensure their manufacturing processes support a desired effect, thus reducing time, material waste, and perhaps most essential in today’s labor market — man-hours.

Moving processes in-line can also boost productivity for a package printer’s finishing operations. “If you’re looking to play at the larger volume of the market, the more in-line processes you can have, the better,” Techter says. However, he acknowledges that it can be more capital-intensive when initially changing a process from offline to in-line, especially if a packaging converter needs to rebuild its press. Still, ultimately, Techter argues, the move will make high-volume converters more competitive.

Using foil applications for folding cartons as an example, Techter says, “Everyone knows foil. In multiple factories, we use hot-stamp foil. Now cold foil might not be considered as glamorous, or it might not stand out as much on a carton, but it can be done in-line with the printing process. That’s why we made an investment in cold foil last year for our Durham, North Carolina facility. From an efficiency standpoint, cold foil has an advantage over hot-stamping foil.”

The Human Factor

One investment consistently delivers strong returns across all parts of RRD’s business and operations. Techter explains, “The best way for us to protect our businesses is to grow our own people.”

Skilled operators can make all the difference between sublimely finished packaging that stands out on store shelves and subpar packaging that fails to impress shoppers. Beyond a thorough understanding of the materials used to finish and embellish a printed package, operators need an intimate knowledge of how those materials are applied. Teachout explains, “If you’re not technically skilled enough to understand how a coating needs to be applied on paper, film, or foil, you might not get the desired effect — even if you’ve done a lot of research and bought a lot of stuff.”

Unfortunately, the packaging manufacturing industry faces challenges in attracting skilled operators for its printing and finishing operations. “Right, wrong, or indifferent,” Techter says, “there’s not a lot of excitement from youth in the high schools and colleges to get into this trade.”

To overcome the labor challenge, converters are exploring various labor retention, attraction, and training strategies. Describing RRD’s efforts to cultivate a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce, Techter says, “We’ve really had to grow our own. For packaging and labels, we have 30-plus manufacturing facilities. Almost every one of those facilities has an apprenticeship program.”

To further augment workforce competencies, RRD seeks to cultivate a diverse workforce through the infusion of varied perspectives. Introducing heterogeneous viewpoints provides opportunities for innovative problem-solving techniques and promotes robust critical thinking skills. “Our global engineering team has seasoned individuals from multiple demographics,” Techter says. “They serve in positions all over the country and all over the world.”

The global engineering team, which ensures RRD’s employees are properly trained on every new piece of equipment, also brings its varying backgrounds, experiences, and cognitive styles to the business’ complex challenges, thus increasing the problem-solving ability and cognitive flexibility of the entire company.

The ability to grow human capital isn’t limited to large, multinational converters with substantial financial resources. Converters of all sizes looking for an alternative to creating their labor development programs can leverage educational resources from industry associations such as PRINTING United Alliance, the Flexible Packaging Association, the Paperboard Packaging Council, and TLMI to enhance the finishing skills of their staffs.