Reading Between the Hues

Package printers still put metallic inks to work more often than other specialty formulations, but printing with custom-blended colors is even more commonplace.

By Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor

TWO YEARS AGO, packagePRINTING's annual ink usage survey asked tag and label, flexible packaging, and folding carton converters to identify their top specialty inks choices. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of metallic inks—83 percent of respondents had put metallics to work during 1998.