Business Management - Productivity/Process Improvement

As the quality of metallic inks improve, their roles in package printing are greatly expanding. LIKE HOWARD CARTER, who unearthed the sparkling splendor of King Tutankhamen's tomb 81 years ago, package printers are discovering a valuable glimmering brilliance of their own: metallic inks. The shiny, eye-catching inks have been used for years due to their ability to make packages stand out on store shelves and to create a certain air about packages. Gold inks pop off the shelf and give a look of tradition and richness. Silver inks give a similar appeal, and can also make the product appear cutting edge

Print shops welcome cost-saving opportunities by bringing ink technology in-house with the help of suppliers. WHAT'S COOKING IN more of today's in-house ink kitchens are cost-cutting management practices and first-rate capabilities. Many converters can attribute this to special contractual agreements between ink suppliers and print shops. The agreements, many developed more than a decade ago, have helped converters bring inking competency and ink professionals on-site, allowing them to focus on printing during a time when the ability to handle more short-run jobs and fast turnarounds is imperative to stay competitive. From the beginning Ink agreements run the gamut, ranging from complete overhauls of the

The need for versatility has spawned a growth of new thermal transfer ribbons. Many converters have come to accept that when working with thermal transfer printers, you can't always get what you want, especially in terms of the wax/resin materials being fed through the press. Inevitably, there are a slew of basic limitations with most of these ribbons where performance in one area may be top of the line, but in other areas the same material may be lacking fundamental qualities. For example, a wax resin may have good chemical resistance, but may smudge or scratch when rubbed. Or a ribbon may work well

Still-smaller flutes and sophisticated print capabilities strengthen microflute's ability to perform double duty. By Jessica Millward For the past several years, microflute corrugated's marriage of structural strength and high-quality graphics has proven to be a match made in packagers' heaven. With the development of E- and F-flute boxes in the '90s, the line between folding carton and corrugated converters was blurred, and customers reaped the benefits. Time, and technology, marches on, however, and the microflute industry has kept pace with the evolution of still-smaller calipers and new ideas about printing. The small flute segment comprises roughly 9 percent of total corrugated shipments in North