21 Jun Innovation in quality and sustainability for sleeves
Here we present the new applications, materials and solutions in quality and sustainability for sleeve labels on which our R+D+i department has been working over the past months.
If before starting with the news you want to refresh your memory on what sleeves are, their characteristics, advantages and the sectors of applicability for this type of labeling, check out the post “Sleeve labeling: the solution to set yourself apart from the rest”.
Creative news for sleeves
We currently have the technical capacity to produce sleeves in both conventional rotogravure printing and digital printing. We use digital printing when we want to incorporate creative solutions, units with variables such as numbering or even unique items for collecting or personalized ones. Although digital printing can be used for short runs, what is really interesting is being able to use it to increase value when you want to incorporate creative solutions.
We also offer the possibility to create hybrid designs with rotogravure + digital printing that maximize the final result of the sleeve labels.
Let’s have a look at the most outstanding creative news with digital printing for sleeves.
- In-register lacquers for sleeves
With digital printing we are able to apply lacquers in-register on a localized area of the design. This process is carried out via rotogravure printing, thus enhancing the advantages of both systems to the maximum.
On the one hand, with in-register lacquers –in their glossy or matte versions– we are able to highlight that part of the container that we want to stand out, thereby opening the door to creating unique designs that attract at different sensory levels. In this way we achieve a textured effect that conveys an appearance of more creativity and higher quality to the container.
- Metallic inks for sleeves
Another option that we have tested on sleeves is metallic inks. These are applied in rotogravure fused with digital printing, through which a very attractive effect is achieved that adds quality to the product along with a great capacity to capture the attention of the consumer at the supermarket shelves.
Moreover, if the container is metallic, we can use the container itself to directly achieve metallic effects.
- 94% opacity in whites:
Labels of the highest visual quality are required on the market, and printing white in high opacity is complicated. At Rieusset, thanks to our technique, we are able to achieve up to 94% opacity in white working with a thickness of 40 microns, which makes it a very attractive option both visually and in terms of performance and sustainability.
- Sleeves on cans:
Cans are a packaging option with an upward trend in the market. Some of our customers are changing from their conventional plastic or glass containers to cans, and at Rieusset we are collaborating with these new launches.
Labeling a can with a sleeve allows 100% surface coverage (with the exception of the lids) and makes it possible to apply very creative and striking graphic solutions.
News in sustainability:
In order to improve the sustainability of our sleeves we have worked on two aspects: the materials and the recyclability of the packaging.
- Pre-cut to improve recyclability:
We offer the possibility of incorporating longitudinal and transverse easy-open V precuts on any sleeve, so that the end consumer can easily remove the label from the container and deposit each component in its container, facilitating separation at the source.
- Recycled materials:
We have added two new materials to our portfolio whose composition is between 25% and 35% recycled material and which offer a shrinkage of up to 70%, thus allowing them to be used in most packaging.
Leading by example:
A good example of our expertise in innovation, creativity and sustainability in sleeves is the case of the packaging that we produce for Praedium Kylatt oil, where we created a sleeve covering 100% of the product, with the combination of standard and metallic inks. Additionally, the sleeve can be removed once the product has been consumed, whereby we improve its recyclability.
We can apply these and other ideas to your product, since our objective is helping to make your products stand out, making them more attractive, more creative, making you stand out, positioning you and differentiating you from the competitors. Constant innovation is part of our DNA and we strive every day to be able to respond to your needs.
So, if you are thinking about changing your packaging, you have an idea and you want to develop it, or you simply want to share your knowledge about this topic, write to us through our web or through linkedin. We would love to hear from you.
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