Package Design | packagedesignmag.com

(January 2009) posted on Mon Oct 05, 2009

By Noel Jeffrey

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Whether the intent is sophistication, sparkle or protection, designers have long been specifying postpress processes like foil stamping, embossing, debossing, and coating to add value to packages. The companies that offer these services and more are typically called trade finishers. They work with converters and sometimes the brand owner. In addition, some printers offer these services in-house.

Industry participants believe that offline finishing is holding its own, with growth possibilities. What is changing is the increase in inline capabilities of offset presses—cold foiling, UV inks, coating, and embossing are prime examples. Finishers do not necessarily regard that development as negative. They are, however, expanding their own services and reaching out more to brand owners. The trend toward shorter runs and more SKUs within brands is also viewed as positive since it often means room in the budget for decorative finishing.

"The litho press offering inline foil and additional finishing processes are a welcome addition to the printing environment," says Chris Cullen, vice president of sales and marketing at Apex Die in San Carlos, CA. "Our interest is in a print consumer receiving the most visually stimulating product possible. The added ability of the new generation of litho presses creates opportunity for more of our types of applications and expands the print community's capability as a whole."

Family owned and operated for over 30 years, Apex Die is a trade finisher offering embossing, foil stamping, UV coating, and scoring and perforating. The 70-employee firm also has package design capabilities and offers software packaging production from samples to final converting. Cullen says, "While Apex is committed to our trade position, we strive to assist our customers and view the resulting business in markets like banking, food and beverage, wine, confections, and retail, as specialty growth in these particular markets."

Dean Hamilton, v.p. of the folding carton division at Capital Corrugated in Sacramento, CA, says, "We are beginning to see more of these inline processes. However, most of the inline foil applications are cold foil and the results simply do not compare to offline heated foil treatments. This isn't to say that in some situations this process is not acceptable, it is. Currently though, is it limited. While it may exist I have not yet seen one of these systems that can effectively foil stamp and emboss inline with printing that rivals the offline processes."