Cold Foil Stamping, Do You Know What's New?

Cold Foil Stamping: The Pros And Cons

Do you know what the difference between Cold Foil and Hot Foil Stamping? The main difference between the two, from a technical point of view, is hot foil is stamped into a surface and cold foil is laid onto a surface. The application of cold foil on the lithographic sheet-fed press should be viewed as an extension of the use of foil to embellish the printed surface. There are a variety of applications between the two process. There are applications that will be hot foil always. There is an area of the processes that could be either one and there is a new part that is absolutely cold foil.

The final look that you can achieve with hot foil has been around for years and well understood. The outcome that you can attain with the litho process of cold foil is not so much understood, though many types of the same looks can be attained with either ink or the cold foil process.

Being able to produce solid areas of foil in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, as well as the ability to produce half tones that are foiled create added value to this process.This process is also better suited for textured substrates. Example:Linen Stock. Using the cold foil process allows such stock to retain their texture after foiling. This gives the designers more flexibility for designing products. It also gives the manufacturer more flexibility on materials that are not suited for hot foil stamping.  

Cold Foiling is also more adaptable for "flexo" packaging applications. Because it uses thinner films that are heat sensitive, hot foiling is not the right process to use. Hot foiling causes these more sensitive materials to distort. Cold foiling allows thing films to be foil stamped but lets the foil shrink or expand just a little, without cracking. 

Every business is focused on costs of processing their products. Cold foiling reduces or eliminates many previous costs such as running speeds, maker ready times and cost of stamping dies. Changing over to multiple print format costs is also reduced. Adhesive is applied through the use of a polymer plate, which is very cost efficient. Hot foil requires rotary tooling which is very expensive and has several drawbacks for many applications of the process. 

The negative side of cold foiling is the use of sheet-fed presses. These are not useful in many applications and have drawbacks that hinder many uses. In these cases, hot foiling is a better choice. The cold foiling is better suited for use with coated stock vs dry and porous stock. Though cold foiling has advanced with technology, including using with the more porous stock, hot foil is a better choice for cost effective use. Cold foil stamping can't be used for the combination of stamping & embossing. It employees a flat application and defers to the hot foil stamping process for the best applications of this type. 

The current cold foil advancements today appear to point to the market of web flexo labels. Experts expect to see more sheet-fed operations for such markets as folding cartons and greeting cards.With hi-speed rotogravure printing in the future, cold foiling could come to include markets such as gift wrap and cigarette cartons.

The final analysis of the cold foil process is it's ability to complement the hot foil process by opening markets where foiling was not even an option. For manufacturers getting their products out, all they know is their options have improved. They can offer great labels on their product and it can be done in a cost efficient way. 

Information and Education is necessary and should begin out in the marketplace. If a foiled product is put on the shelf, it stirs curiosity in people who are taking notice, such as Designers. Like any good idea, it becomes more and more popular with the passing of information and ideas. The advancement of this growing process is a positive move for the industry of packaging and labeling. 

Direct Thermal Or Thermal Transfer Label Printers? Which Is Ideal For Your Business Needs?

Do you know the differences between direct thermal label printers  & thermal transfer label printers? What type will fit your needs best? Many of the current models are dual mode printers. This means they have the ability to print both thermal transfer labels and direct thermal labels. If your needs lean more towards just the direct thermal printing, you might want to buy a true direct thermal printer instead of a dual mode type.

Direct Thermal Printer Or Thermal Transfer Printer?

In order to determine what is going to work best for you, it is necessary to ask some questions about your needs for now and for the future.

• Do you need just black & white printing or will you be printing colored labels.
• Will labels need to be scanned or is there a shelf-life of at least 1 year?
• Are you printing high density bar codes (i.e. limited space)?
• Are the labels going to be used on products that are in the heat or sunlight?
• Are the labels going to be subjected to abuse or surface friction?
• Are there a variety of different printing materials (i.e. papers, films and foils)?

Yes answers to any of the questions above would indicate consideration of using a thermal transfer system instead of a direct thermal system.

Thermal Transfer Printers Capabilities

Thermal transfer means using heat to transfer a variety of colors to a variety of materials such as foil, paper or types of film material. This produces very clear and long lasting labels that are going on products that require labeling to be readable for extended time frames. With the vast choices of materials available to use with thermal transfer printing, it allows manufacturers to customize their labels to fit their businesses. Matching the label stock and printing ribbon is absolutely imperative to get the best quality and performance of the finished product.

Direct Thermal Printers Capabilities

Direct thermal printers is similar to thermal transfer printers, but eliminate the need for a  transfer ribbon. It is limited in color options to black. Special, preprinted direct thermal paper offers color options but the print quality is greatly reduced. Labels darken with age and that processed is advanced with heat and sunlight factored in. A true direct thermal label printer can increase print head durability when it has a print head made from a thicker glass. Direct thermal printing applications are most used in food labeling. Not subjected to lots of heat and sunlight and averaging less than a year on shelf life, this type of labeling process serves the food industry well. It is also cost effective because of lower overall cost and easy media changeovers associated with not using a ribbon.

Should You Use A Direct Thermal Printer or Thermal Transfer Printer? Lets Look At The Facts!

Direct Thermal Printing	Thermal Transfer Printing
Labels print only in black, preprinted with special thermo chromatic ink	Labels can be printed in various colors
Labels have a shelf life of 1 year or less	Labels have a shelf-life of over 1 year
Labels not subjected to sunlight or heat	Labels are open to heat or sunlight
Labels will not be subjected to friction or abuse	Labels are exposed to abuse or surface friction
Examples: Shipping Labels, Library Date Due Labels	Examples: UL Recognized  Labels for Outdoor Use, Shelf Marking Labels, Product Labels
	Labels contain high density bar codes (i.e. limited space)
	Labels have to be printed on varying materials such as foils, paper etc.

Which Model Printer Will Work Best For You?

When you determine what method of printing is best for your company then it is important to determine label usage and other things such as:

What is the label usage per day? Will your label usage exceed 500 labels per day? Consider using an industrial printer. If label usage is a few hundred a day, it would be more feasible to set up a small table-top printer.

What is the maximum label width and length? Minimum label width and length is another important factor to decide on? With varying capabilities of printers, you want to know what will work for you. Some printers can handle wide width labels, and you wouldn’t want to spend the money on something that is too big for your needs. Some customers may require extra-large labels, so a wide-web printer may be the option that works best. Extra-long label lengths often require the installation of memory cards in the printer.

What’s printed on the labels? Are you printing graphics, and/or very high density bar-codes, or tiny fonts? If so, then high resolution printers are great considerations.

How do we want to connect the printer? Are you going to use a USB cord, parallel, serial, wireless, or an Ethernet connection? For several printers, an Ethernet connection is often the better choice, since each printer on the network has its own IP address.

Is the printer connected to your PC? Remote system (stand-alone) are efficient choices for this type of printing application. This would utilize a keypad, and optional battery pack. Label formats are created on a PC and loaded into the printer's memory. Formats are then recalled and labels can be printed from any location. Variable information can be entered into the keypad at print time, & the time/date can be stamped with a real-time clock feature, automatically. Some of these systems include label software.

Whichever printer you decide is best for your business, getting it right is important. Labels Fort Worth has been in Fort Worth for many years. We are happy to consult with our customers to help them get the right label printing applications for their businesses.

The Future Of Eco-Friendly Packaging

With the emphasis today on sustainable packaging methods, Industry leaders & average consumers are thinking alike. There is a push for research and development across the board.Not surprisingly, the industry has responded quickly and with tremendous innovation, to get packaging products in the market that are eco-friendly and manufacturing friendly.

With this movement, we have seen the huge changes in how packaging materials are made compared to just a few years ago. What has changed? To us, the changes are relative to new thinking and better production processes such as these evolving developments.

1^st Development: Consumer Mandates For Eco-Friendly Packaging Products

  Unparalleled consumer mandates for sustainable containers, is motivating improvements as well as creating more maintainable resolutions. As a result, the container industry is exceeding expectations, which offers consumers a responsible choice. Packaging that is asthetically pleasing, has an excellent shelf life and will turn into compost within 3 months is the new norm. With packaging made from natural products through a joining process of paper and film technologies, packaging becomes both efficient and practical for many applications. This is a great alternative to petrochemicals and hazardous ingredients previously used. This,along with the accessibility of buying these products right here in the United States instead of buying overseas is creating a whole new market for American companies. Money that was previously invested in overseas products is now being re-invested in American companies, who are providing this valuable new technology.

2^nd Development: Materials That Perform Well In Today’s Climate 

Consumers have raised the bar for sustainable packaging manufacturers. Finding new resources and using more environmentally friendly materials has made it challenging to say the least. Through various testing methods, it has been recognized that biopolymers have reacted differently to the many stages on the production line.

Some were more likely to tear during the process or become sticky. Ongoing collaboration with manufacturers, new ideas have brought the fruition of biopolymers that do not tear as easily and allow for more flex and less cracking. This is an extremely important part of the food container process and for the shelf life of the products.

3^rd Development: More Efficient Machine Options 

With advancements in the types of eco-friendly products available in the printing & packaging industry, improvements in the processes has also improved. Lower sealing temperatures because of the use of bio-polymers instead of the old fashioned plastics has eliminated the need for high temp machines. They run faster and it creates a less stressful environment for the machines, which results in longer life and less maintenance.

We can see that with progress in the environmentally friendly packaging processes, companies are finding new ways to cut costs and meet the ever increasing demand for sustainable packaging for consumers. This ensures competition and eco-friendly growth for a long time to come.  

The Future Of Wine Labeling In The U. S.

We have heard for a long time the involvement of the FDA in nutritional labeling practices for food. Up until now, they have excluded alcoholic beverages from the same criteria of labeling as food. It has recently made the announcement that it will allow for nutritional labeling to be included on alcoholic beverages. These changes were brought about in part because of the liquor mogul Beam Global. In order to prove their Skinnygirl Brand of Wines, actually contains just 100 calories, instead of the normal 110 or more for each 5 oz. serving, they have to be able to include the ingredients. Though this is an action not supported by other alcohol bottlers, it will be voluntary to begin with. Most non-supporters are concerned this is the first step towards mandatory label requirements.

The alcohol laws in the U.S. are still reflecting a lack of oversight from the years of alcohol being banned. The unquestionably unequal law is obvious. An example is today, if you sell “food” such as a fruit flavored drink, you have to list the ingredients as well as the nutritional information. But if you use that same fruit to make an alcoholic beverage, you are then subject to regulations of the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau.

With the lack of participation in this process, consumers have stood to ask the questions like “Does this beverage contain GMO’s or Animal Products?” Currently, it is just a guessing game to figure out if their beers are vegan enough or GMO free enough to purchase. Smaller specialty brewers are trustworthy and are locally available.

When it comes to Wine, it has not been excluded from the discussion either. Whether outrageously expensive or the bottle on the refrigerator shelf at the local wine store, it could contain up to 200 different additives. That is the number the U.S. currently sets as a limit for any additives in the wine produced here.

Winemakers who see the importance of “real ingredient” labeling, are in front of the efforts to get the wine and alcohol producers to see the value as well. 

Randall Graham-Founder of Bonny Doon has listed everything on his labels since 2007. Even something as minor as water was listed. Another leader in the labeling movement is Paul Draper. He is a famed minimalist Winemaker, who also believes ingredients should be on the bottles of wine. These two are just a small percentage of the growing support for this type of transparency. It would appear consumer support is positive as well.

It is not a consensus however. Adding extras to the manufacturing of products in this market are a normal process that hides a multitude of mistakes and adds flavoring not retained in the finish product, normally. It is reasonable to see why this would be the case. So many of the additives are toxic on their own and that couldn’t be the best news to publicize. 

Real Ingredient Labeling for alcoholic beverages is something that is trying to catch up with today’s standards. Until recently, most people have not been concerned about the ingredients in their alcohol, but that has started to change as well. Today’s consumer is smarter and more concerned with what’s in their food & drinks. With this new train of thought, it is inevitable for better labeling practices to be ignored. 

The reward for this thinking will filter throughout the industry with wineries for taking more care in providing additive free or additive limited products. Consumers will buy more beverages that are labeled with “real ingredient” information. There will also be a reward to the label manufacturing market. Their involvement in this transition is critical to the excellence expected in the future. Changing both the details of the labels and the sizing requirements will require skilled companies who specialize in food or beverage labeling, to get even more involved in their wine and alcohol manufacturers planning process.  

Authorized for reprint by Rose Richmond by Labels Fort Worth

What Are The Advantages Of Package Design With Fiberboard And Corrugated Materials?

After 150 years, manufacturers of products in nearly every shape and size, still prefer fiberboard packaging to advertise their products. They also strive to offer containers that transport easily & offer practical storage options, from factory to store to consumer.

Though many other forms of packaging are readily available, fiberboard & corrugated containers are still one of the most popular types of packaging. This is because of their strength, the potential to sell the product, using the marketing design of the packaging itself and the obvious environmental friendly factor.

Fiberboard is usually recognized as cardboard and comes in two basic styles. Regular cardboard/fiberboard consists of one or more sheets, pressed together to form a rigid, paper-based product. Adding more sheets of paper makes a stronger fiberboard. Using a one ply cardboard/fiberboard is also sufficient for packaging if that one ply is thick enough.

Many products come in fiberboard/cardboard containers. Things such as cereal packages, boxes for medicines and other items are just a few examples of products that might come in fiberboard packages. Corrugated packages are formed of two sheets of fiberboard known as linerboards. Then a fluted sheet of fiberboard is placed in between. This creates an exceptionally strong package and is the perfect option for shipping boxes, large packages, or other containers that require superior durability.

Another asset of this type of packaging is the environmental impact. Corrugated & fiberboard is recyclable and is easy to handle. This eliminates waste & is environmentally friendly. Using this packaging, combined with a quality biodegradable ink for   graphics, will create a total process, which will move your business into the future of manufacturing. Companies who are concerned about their footprint on the environment, will usually decide to use corrugated or fiberboard products for their main packaging source.

Creative graphics applied make these both functional and appealing to consumers. There are a variety of ways to creatively use the combination of design and packaging to sell products. Choosing a printer that also employs a professional design team, will allow for the creation of imaginative packaging that lets the merchandise sell itself.

For a business to have this impact, it is necessary to choose the right company to handle the details. Producing a quality design along with a variety of container options and using the latest sources of technology, are all winning combinations to look for in a packaging/labeling company.

 An award winning portfolio of designs are a must because of the proof it offers that this company can handle the job by bringing something special to your needs and wants for packaging. It also assures that they can get your product into the right hands of the consumer.

Another concern is getting the right corrugated or fiberboard to handle the safety of your product. Broken containers or products is not profitable. 

Having quality packaging eliminates returns because of damage during transport. Manufacturers will stay ahead of the curve if they are thorough in their search for excellence in a good, quality packaging design company. Working as a team will assure that products become a commodity across the world and be something consumers have to have.

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