Labelling the future is a challenge for the label industry, in the face of the exceptional change that is happening on many fronts. A developing palette of label technologies and alternative options; the ‘cloud’ business environment; the urgent need for succession change in SMEs;  making the decision to stay local, serve a specialty market segment, or go international;   maturing geographical markets versus the emerging economies… 

Technology innovation

Technology innovation is changing the face of the entire print industry;  and as commercial print dwindles in the face of downloadable reading matter, packaging print is growing exponentially. It is the key area where the consumer relies on a product’s physical brand image to confirm its quality, reliability, and desirability. Today’s modular presses make it possible to use multiple ‘traditional’ print processes – UV flexo, screen, foil blocking – in the one machine pass – as well as digital print for personalisation, barcoding, etc. What is more, the new-generation digital label presses deliver high-quality print results too; and today’s sophisticated digital pre-press solutions make design, proofing, and even product prototyping fast and easy – even if the client is thousands of miles away. Short-run work and multi-versioning of generic brand labels are now firmly part of a label converter’s remit. There have never been so many options.

Lean and green

At a time when brand owners are concerned to keep costs as low as possible, optimise profits, and still present a ‘green’ image to the consumer, lean manufacturing and sustainable practices must also be central to the label converter’s activities.  

E-commerce has long been a key to the effective running of the relationship between labelstock supplier and label converter, and today’s ‘back office’ at the label converter can be seamlessly integrated with the front end. Using today’s most up-to-date systems, which match those of the customers, is key.

Where next?

Specialisation is one route: there are successful label printing companies serving specialist industries. Alternatively, companies can look to extend their reach from being a ‘local’ supply base, to cross-border trading and, then, an international presence - achieved either independently or as a result of establishing partnerships and alliances with like-minded companies in other countries. Finally, of course, there are mergers and acquisitions – today an area where we are seeing very strong activity.  

Label – the future?

Whatever is to come, the future will still need a label. The intrinsic function of a label is to identify the contents of a package. We have come a long way from the handwritten ‘label’ on a brown paper bag (probably the first example of direct print – a labelling method that still has currency today!) There are wet-glue labels, self-adhesive labels, shrink and stretch sleeves, in-mould labels… and now we can learn about a product through scanning QR code on its packaging.   But we still have to be able to pick the right product from the retail shelf – and only a physical label of some kind can enable us to do that.

Lut Verschueren

Based on article by FINAT.

Tony White, Chairman of Judges at FINAT, has 17 years’ experience of judging print competitions around the world. In this guest blog he reveals how to avoid the common pitfalls and submit an impressive award entry.

Time to get serious with label competitions

Winning an award feels fantastic. There’s nothing like experts in your industry confirming you’re doing a great job. It boosts morale, does wonders for your company’s profile and can have a big impact on sales.

So it’s a mystery why many businesses don’t invest sufficient time in submitting a compelling entry.

In my experience of judging dozens of label print competitions around the world, the same mistakes crop up time and again.

And one of the most common mistakes is an entry which doesn’t follow the rules or meet the criteria. Make sure you read the entry requirements at least twice before putting pen to paper. And when your entry is finished, check it thoroughly to make sure you haven’t forgotten or misinterpreted anything.

Next up, be clear about which category you want to enter. Ticking two or more options on the entry form and leaving the judges to decide is a big no-no. It’s your product – you pick the most appropriate category.

Now for the technical part of the form, where you must prove your label is worthy of walking away with the prize. Make sure you include a sample of your best work and go over the label carefully, looking for any flaws (the judges certainly will). You’ll be assessed on the technical processes adopted, the quality of the finish, and the appropriateness of the label’s design for end use.

One area to pay particular attention to is the register. More than half of entries are rejected for poor register – you have been warned!

Finally, most competitions invite you to include additional information. This is a chance to add weight to your entry and sway the judges. You’d be amazed by how many companies ignore this opportunity – make sure you’re not one of them.

Want to get serious about scooping an industry gong? Then read the full article How to win a label print competition. It reveals in detail how to avoid the common pitfalls and submit an impressive entry.

For the official duomedia pr press release, please click here.