Coding for Flashy Packaging

Walk down the aisle at a dispensary or grocery store and see what catches your eye.  Is it the flamboyant colors of the packaging?  Or perhaps the unique shapes of products?  Or maybe the distinctive packaging materials?  Manufacturers are employing multiple strategies to get customers to notice and purchase their products.

In support of these efforts, Markoprint® industrial coders play a vital role in the printing of variable data on traditional and irregular shaped packaging.  Substrates that are most frequently utilized in food and pharma include flat boxes, chipboard cartons, and a wide array of foil & plastic film.  Here are 3 ways Markoprint can help:

Coding Compliance

Depending on the product and state where manufactured, there are many requirements the manufacturer must follow in order to stay compliant.  Cannabis companies, for example, must print product identifiers, symbols, net weight / volume, and 'cannabis infused' on the primary panels.  The requirements for the information panel are even more detailed, and must include date of manufacturer, expiry dates, batch / lot numbers, and other variable data.  Markoprint's crisp clean technology allows manufacturers to not only stay in compliance but to look professional while doing so.

Flatter is Faster

For printing of codes on the day of manufacture, the best way to achieve maximum throughput is BEFORE the substrate is filled with product.  A popular method for coding these substrates is by using an Integrated Feeder Solution.  Markoprint coders add static and variable codes to packaging as they run through the feeder at speeds of 1 to 4 pieces per second.  Manufacturers have embraced these systems more than ever since COVID, drastically reducing the need for hand labor.

Odd Sizes Welcomed

Square and rectangular-shaped packages are easy to feed and code with Markoprint.  However, certain irregular-shaped packaging can also achieve top coding speeds with an Integrated Feeder Solution from AT Information Products.  The key is to have a straight, leading edge on the flat side of the substrate to allow for proper feeding.  Flat pouches are also machineable albeit at slower speeds.  Plastic and foil pouches with zippers are possible in many instances.

If you have a substrate that needs to be coded and you want to see if Markoprint can get the job done, reply to [email protected] or call us at (201) 529-0202.