HP thermal inkjet (TIJ) has become an essential print technology for the packaging industry including Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Consumer Goods. For the first time, packaging operations can summon one print technology to print clear and repeatable messages on all three levels of packaging: (1) the product, (2) the product’s most primary packaging, and (3) corrugated shipping cases.
Product Identification
Historically, packagers relied on low-resolution legacy print technologies to print a lot, batch and expiration dates on the products themselves. Now with HP thermal inkjet – and the growing list of industrial inks from HP and its ink partners – printing directly onto foils, films, hard plastics and glossy boxes is no problem. AUTOPRINT® industrial inks come in black, red, white, blue and green so they achieve colour contrast with the product. This is a great way to appeal to consumers who appreciate clean and clear print.
Primary Coding
With HP thermal inkjet, packaging operations are printing hi-resolution text, barcodes and graphics directly onto primary packaging substrates. This eliminates the need for additional labels and equipment costs. TIJ delivers its ink from clean, self-contained cartridges and helps manufacturers achieve its green initiatives, and endears them with consumers who have similar values. The integration of AUTOPRINT® X1Jet with HP 2580 Black Solvent ink, for example, is a popular solution for a myriad of print applications in food packaging.
Corrugated Case Coding
Finally, the porous nature of corrugated shipping cases makes it an easy application for HP thermal inkjet. TIJ-based AUTOPRINT® Series 400 printers feature high-definition print quality in a robust printer designed for industrial applications. Four print heads are designed to code a continuous 2-inch high path of alphanumeric text, barcodes and graphics up to 40 inches long. The low profile four-head model is designed for printing near the bottom of shipping cartons. It will print I 2of5 barcodes that are 2 inches high and placed 1-¼ inches from the bottom of the carton as required by many supply chains.
For details contact AT Information Products at (201) 529-0202 or www.atip-usa.com
