Drink carton shows potential of value-added packaging

The El Drago entry was co-produced by Sappi Europe and 15 member companies of the PrintCity Alliance, with the aim of demonstrating the possibilities of value-added packaging in as realistic a way as possible.

The El Drago sample packaging was used to provide branded product manufacturers, designers, printers and print finishers with inspiration about how today’s technologies, substrates and processing solutions can be used in an optimized and efficient manner throughout the entire packaging value chain.

For instance, a polygonal shape was used to show how it is possible to produce an exclusive design with exceptional shelf appeal in an industrial in-line production environment.

Sappi Europe’s 350g per sq m Algro Design SBS carton was used for one of the two packaging options, while the production of the El Drago package featured materials and surfaces such as leather, aluminum, chrome and gold, reproduced as realistically as possible. A silver laminate, hot foil stamping, multicolour pigments, gloss and matte varnishes, structural embossing and raised/blind embossing were used to highlight the exotic dragon motifs of the design.

Lars Scheidweiler, product group manager for rigid packaging at Sappi, said: ‘The El Drago sample packaging is perfectly designed to raise brand awareness and enhance the perceived value of the product it contains.

‘The packaging must appeal to all of a prospective buyer’s senses, and that's exactly what it does.’

PrintCity is a strategic alliance of companies operating in the fields of printing, packaging and publishing via a ‘Connection of Competence’ across the entire value chain. Its members include Bobst, Esko, EFI, Gallus, Metsä Board, Muller Martini, Sun Chemical, Zeller+Gmelin, A&R Carton and Sappi Fine Paper Europe.

PrintCity’s mission is to promote and support the value of print and packaging, and it runs a series of projects, events and activity groups to this end. You can find out more about PrintCity Alliance at www.printcity.de.

Rainer Kuhn, managing director of PrintCity, added: ‘Congratulations and thanks go to all the people who have contributed their significant passion, creativity and expertise in a successful collaboration to produce a wonderful example of “Connection of Competence” in practice.

‘Third place in such a competitive environment is good, but it is also an incentive for all of us to improve even further with a goal of getting the gold next year! We've still got a few more interesting concepts up our sleeves.’