Variable information printing (VIP) is the generic term given to any printing technology that gives the capability to print unique human readable data, barcodes, or graphics on individual items – whether this be a label, tag, ticket, poster, or direct marking. This is a growing requirement in today’s world of mass

Sleeve labels, printed on film substrates, perform their central role of wrapping the complete perimeter of a product’s plastic, glass or metal packaging in one of two ways – by stretching, or by shrinking to conform precisely to the container’s geometry. Shrink sleeves are applied as a loose tube to

In the daily routine business of label printing, unforeseen circumstances frequently disrupt  the planned process steps. Often deadline variations or short-term changes mess-up the order sequence or delay the process. A perfectly designed process should be able to adapt quickly to new demands and the prerequisites for such flexibility are

The total cost of label production is determined by three key factors: quality, cost, and productivity. These must not be considered in isolation from each other, which nevertheless occurs due to the complexity in practice. While clear ideas exist regarding the achievable quality and costs of a label printing machine

There is real change happening regarding sustainability in the label market today. Companies across the value chain, from material suppliers to label converters, now have access to a number of industry-specific programs offering collection, recycling, and re-use of spent paper and film release liner and label matrix, such as

The 3.3% growth in the global pressure-sensitive label market that AWA Alexander Watson documented for 2019 will certainly be impacted in 2020 by the COVID-19 virus – but not necessarily negatively in every aspect. All the world’s regions have experienced market changes as they negotiate life in a

The total world market by volume of all bottled beverages, including waters, wines, beers and spirits is of the order of one thousand billion liters, or 140 liters for every man, woman or child in the world.

In the mature and developed label markets of North America and Europe, sleeve label market growth rates – while stabilizing at lower rates of growth than previously – are still outperforming the other product decoration/label formats in terms of growth. Across all the geographical regions, heat shrink sleeves claim the

Research at AWA Alexander Watson Associates confirms that the ‘label’ market is very much alive, and enjoying a broader future outlook than ever.