Trends to Watch for in Flexible Packaging

Flexible packaging has been the mainstay of the packaging industry for many years especially in food packaging. The label and packaging industry has risen to surprising heights since flexible film innovation. Packaging has grown and evolved to acclimate to the needs of products around the globe because of the development and utilization of these films, manufacturing practices, and continual improvements. Flexible film's abundant characteristics such as the application of various manufacturing methods and supplementary polymer provide the means to increase the appeal to a broad spectrum of products.

Standing Out in the Crowd

Today, technical advancements have also dramatically changed how packaging is viewed. Shrink sleeve labeling is a new trend in flexible packaging changing the way consumer marketers introduce and push new products. Shrink sleeve labels wrap around products such as a bottle and or container allowing the marketer 360 degrees of space to entice a potential consumer to try their product. High impact graphics usually stand out on the grocery shelf when shrink Sleeve labeling material are used. The use of noticeable inks and patterns on the label grab attention. Many shoppers will make unintended purchases by reading these labels. Hence, to introduce a new product without spending heavily on media advertising buys, shrink sleeve labeling is an inexpensive and effective way to choose.

Traditionally, a new product rollout would be very expensive costing several hundred thousand dollars just to get minimal consumer awareness. Some campaigns would be in the millions. This is a very expensive gamble if the product did not take off as expected.

Adding New Appeal To a Product

Nowadays, marketers use shrink sleeve product marketing to affordably check their brand appeal and market potential. The shrink sleeve labeling is a new trend that is good for consumers and marketers alike. Consumers will get more choices and marketers can introduce new offerings without a major financial risk other than production and shipping cost. However, consumers may make more unplanned purchases but even this may be a good thing.

These shrink sleeve labels even allow for changes that may stimulate sell of existing store products. Some products even though they are of high quality may start to seem outdated as time goes on. A new label can add spice and appeal. The use of the shrink sleeve labeling can stimulate sales and grab an increasing share of the product demand.

Choosing a Expert to Work With

Labels work well in marketing your product especially if designed and produced by a professional shrink sleeve design and manufacturer. They must understand the consumer for which the product is targeted and have an expert knowledge of graphics and images that sell. Choosing the right shrink sleeve labeling partner is vital to any campaign. Look for a company that has experienced and has won many awards in the industry for their labels when looking to produce new product labels.

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://anchorprinting.com/flexible-packaging.php.  To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

Choosing the Best Label for Your Packaging

Whether you have a small hobby business or run a large mega-conglomerate for household products, you need flexible packaging for your products. Labeling has changed a lot over the past decade. Gone are the days when a basic square label was printed and placed on the bottle or can. Perhaps the best labeling techniques today range between flexible packaging and shrink sleeve labeling. If you’re not entirely convinced, let’s explore the benefits of flexible packaging and shrink sleeves.

Options for Your Labels

You have two options when choosing the best label and packaging for your company’s products. One is to use your own graphic designs. It is ideal to hire a professional graphic designer to assist.  Many label manufacturers can offer you help with this aspect if you desire.  It’s important to know that there may be certain FDA requirements that you must fulfill on your label too, such as weight or volume, ingredients, calories and nutrition content, alcohol content, and food allergy warnings.

Besides using your own custom designs on labels, shrink sleeves are made from plastic and shrink to fit around the label or can while flexible packaging is used to hold the contents and label the product. They are versatile and suit a variety of product industries: food, health, beauty, and household.

Products Good For Shrink Sleeve Applications

If you have a line of drinks, beauty care line, health or nutritional care, or food products, flexible packaging may be the right choice for your brand and products These labels are applied with a shrink sleeve film that is applied with heat. The film shrinks and fits tightly to the shape of the bottle. It can fit a 360-degree space. All parts of the bottle will be fully utilized to complete the design.

These types of products are catching to the eye and will stand out from other similar products that have a label stuck on them. This type of shrink sleeve labeling is also 100% waterproof, which is perfect for placement in refrigerators or freezers. The labels won’t degrade over time, which is perfect for certain types of labels that must withstand cold or moisture.

Shrink sleeve labeling also can be in 100% full color, and include graphics, art, logos, and even photographs. The printing process involves an up to 8-color digital process that delivers eye-catching graphics.  The plastic used in this printing process is made from PETG film. It has the best shrinkable rate of accuracy. It’s also high-gloss and is scuff-resistant.

Advantages of Shrink Sleeve

This type of wrap is suitable for glass, plastic, and metal containers in a wide range of sizes. It can also cover caps. There can be horizontal, vertical, or T-perforation types of seals. These increase the security of the items and ensure the consumer that they haven’t been opened prior to consumption. Another great bonus is that not all your products have to be the same. You can have similar products in differing labels to make them stand out. This can be a great promotional tool when on the shelves.

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://www.anchorprinting.com/shrink-sleeve.php.  To contact one of our label specialists, call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

Reasons Flexible Packaging Is Replacing the Tin Can

As the name suggests, flexible packing is quickly gaining popularity with consumers and businesses alike for many reasons. Even though tin cans can be recycled, they are very bulky in terms of manufacturing, weight, and transportation. Flexible packaging benefits the manufacturer, retailer, and consumers in one way or another.

Convenient

A flexible packaging does not have a firm structure such as plastic bottles or soda can. Instead, it conforms to the contours of its contents. The one thing that resealable zipper pouches, stand-up packaging, three-sided seal bags, zipper bags, and medical bags among other flexible packaging is that they offer both easy opening and re-sealing alternative to fumbling with childproof bottle tops. Consumers are enjoying products with the flexible packaging because they are portable, they are resealable, they don’t take much storage space, they offer single-serve portion option, and there are pouches that are microwave -friendly where food can be heated while in the package.

Easy Production

Shrink sleeve labeling has turned packaging into an art. Flexible packages are made from easy yielding materials such as plastic among other things like light stabilizers, wax paper, colorant, etc. Unlike using shrink sleeve labeling on plastic containers, which striking as they are, they can be removed and discarded, the flexible packaging serves as both the attractive design and the container. This printing technology has become very popular with retail, food, industrial, medical, and pharmaceutical companies because it saves them money that would otherwise be spent on purchasing containers and then paying for the cost of shrink sleeve labeling.

Reduced Weight of Packaging

Because the packaging material is significantly lighter, many businesses are opting to use pouches rather than bulky bottles that take up too much space. Consequently, manufacturers can produce up to three times the total of products, and business can benefit from the additional stock, which, does not pose any storage challenges. Depending on the product, flexible packaging can be stacked on top of each other to create additional space if needed. This type of packaging offers up to a 20% space savings compared to regular container packaging

Increased Shelf Life

A process known as scavenging removes oxygen trapped within sealed flexible packages to safely extend and protect original food flavor, aroma, and texture of products such as coffee. Flexible packaging is also made from a combination of FDA approved plastic films, poly, foils, and papers, that keep dry goods moisture-free and wet products moist. Doing so not only prevents putrefaction and extend the product's shelf life, but also protect products from being contaminated by foreign substances when on store shelves and prevents wastage while at it.

Good for Business

Shrink sleeve labeling has gone and done it again. Not only have the graphics on flexible packaging improved, but the packages are also attracting more consumers with the different shapes and designed pouches that have enabled different brands to stand out and create a sustainable source of living for many people.

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://anchorprinting.com/flexible-packaging.php.  To contact one of our label specialists, call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

5 common food labeling mistakes to avoid

Food labels include information about the product such as the protein and sugar content, minerals, vitamins, and other relevant information. It is an essential part of product manufacturing and reports have shown that buyers pay close attention to the “facts” on a product label before making a purchase. It is important to have a well prepared manufacturing plan – no matter the size of your operation, as this will ensure you avoid common labeling mistakes. Here are a few mistakes you must steer clear from.

Legal Requirements

Following basic legal requirements for the labeling of your food product is crucial to the success of your business. Requirements such as country of origin, net contents, place of business, product name, manufacturer’s details, expiry dates, legibility, nutrition facts, and warnings/statement about allergens. In order to ensure you meet the food labeling requirements in your country, it would be ideal to review the labeling laws and approval process.

Illegible or Unreadable Labeling

Legible labeling is one of the basic requirements for a good food product label. Your products would hardly make any fruitful outing in the market if the labeling is illegible and difficult to read. Your business may even nosedive if your food products miss important information. This is because if the product makes it to the shelf and a consumer purchases it, you may be exposing such one to high level health risks.
Illegible labeling is a common occurrence with those who produce food products in large quantities at a go since maintaining a regulated labeling order could be difficult. Shrink labeling is a flexible packaging type that is ideal for high volume manufacturers. Aside its colorful and appealing designs, shrink labeling has a full body label space where you can input as much relevant information as possible.

Incorrect or Uncommon Ingredient List

Have you listed in the ingredients on your food labeling? Are they correct? Will your target consumer easily relate with the list on your product? Using uncommon names such as trade names or abbreviations would do your product no good. Always ensure you strictly adhere to FDA food labeling regulations – do not take any shortcuts while listing the items used in manufacturing the food you produce.

Nutrition Data Issues

Many consumers scrutinize the nutritional facts on your product before making purchase especially when they are managing certain health issues. These issues could include high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, and obesity. Hence, you have to be sure of the data on your labels – and you must be honest too. Details such as servings per container, your serving size, and the real item values must be double checked. Publicizing wrong information can have severe negative impact on your brand loyalty in the long term.

 Health Claims

It is common for food products today to have common claims such as low fat, gluten free, no sugar, high protein, organic, and farm fresh. It is not just enough to convince a consumer with such health claims. Make sure your claims are verifiable so do not fall fowl of any food legislations. It would not bode well for your business if you do not have credible evidence to support your claims and your product eventually affects a consumer’s health negatively.

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://www.anchorprinting.com.  To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

What Makes For a Powerful Shrink Sleeve Message and Design

Shrink sleeves are perfect for beverage packaging, food packaging, home, and personal care packaging as well as certain industrial products.  In fact shrink sleeves are a great packaging option for most products that are packaged in containers such as bottles.

Bringing together all of the elements in shrink sleeve design and manufacturing require careful thought.  In some cases a customer can simply move from a traditional self adhesive label to a shrink sleeve without the need to change the container type.   This is made possible by the properties of shrink sleeves and the ability to fit containers of all shapes and sizes with ease.
This design often means a shift in the design process to ensure that all of the space on a sleeve is utilized effectively and shrink sleeves can certainly help you achieve this goal via the ability to decorate the full 360 degrees of your product.

When starting a new packaging project a shrink sleeve opens up many other possibilities in terms of the type of containers that can be used meaning that you really have a blank canvas.  This means that your packaging designer is able to be as creative as they like when considering the overall package.
With products needing to compete more and more for prime retail space on the supermarket shelves, the need to develop more eye-catching, innovative packaging approaches is greater than ever.  Consumers can’t ignore a dramatically differentiated product with enhanced shelf presence, regardless of brand.

Shrink Sleeve Design

Shrink sleeve designs are handy and versatile.  They can be made of PC or polyolefin materials. These materials are incredibly strong and abrasion resistance. Both PVC and polyolefin are recyclable. The sleeves can wrap an entire bottle or just the neck.  Shrink wrap can also come in tube form or bags. They can be stretched or wrapped to the packaging container.

Shrink Sleeves Labels

Shrink sleeve labels have captured the labels market. It offers quite a range of benefits from security enhancement to cost advantages. The top benefits of shrink sleeve labels are the 360 degree coverage of the product or container.
Shrink Labeling Benefits

• Branding - Full display graphics marketing on all sides of the package.
• Unique packaging change – They catch consumer’s attention with bright colors and 360 degrees of marketing.
• Shelf impact – Shrink sleeves offer a large body of advertising and are engaging for shoppers.
• Adaptable – Label that fits all different sizes and shapes of product packaging.
• Printing – Printing of shrink sleeve labels does not need to be printed directly on the container.
• Transparent – Labels can be printed on transparent material allowing the contents to be visible.
• Eco-Friendly – Recyclable and able to leave less of a carbon foot print that other products and packaging materials and use less energy and resources to create them.   

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://www.anchorprinting.com/shrink-sleeve.php.  To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.