With SKU proliferation and an explosion of new brands, metallic and special effects labels can help in the high-stakes game of standing out on the shelf. The print embellishment options often utilized are embossing/debossing, holography, metalized effects, and specialty inks.

According to Nicole Rivera, director of administration and marketing at K Laser Technology, labels have two ultimate goals: to convey information and grab consumers’ attention. The use of metallics and special effects have emerged as a popular way to achieve these goals.

Foils help embellish labels and packaging by adding features regular inks cannot. These effects allow the label to pop on the shelf, grabbing the consumer’s eye in a sea of products.

“We want to help create vibrant and dramatic embellishments on label and folding carton packaging,” says Gary Bibler, creative director at K Laser Technology. “The foil is a tool for the designers to enhance their creative skills and provide a successful solution for their clients, as well as the consumer.”

What should converters keep in mind when exploring the world of metallics and special effects? The primary factors to think about are motif/design, patterns and/or finishes, selected printing process, pre/post/or inline embellishment, product specification, substrate, colors, overprinting requirements, additional effects, and quantities.

“Answers and details provided will often dictate the best solution and technology, as well as set potential future targets and goals for development,” notes Allan Quimby, marketing manager at Kurz USA. “The collaboration process is always evolving and changing for customers and brand owners. It will depend on the technologies they have currently, technologies they want, design and branding requirements tied to the embellishment, and more. Decoration and embellishment options are almost limitless as they relate to technologies and available solutions with Kurz.”

There are a plethora of questions to keep in mind, too. According to Tim Cain, president, Breit Technologies, brand owners or designers should ask which special effect will most likely engage the target market, what enhancements are being used by their competitors, and will the enhancement engage their target audience or just confuse them?

Just because these labels feature illuminating graphics does not mean that they sacrifice in ways important to brands and consumers. For example, Kurz has ensured that its products promote sustainability.

“In today’s market, there is a heavy focus on creating these effects with sustainable processes and products,” explains Quimby. “Kurz’s finishes match all of these requirements perfectly with our thin transfers that have no impact on the recyclability of the product. We give the brand and creatives freedom of design while being environmentally conscious with the decoration technology selected. Kurz doesn’t use laminates, as these products are generally not sustainable. Kurz only specializes in transfer technologies/foils that meet our sustainability standards.”

“If the brand owner has a limited budget and it’s important that the label be recyclable, such as with beverage and liquor labels, then Cast and Cure is an excellent choice,” adds Cain. “Since Cast and Cure film can be reused up to a dozen times – and sometimes even more – there is a significant cost savings in terms of the amount of film needed for any given job. Less film means less spent on shipping fees and warehousing. Moreover, the cast and cure process does not use any adhesives or metals, so it won’t affect the recyclability of the label substrate used. That’s great news for brand owners that follow a corporate sustainability strategy.”

Metallics and special effects also serve another vital need: product protection. The use of these technologies can help promote anti-counterfeiting. For example, K Laser boasts numerous proprietary patterns designed to safeguard products. Plus, K Laser can develop custom holograms.

“We have the ability to provide custom hologram brand protection labels,” notes Bibler.  “We can create proprietary protection and brand recognition with techniques such as stereo relief, 3D true color, two-channel effect, color lens and nano text, to name a few.”

Transfer technologies are often used for product enhancement and security in today’s marketplaces. “Covert, overt and forensic features can be designed and built into a custom Optically Variable Device (OVD), or the brand/customer has the option of selecting from a number of readily available products,” remarks Quimby. “The technology is very difficult, if not impossible in many cases to counterfeit and reproduce.”

The process

The process selected will often depend on the target market. A conservative luxury appeal, for example, will have numerous options for metallic transfers used in conjunction with embossing/debossing effects. Brands can also use bold metallic colors, holographics, and a number of overprinting techniques to create an appearance that stands out on the shelf.

“Metallic transfer finishes historically came with a number of limitations,” says Kurz’s Quimby. “Today, the technologies have advanced so creatives and brands have the ability to think outside the box without worrying about these historic limitations. Hot, cold and digital embellishments solutions support any run size, design, substrate, equipment, and more. These technologies are readily available in today’s marketplace, offering more flexibility and a robust supply chain. Digital gives a particularly unique option when you look at customization, personalization, or serialization with metallic effects.”

When brand owners approach Breit Technologies with a specific project, the company first asks them to describe what they are hoping to achieve. “If their needs can be met by using one of our many stock patterns, then we will supply them with label proofs that showcase a few different patterns so they can visualize how the pattern will look on the final printed label,” says Cain. “We also have a pattern book we can send to customers in advance.  If instead they are looking for a unique holograph design or wish to embed an invisible security feature into a hologram to protect against counterfeiting or in-store theft, we will work with them to develop the custom design. Once the design is approved, we will provide a sample mockup that shows how the label will appear once printed. We also provide sample rolls to brand owners and packaging designers so their label supplier can test the film out before starting the job.”

Cold foil and custom hologram materials are an effective way of enhancing the consumer experience. By using cold foil with overprintable qualities, converters have access to an inexpensive process that can revive an old, tired brand. 

The cold foil process can be laid down with a flood coat or spot areas and overprinted using knockouts or complete dedicated areas for showcasing various pattern designs.

“Our registered hologram material originated with custom designs in position and stepped,” explains K Laser’s Bibler. “The printing process is simple: it consists of the artwork stepped up properly and laying down a white plate (if desired) and 4-color process or any spot colors.”

Breit Technologies specializes in the Cast and Cure process. With Cast and Cure, first a UV coating is applied to the printed web and then the film is laminated to the wet surface. Together the lamination is warmed by a UV lamp that cures the coating sandwiched between the casting film and the printed web. The film is then delaminated from the printed web and carefully re-wound so it can be used again.

Designing for holography can be tricky, adds Cain. Holographic metalized PET (H-MPET) requires designing multiple opaque ink layers to mask those areas where the holography should not bleed through. But since Cast and Cure is only applied over varnish, the designer needs to only create a spot varnish layer.    

“Although bold, solid color backgrounds showcase Cast and Cure holographic effects the best, it can also be used create the illusion of movement over photographs and busy backgrounds,” says Cain. “Ultimately, however, there is no wrong way to use Cast and Cure holography or textured effects.”

Collaboration with converters is also key in exploring all the possibilities for these labels, especially when security is involved. “Kurz often works with our customers and brand owners to develop the right solution for their operations and consumer experience, including the decoration and related software/app interface used for authentication and verification, track-and-trace, loyalty programs, and much more,” explains Quimby. 

“E-commerce has definitely had an impact in the need for security features,” he adds. “The supply chain models are fragile in today’s marketplace, leaving brands as open counterfeit targets. Brands and consumers are requiring improved tools and communication to navigate the current landscape that has been created. The early adopters of this technology are positioning themselves well to meet the growing market requirements for today and tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, K Laser will provide a mock-up sample, if requested. This allows the client to see different foil patterns and colors with a particular design.

“K Laser Technology will work with the customers and branding designers to recognize the full effect of the right foil color or pattern for their label and packaging by proving test rolls and technical support,” states Richard Jackson, director of sales, USA and Canada at K Laser Technology.

“K Laser Technology is setting the standard with creatives and brand owners by having our own creative department to assist them on everything cold foil has to offer within labels and packaging,” adds Rivera.

Speaking to the senses

Label and package printers have long designed products to appeal to all of the senses. Touch, sight and feel have always been critical. Another potential special effect: labels can speak to a consumer’s sense of smell.

The use of scent on labels and packaging has been proven to enhance brand engagement. According to Scentisphere, a recent independent study polled over 1,000 adults and found that a majority (56%) of consumers are more likely to purchase a fragranced product with a scented label.

“This is a very compelling statistic because it shows the degree in which consumers understand, engage, and appreciate scent-on-package,” explains Jim Berard, owner and CEO, Scentisphere. “And considering the relative low cost of applying scent to packaging, the ROI is enormous.”

Scent can accomplish a multitude of goals for the package. It can educate, increase consumer engagement, reduce product damages, and enhance a brand’s image. “Applying scent onto a label or package helps to educate consumers as to what the product smells like,” states Berard.  “With so many products being purchased because of how they smell, enabling consumers to sample the scent helps them make better purchasing decisions. These products include air care, body care, fabric care, personal care, home care and more.”

With up to 75% of purchasing decisions being made at the point-of-sale, adding scent to a package will increase both consumer engagement and product sales. Plus, a package that has scent applied to the outside is much less prone to be opened and damaged by consumers wanting to know what the product smells like. Brands have also been considered “trustworthy” and boasting “high quality” by offering an insight into a product’s smell.

“Since no one wants to purchase a product that has been tampered with, products that have been opened by consumers end up being returned as damaged with the cost being charged back to the vendor,”
comments Berard.

From a production point of view, Berard notes there are two main innovations that make scent-on-packaging more relevant now than ever before. One is the microencapsulation technology, and the other is the extensive range of available scent coatings. 

Microencapsulation of fragrance oil, featured in Scratch’nSniff or scent strips, has been around for a while. “But what we have done is modernize the microencapsulation technology where we use superior polymer-based materials and processes so the encapsulated fragrance oil can be applied in any printing process, and the integrity of the encapsulation can last many years longer than Scratch’nSniff,” explains Berard. “We also provide the interface and support between the purchaser of scent-on-package and the printer.  This involves procuring the fragrance oils, testing them, producing scent samples for approval, and ultimately producing the scent coating, which is sent to the printer for application onto the package component. We also provide all levels of technical support to the printers to ensure that scented package exceeds their customers’ expectations.  Since printing scent onto packaging is relatively new to most printers, our goal is to make the experience as seamless and easy as possible.”

Another important innovation that makes scent-on-packaging increasingly relevant is Scentisphere’s availability of a wide range of scent coating for virtually any print process, including flexo, gravure, litho, and the scent coatings are available in aqueous, UV, resin, and solvent bases. Be it labels, shrink sleeves, flexible packaging, folding cartons, blister cards, etc. Scentisphere offers a scent coating.

Scentisphere has also created a range of economical printed scent sampling products specifically for e-commerce marketers. These include drop-in-box scent samples, which as the name implies are printed scented advertisements that are inserted into e-commerce packages. 

“The major difference between e-commerce and traditional brick-and-mortar retail is that the shopping experience in e-commerce is mostly one dimensional (visual), while the brick-and-mortar shopping experience is multi-sensorial involving all the senses,” says Berard. “So, the challenge for marketers is figuring out the best methods to promote the scent of a scented product to e-commerce consumers.”

Another popular scented e-commerce marketing tool is online grocery pickup inserts. Like drop-in-box inserts, these inserts are put into the online grocery pickup bags. “Many of our customers take these inserts to even a higher level by printing a QR code on the inserts that creates a ‘scan-to-cart’ feature, whereby the advertised product is automatically added to the online shopping cart,” adds Berard.

Product selection

Suppliers have devoted significant resources to engineering new and enhanced metallic and special effects products to help converters better convey brand messaging. 

Breit Technologies offers a wide range of Cast and Cure equipment, as well as more than 30 stock holographic patterns, including matte, high gloss, leather, and linen textures. Of course, Breit can also create custom holograms or can modify an existing pattern to meet its customers’ needs.

Breit has also started working with Styers Equipment Company to combine Cast and Cure with Styers’ monochrome inkjet system. According to Cain, this will allow for a variable varnish application, so unique security features, names, etc. can be applied to individual printed pieces.

K Laser boasts a wide array of colors and patterns, in stock and ready to ship as soon as possible. These options include cold foil, custom hologram, Cast and Cure and its Metal Effect collection. For K Laser, all of its foils can be applied by flexo, digital and offset printing, now known as KOLDfoil ONE. “By providing and specializing in cold foil, K Laser Technology’s products can assist and educate converters and brand owners to not only successfully apply the cold foil, but to utilize and design cold foil within their graphics to enhance the overall vibe, message, and story that they are trying to convey,” comments K Laser’s Rivera.

Kurz’s global manufacturing, distribution, sales and converting facilities are strategically located to support customers on a local and international level, with a wide variety of shade availability and decoration options. This includes supporting equipment, printing, tooling, and workflow solutions to simplify the process and reduce cost.   

Kurzs goes beyond the use of transfers in the traditional sense, notes Quimby. “The technologies include both machine and transfer technologies to fit any digital application. Options include roll-to-roll, sheet-to-sheet, roll-to-sheet, pre/post/inline decoration, upstream, downstream, variable, serialized and more,” he says. “All of these are based on three primary decoration modes, including transfer on toner, inkjet on substrate, and inject on transfer. Digital printing security and flexibility fit any printing process and requirement with endless options from Kurz.”