Embellishment: when label becomes luxury
The use of ennobling techniques, intended as finishing elements of a printed product, has always been a feature of the printing process that allows the enhancement of a printed media to a ‘means of communication’. For this reason, the terms that gravitate around techniques, technologies and materials used for ennobling applications are shared among the entire process chain and it is for this reason that by analysing the responses to the Survey proposed by Converting, we can compare the opinions of all three main actors: technology and materials suppliers, printers and converters, Design, Communication and Packaging Agencies.
by Raffaele Angelillo | On PRINTlovers 105
We have done this through a series of questions addressed to the different actors in the supply chain, which we summarize here, with a remainder that our editorial staff is always available to delve into the discussion with anyone who wants to comment on the results, sharing their points of view with our readers.
The benefits of embellishment
Beauty canons change over time, but ennobling technologies remain the true protagonists of a positive and high-quality perception of the brand that adopts them. In the label market especially, as our respondents tell us.
The use of ennobling techniques, intended as finishing elements of a printed product, has always been a feature of the printing process that allows the enhancement of a printed media to a ‘means of communication’. For this reason, the terms that gravitate around techniques, technologies and materials used for ennobling applications are shared among the entire process chain and it is for this reason that by analysing the responses to the Survey proposed by Converting, we can compare the opinions of all three main actors: technology and materials suppliers, printers and converters, Design, Communication and Packaging Agencies,
We have done this through a series of questions addressed to the different actors in the supply chain, which we summarize here, with a remainder that our editorial staff is always available to delve into the discussion with anyone who wants to comment on the results, sharing their points of view with our readers.
The Benefits of Ennobling
Let's start with the results of 4 questions that denote some curious aspects: according to the 100% of the agencies, ennobling affects ‘quite’ or ’a lot‘ brand perception. However, only 72% of the agencies surveyed declare that they ‘often‘ or ’frequently’ suggest the use of ennobling in communication projects. In fact, 24% of them remain ‘neutral’ in their suggestions to their customers, which is understandable if we take into consideration the answer to the question that asked how much more their customers are willing to pay for a high quality ennoblement. In fact, 48% of the agencies surveyed reported coldness or low propensity of clients to accept cost increases, despite the interest in using ennobling techniques.
For printers, the main benefits of label ennobling are certainly those of a greater visual attractiveness (82%) or better brand perception (33%), but the issue of product protection also accounts for 24% of the feedback. It would be interesting to understand if this topic in particular, which could lead to further reasoning with clients on their investments in ennobling techniques, is also known to agencies.
Different technologies
The type of printing that, according to suppliers, offers the greatest potential for labels is ‘hot print’, indicated by almost 40% of respondents. The use of UV varnishes follows, voted by 25% of the respondents. The same percentage of those who have chosen the ‘other’ option, indicating screen printing as a still leading technology, and those who have preferred to indicate hybrid (or integrated) as the best solutions.
For printers, hot printing is still the top choice (50% designate it as the most widely used type of technology in general). UV coating, indicated by 23% of printers as their preferred ennobling technique in printing in general, goes up to 50% when referred to label printing. Still on label printing, 60% of printers report hot print as their preferred technique, and lamination also finds its space for 25% of respondents.
The responses from agencies, however, are different. The use of UV coating is the technique preferred by agencies, while hot foil stamping and lamination are less reported than by suppliers and printers.
A final mention to digital finishing technologies. We asked suppliers how popular they are, and the feedback highlights how there is still no widespread knowledge or appreciation of digital technologies. It is obviously the suppliers' task to spread the word about the advantages and opportunities.
Paper is 'a must'
The question ‘Which type of substrate do you prefer and which offers the best performance for ennobling’ sees a clear majority of answers in favour of paper. Over 90% of printers use paper labels for their ennobling, 88% of suppliers say that it is paper that offers the best results, 95% of agencies propose projects for paper-based ennobled labels.
Materials for embellishment
This question, posed to suppliers and agencies, highlights a preference for metal foils, indicated as the main materials used by 58% of Suppliers and 64% of Agencies. By contrast, the preferences for inks are different. According to 55% of the suppliers it is UV inks that are mainly used and for 29% special inks. According to the agencies, on the other hand, special varnishes are chosen by 52 % of the respondents and UV inks by 32%. This may be a misclassification, but it is nevertheless a sign that for agencies the search for something ‘special’ is central to the proposals they then make to their clients.
Operational and improvement challenges
Being able to develop technological innovation that responds to the demands for improvement that customers and market players are asking for has always been an open challenge. The questions we have asked suppliers and agencies can be used to understand where we stand and, above all, how each party is doing. For suppliers, technological improvements must go in the direction of reducing costs (65%), improving quality and ease of use (32%), and increasing speed (23%).
For the agencies, the main operational challenges are in the variability of materials to be handled (68%), quality and accuracy (42%), and the need to improve production waste (16%). And emerging trends in demand are for solutions that are eco-friendly (62%), more minimalist design (42%), integration of digital elements and customisation (both around 25%).
So there are gaps to be bridged between the two approaches, even if there are already suppliers on the market who are making eco-sustainability or waste reduction a real operational strategy, which is also beginning to be seen in Italy.
Sustainability is recycling
In the previous questions, the interest (growing in every area) in the logic of sustainability had already emerged. We therefore wanted to ask some questions about both the value of sustainability and the relevance of actions and activities that promote recycling through waste recovery. The feedback was very interesting and opens the way for further investigation to highlight the solutions that some actors are already implementing at European and national level.
In the meantime, let us see the answers given by the three interview panels.
For the suppliers, we included a question that could give us their thoughts on the areas in which they could work to increase the sustainability of the ennobling process. Process efficiency is the most popular answer (by 71% of the panel), which is followed by energy issues (40% say we should work on machine consumption) and material issues. 42% of the panel suggests that work should be done on recycling waste materials, while 22% say that work should be done on finding materials from sustainable sources.
For printers, it is above all the sustainability of the materials used that must be emphasised. Overall, more than 82% believe that the materials from which labels are produced and ennobled play a role between fairly and very important. For agencies, interest in eco-friendly ennobling solutions is declared by 87% of respondents.
It is the lunge on the topic of waste recycling that offers further perspectives. It is still not a topic considered ‘very relevant’ by printers. In fact, only 18% of respondents rank it that way. However, 58% start to consider it ‘quite relevant’ and no one deems it ‘not very relevant’.
The same question posed to agencies, however, reverses the situation. For 45%, the recyclability of production waste is considered ‘very important’ and for 40% ‘fairly important’. In total, 85% of agencies say that they pay special attention to waste recycling (while only 76% of printers currently do this).
In this difference of opinion there is certainly a ‘practical’ issue. The printers stated a general difficulty in finding solutions to facilitate the recycling of production waste, in addition to the consideration of cost components that burden recovery and recycling services. To the question ‘which materials do you find most difficult to recycle’, printers responded by highlighting a general difficulty on all processing products. Transparent films were reported by more than 40% of the panel, but also inks, varnishes and foils are part of the lack of a system of collection and recycling initiatives that have already matured over time for other products and materials. This is certainly an area to be improved for our industry.
by Raffaele Angelillo | On PRINTlovers 105
We have done this through a series of questions addressed to the different actors in the supply chain, which we summarize here, with a remainder that our editorial staff is always available to delve into the discussion with anyone who wants to comment on the results, sharing their points of view with our readers.
The benefits of embellishment
Beauty canons change over time, but ennobling technologies remain the true protagonists of a positive and high-quality perception of the brand that adopts them. In the label market especially, as our respondents tell us.
The use of ennobling techniques, intended as finishing elements of a printed product, has always been a feature of the printing process that allows the enhancement of a printed media to a ‘means of communication’. For this reason, the terms that gravitate around techniques, technologies and materials used for ennobling applications are shared among the entire process chain and it is for this reason that by analysing the responses to the Survey proposed by Converting, we can compare the opinions of all three main actors: technology and materials suppliers, printers and converters, Design, Communication and Packaging Agencies,
We have done this through a series of questions addressed to the different actors in the supply chain, which we summarize here, with a remainder that our editorial staff is always available to delve into the discussion with anyone who wants to comment on the results, sharing their points of view with our readers.
The Benefits of Ennobling
Let's start with the results of 4 questions that denote some curious aspects: according to the 100% of the agencies, ennobling affects ‘quite’ or ’a lot‘ brand perception. However, only 72% of the agencies surveyed declare that they ‘often‘ or ’frequently’ suggest the use of ennobling in communication projects. In fact, 24% of them remain ‘neutral’ in their suggestions to their customers, which is understandable if we take into consideration the answer to the question that asked how much more their customers are willing to pay for a high quality ennoblement. In fact, 48% of the agencies surveyed reported coldness or low propensity of clients to accept cost increases, despite the interest in using ennobling techniques.
For printers, the main benefits of label ennobling are certainly those of a greater visual attractiveness (82%) or better brand perception (33%), but the issue of product protection also accounts for 24% of the feedback. It would be interesting to understand if this topic in particular, which could lead to further reasoning with clients on their investments in ennobling techniques, is also known to agencies.
Different technologies
The type of printing that, according to suppliers, offers the greatest potential for labels is ‘hot print’, indicated by almost 40% of respondents. The use of UV varnishes follows, voted by 25% of the respondents. The same percentage of those who have chosen the ‘other’ option, indicating screen printing as a still leading technology, and those who have preferred to indicate hybrid (or integrated) as the best solutions.
For printers, hot printing is still the top choice (50% designate it as the most widely used type of technology in general). UV coating, indicated by 23% of printers as their preferred ennobling technique in printing in general, goes up to 50% when referred to label printing. Still on label printing, 60% of printers report hot print as their preferred technique, and lamination also finds its space for 25% of respondents.
The responses from agencies, however, are different. The use of UV coating is the technique preferred by agencies, while hot foil stamping and lamination are less reported than by suppliers and printers.
A final mention to digital finishing technologies. We asked suppliers how popular they are, and the feedback highlights how there is still no widespread knowledge or appreciation of digital technologies. It is obviously the suppliers' task to spread the word about the advantages and opportunities.
Paper is 'a must'
The question ‘Which type of substrate do you prefer and which offers the best performance for ennobling’ sees a clear majority of answers in favour of paper. Over 90% of printers use paper labels for their ennobling, 88% of suppliers say that it is paper that offers the best results, 95% of agencies propose projects for paper-based ennobled labels.
Materials for embellishment
This question, posed to suppliers and agencies, highlights a preference for metal foils, indicated as the main materials used by 58% of Suppliers and 64% of Agencies. By contrast, the preferences for inks are different. According to 55% of the suppliers it is UV inks that are mainly used and for 29% special inks. According to the agencies, on the other hand, special varnishes are chosen by 52 % of the respondents and UV inks by 32%. This may be a misclassification, but it is nevertheless a sign that for agencies the search for something ‘special’ is central to the proposals they then make to their clients.
Operational and improvement challenges
Being able to develop technological innovation that responds to the demands for improvement that customers and market players are asking for has always been an open challenge. The questions we have asked suppliers and agencies can be used to understand where we stand and, above all, how each party is doing. For suppliers, technological improvements must go in the direction of reducing costs (65%), improving quality and ease of use (32%), and increasing speed (23%).
For the agencies, the main operational challenges are in the variability of materials to be handled (68%), quality and accuracy (42%), and the need to improve production waste (16%). And emerging trends in demand are for solutions that are eco-friendly (62%), more minimalist design (42%), integration of digital elements and customisation (both around 25%).
So there are gaps to be bridged between the two approaches, even if there are already suppliers on the market who are making eco-sustainability or waste reduction a real operational strategy, which is also beginning to be seen in Italy.
Sustainability is recycling
In the previous questions, the interest (growing in every area) in the logic of sustainability had already emerged. We therefore wanted to ask some questions about both the value of sustainability and the relevance of actions and activities that promote recycling through waste recovery. The feedback was very interesting and opens the way for further investigation to highlight the solutions that some actors are already implementing at European and national level.
In the meantime, let us see the answers given by the three interview panels.
For the suppliers, we included a question that could give us their thoughts on the areas in which they could work to increase the sustainability of the ennobling process. Process efficiency is the most popular answer (by 71% of the panel), which is followed by energy issues (40% say we should work on machine consumption) and material issues. 42% of the panel suggests that work should be done on recycling waste materials, while 22% say that work should be done on finding materials from sustainable sources.
For printers, it is above all the sustainability of the materials used that must be emphasised. Overall, more than 82% believe that the materials from which labels are produced and ennobled play a role between fairly and very important. For agencies, interest in eco-friendly ennobling solutions is declared by 87% of respondents.
It is the lunge on the topic of waste recycling that offers further perspectives. It is still not a topic considered ‘very relevant’ by printers. In fact, only 18% of respondents rank it that way. However, 58% start to consider it ‘quite relevant’ and no one deems it ‘not very relevant’.
The same question posed to agencies, however, reverses the situation. For 45%, the recyclability of production waste is considered ‘very important’ and for 40% ‘fairly important’. In total, 85% of agencies say that they pay special attention to waste recycling (while only 76% of printers currently do this).
In this difference of opinion there is certainly a ‘practical’ issue. The printers stated a general difficulty in finding solutions to facilitate the recycling of production waste, in addition to the consideration of cost components that burden recovery and recycling services. To the question ‘which materials do you find most difficult to recycle’, printers responded by highlighting a general difficulty on all processing products. Transparent films were reported by more than 40% of the panel, but also inks, varnishes and foils are part of the lack of a system of collection and recycling initiatives that have already matured over time for other products and materials. This is certainly an area to be improved for our industry.
18/04/2025
