Paper and Card

Paper and card products are very commonly used for packaging in many industries, particularly food, personal care and construction. Cardboard boxes are also used as secondary packaging in almost every industry. Paper or paperboard boxes, bags and sleeves present fewer coding and marking challenges than most materials, making printing easier and allowing more freedom for appearance.

However, glossy or coated card has thin layer of mineral pigments held together by binders on top. This creates a smooth, glossy finish which makes the surface non-porous and ink adhesion more complex.

Paper and paperboard printers must be suitable for high volume product identification coding, and are designed to print directly onto the product in almost any orientation. They can mark variable information as well as printing barcodes, Data Matrix and QR codes onto cans to enable traceability, and convey quality and safety information to the consumer.

The most commonly used technology for coding onto paper products is continuous ink jet (CIJ), however laser coders can also be used in some applications and on product labels.

Code Content: The code requirements (batch numbers, dates, 2D codes etc.), the size, colour and the desired marking area will affect the coder most suited to your application. Consider a coder that can mark in any orientation for flexible marking on any part of your product e.g on the base.

Production environment: Some facilities using paper packaging, such as cement sacks or flour, may be very dusty. Consider the IP rating of your coding solution to ensure suitability for your site.

Speed: Ensure the coder you choose can keep up with your production line speed without compromising on code quality.

Available budget: It is vital to consider not only the initial purchase price but also the total cost of ownership, including consumables and cost and frequency of servicing. Can the product be user maintained and repaired?

Reliability: On a high-volume line, the reliability of your coder is crucial to avoid product rework, scrappage, line downtime and loss of efficiency. Frequent breakdowns can negate any benefits of a lower purchase price coder; look for automatic cleaning or self-service features.

For secondary packaging, companies can save on labels, pre-printed boxes and storage costs by using a printer to apply barcodes, dates, graphics and logos directly onto card boxes. Case coders are particularly well-suited for printing variable information onto secondary packaging, such as bags, cardboard and boxes. These outer cases usually require text and graphics that are easy to see. Case coders can print to a high-resolution quality to promote premium or artisanal-style brands, and are versatile enough for use on a variety of porous surfaces and materials.

Multi-functional printers, like the Linx 9000 Series, are able to print both primary and simple secondary codes so operators only have to learn one interface and store one ink type. This means production can run more quickly.