The packaging industry serves numerous different sectors, whether it is food, beverage or medical, to name a few. Packaging is also the first impression a customer gets of a product, and can determine whether the consumer buys the product or not.
Gary Stockenstroom, product manager for Fujifilm Graphic Communication South Africa, said the integration of digital inkjet printbars into existing printing lines is the most exciting development in packaging. ‘The ink being jetted is water-based and has a minimal environmental impact, and this includes the flexible packaging application. It’s more than variable data barcodes in small sections of the print, it is 1200 x 1200dpi full colour prints.’
In terms of what the future of packaging looks like, Stockenstroom highlighted sustainability as important. ‘Currently, the attitude is to print everything ‘cheap and nasty’. What printers don’t realise is that this attitude is working everyone out of business. It is unsustainable, and we need to be educating print buyers.’
In terms of how South Africa compares to the international market in adopting and using the latest packaging technologies, he believes that South Africa is pushing on with old technologies and doing things the same old way. ‘It is time to invest in the latest equipment, automate, clean up shop and offer a new packaging message to the industry,’ said Stockenstroom.
Visitors to the Africa Print Expo can look forward to seeing the latest solutions in packaging technology and more. The event will run from 13-15 September at the Gallagher Convention Centre, 9am to 5pm daily. Entrance is free. Register today.
AFRICA PRINT EXPO
+27 11 568 1894
www.africaprintexpo.com
