USP
Blister packaging for flower seeds in three different versions. One as a standard blister with a plastic hood and finished reverse side using cold transfer and hybrid lacquer, one in the same configuration using the new energy-saving low-temperature blister coating SENOLITH® WB FP BLISTERLACK LA 4-14/004 A and one as an environmentally friendly full cardboard blister without a plastic hood.
Machine requirements
7-color sheetfed offset press with coating unit, UV curing and inline cold transfer module
Project description
In order to make the different production possibilities of blister packaging comparable and to be able to demonstrate environmentally friendly alternatives, a blister production is being realized together with the Kartonveredelung KNAPP and KOCH Pac-Systeme GmbH. One test tube with flower seeds is to be packaged in each case. A total of three variants are produced.
Variant 1: This is a standard blister with a plastic cover. It is finished on the back with a hybrid lacquer consisting of SENOLITH® UV OFFSET GLOSS LACQUER HYBRID 369402 and SENOLITH® UV GLOSS LACQUER HYBRID 360053 as well as a cold transfer in silver. SENOLITH® WB FP BLISTER COATING LA 4-14/004 A is applied to the entire front.
Variant 2: This variant corresponds to variant 1 and is also produced with a plastic cover. However, SENOLITH® WB FP GLOSS COATING HEAT RESISTANT 60F 6600 is used on the back. On the front side, SENOLITH® WB FP BLISTER COATING LA 4-14/004 A is also used over the entire surface. The aim of this variant is to demonstrate the sealing quality of this coating in direct comparison to conventional blister varnishes, despite the greatly reduced energy requirement.
Variant 3: In this environmentally friendly variant, the plastic cover is replaced by a cardboard cover. This means that the finished blister no longer has to be declared as a composite material and all components of the blister can be disposed via the waste paper cycle. To ensure that the product remains visible to the end customer even with the cardboard cover, the test tube is printed on the cover exactly to scale with a total of 5 product views (front, top, bottom, left, right). Here too, the energy-saving SENOLITH® WB FP BLISTER COATING LA 4-14/004 A is used. It is applied to the entire front of the card and the back of the cardboard cover. The front of the cover and the back of the card are also finished with SENOLITH® WB FP GLOSS COATING HEAT RESISTANT 60F 6600.
Requirements technical design
In order to prevent the design elements finished using cold transfer from burning due to the effect of heat during the final sealing process, all sealing edges must be generously left out of the cold transfer design. All varnishes used here are highly heat-resistant and can therefore also be applied to the sealing edges. As the card carrier is the same for all three variants, it must be designed to fit all variants. For the cardboard cover, the exact position of the cover on the card and possible tolerances must be agreed in advance with the production partners in order to ensure the design of cross-element motifs. The alignment of the cardboard cover on the card carrier should also be clarified with the packer in advance to avoid incorrect orientation during final production.
Requirements graphic design
The 4C Euroscale color space is selected for perfecting printing. Motifs that are to be finished using cold transfer should be created as line graphics without halftones.
Notes
As with all major print productions, clear project planning and coordination of all parameters with all companies involved in the production chain is essential. Materials and process steps must be defined and coordinated in advance.
Realization
The die-cutting contours for all elements of this blister packaging are specified by the printing company. Once the sizes and positions of the sealing tools and the position and alignment of the cardboard cover on the card carrier, including the expected tolerances, have been agreed, the designs can be created. A vector motif of a floral landscape in artistic guache style is used on the outside of the card. This is created with overflowing contours. The main advantage of using vector graphics here is that they are easier to transfer to the subsequent finishing forms. This flower motif is then also incorporated into the contour of the hood based on the position of the cardboard hood blistered on the front. It should be noted that this hood will later be erected over four side walls and the motif must therefore be shaped to fit precisely in three dimensions if it finally is to blend in visually with the motif on the front of the card. Here too, the use of appropriate 3D software helps to determine the necessary distortions of the motif for all side walls and the exact position of the four mounting feet of the cover.
As no real product views are available when creating the designs, the test tube filled with flower seeds is now recreated in a 3D program and rendered photo-realistically in the five required views. These five views are then cropped in Photoshop and integrated into the lid true to scale. The same background motif is then used to design the back of the card. Additional vector motifs on the theme of gardening and countryside are used here to break up the overall motif and serve as the basis for the later finishing for the hybrid lacquering and cold transfer. An info window for product information, various corporate design elements, partner information and the QR code for the tutorial landing page are also integrated on the reverse side. Furthermore, an additional holder for the test tube, which will not be visible from the outside, is also produced to complete the overall appearance.
Once the graphic design has been completed, the finishing forms are created. To do this, the vector graphics are converted into the corresponding spot colors in Illustrator using the color editing tool. For the print varnish, the color values can be converted with halftones to create more depth in the varnish effect, whereby it should be noted that high area coverage will later be displayed matt and low area coverage glossy. For this reason, it is usually advisable to work with a negative form of the image motifs in order to later display bright areas of the image in a glossy finish, which is more in line with the eye‘s viewing habits. When creating the cold transfer form, which is to be created as a pure line graphic, the surrounding seal area must be taken into account and left out.
All data is then exported in PDF/X3 format and the open data is compiled for transfer to the print studio. ISO Coated V2 Color Intent is selected as the output profile in consultation with the printer.
Anilox rollers
| SENOLITH® WB FP GLOSS COATING HEAT RESISTANT 60F 6600 | 18 cm3/m2, 60 lines, Hexagonal |
| SENOLITH® UV GLOSS LACQUER HYBRID 360053 | 18 cm3/m2, 60 lines, Hexagonal |
Products used
Production partners
