Focus: plastic bottle surface screen printing OR in-mold labeling (4)

  Voice from the end user

As an end user of packaged prints, how do you see these two solutions? What factors will they consider when choosing plastic bottles? Let us listen to their voices.

Yan Yuexi - Manager of Purchasing Department of Coty Cosmetics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

In the European market, some of our product packaging uses in-mold labels. However, currently in the Chinese market, our cosmetics packaging adopts screen printing or self-adhesive labels, and no in-mold labels are used. The reason why curved surface screen printing is favored is that many cosmetic bottles are made of PET, and the surface of the transparent PET bottle is screen printed. The ink is thick, the color saturation is large, and the description text of the product is readable. The current in-mold labeling bottle materials are limited to PE and PP materials, and in-mold labeling bottles are mainly blow-molded, and injection molding is rare.

In determining the solution, we will also weigh several other factors, such as spending habits, product packaging costs and product sales situation. Personally, I believe that in-mold labeling does not help the promotion of cosmetics. Anti-counterfeiting is its greatest advantage. For now, the volume of the cosmetic plastic bottle is relatively small, so the mold is small, and it is difficult for the robot to control the labeling position in the in-mold labeling process. Therefore, in the domestic cosmetics market, in-mold labeling bottles are rarely used, and curved screen printing is used more often.

Miao Miao, Business Department of Guangdong Huizhou Zhaoting Cosmetics Co., Ltd.

Zhao Ting is a Hong Kong-owned company that produces shower gels, shampoos and skin care products. In May 2003, the company launched the new "Australian" shower gel products with specifications of 200ml, 400ml and 750ml. After repeated consideration, the company decided to use PE in-mold labeling bottles. In addition, Zhao Ting also has 4 shampoo products also use in-mold labeling bottles.

From the appearance, our shower gel product packaging uses in-mold labels, the color is beautiful, the picture layer is rich, delicate, and the sticker effect is comparable. If curved screen printing is used, the registration is difficult to control due to the large number of colors, and if the operation is not careful, the bottle will be scratched, which will increase the loss rate. The price of each color of plastic bottle surface screen printing is about 0.1 yuan, and the cost of four-color online printing is higher. The in-mold labeling reduces the number of operations and the factors that affect the loss rate are relatively reduced.
Nowadays, the packaging and printing solution of “Ausop” daily chemical products is the coexistence of two technologies: plastic bottle surface screen printing and in-mold labeling. For our old products, such as refreshing and healthy shampoos, we have branded the “European” brand image in consumers’ minds, so the packaging of these products still follows the previous curved surface screen printing. In general, in-mold labeling is used much more in daily chemical product packaging.

Guangdong Zhaoqing Shangjin Cosmetics Co., Ltd. Purchasing Department Mr. Peng

Guangdong Zhaoqing Shangjin is an end user who used in-mold labeling bottles earlier in the country. In 2002, the company decided to use in-mold labeling bottles for its 9 shampoos and body wash products. One of these is the "brilliant" shampoo. At that time, the main consideration was the anti-counterfeiting of products. Secondly, according to the characteristics of product packaging design, we believe that in-mold labels are the preferred solution for reproducing detailed and rich design drafts. Of course, curiosity and the pursuit of new trends are also one of the reasons why we chose in-mold labeling bottles.

Shangjin's other cosmetics, such as gel water, gel cream and other products of plastic bottles using curved screen printing. From the package's appearance, PET bottles directly print text descriptions and designs that appeal to consumers.

As for the solutions adopted in the future for new products, we must decide according to the characteristics of market planning and packaging design. In general, the pattern is simple, less than the three-color printed design draft, the use of curved screen printing is more appropriate. If there are more than four colors and the picture hierarchy is rich, in-mold labels are considered.

After interview

One flower alone is not spring, colorful spring garden. With the continuous emergence of new technologies, various technologies have their foothold and market applications. The increasingly refined market provides a free display space for various technologies. For example, some of P&G's products use plastic labels on the front of the bottles to display rich and detailed images, while the back surface is directly screen printed, making the text more conspicuous, and the advantages of the two technologies in the bottle body show out.

We advocate solutions that are in full bloom, and in many technologies, the best technology for you should be the best.

Source: "Printing Technology - Packaging and Printing"