Labelexpo Europe 2025 review: Inks and coatings

Inks and coatings innovations shown at Labelexpo Europe 2025 were no longer just about color and aesthetics; they are about answering the urgent calls of the industry for regulatory compliance, sustainability, efficiency and safety. Manufacturers demonstrated products that support a future-safe pressroom.  

UPCOMING REGULATIONS  

One of the most significant trends in inks and coatings at this year’s Labelexpo was the strong focus on upcoming regulatory changes in Europe, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and, in particular, the German Printing Ink Ordinance (GIO). These aren’t distant concerns.   

The German Printing Ink Ordinance, set to take effect on January 1, 2026, aims to protect consumer health by controlling the migration of hazardous substances into food. It sets rules for printing inks with direct or indirect food contact, using a positive list of approved substances and defined migration limits.  

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a cornerstone of the circular economy, reshaping the entire packaging supply chain, including labels. It is moving forward with strict deadlines designed to make packaging more sustainable across the European market.  

Heather Buchhloz, global marketing director, packaging technologies at Archroma, notes: ‘People are still trying to fully understand the PPWR, what it means for them, how it applies to their company and products and what impact it will have. Our stand was located right behind The Pulse, which has worked to our advantage, as many visitors stoped by and asked, “I’m not sure how this affects me?” It’s clear that collaboration across different roles is essential to achieve sustainable packaging, and that’s why these sessions at events are so valuable.’  

She adds: ‘We’ve had several conversations where people are realizing that materials are the next frontier in making packaging truly sustainable. With the growing shift toward flexible and folding carton formats, and the rebranding of Labelexpo to Loupe, it feels like everything is coming full circle.’  

These regulatory shifts are creating a ripple effect throughout the label and packaging supply chain. For ink and coating manufacturers, the challenge is no longer about incremental adjustments, but about rethinking formulations to ensure compliance.  

People are realizing that materials are the next frontier in making packaging truly sustainable

Caroline Melis, sales manager at Toyo Ink Europe, says: ‘Multiple legislations are coming into play, and as an energy-curing business, we see the ongoing hunt for photoinitiators in the EU; particularly around substances like 378 and 184, which will significantly impact labeling. As ink manufacturers, we’re constantly reformulating, and it’s a real challenge. Our advice to customers is simple: if you want to stay ahead of regulations, choose food-safe, GIO-compliant inks. But there’s still a big price gap and many customers remain highly cost-driven.’  

Similarly, Hansruedi Nef, product manager, business unit narrow web EMEA at Siegwerk, adds that the company showcased updates in preparation for the upcoming GIO. ‘We’re seeing two major trends shaping the market: UV LED flexo and GIO-compliant food packaging. Both are driven by the need for regulatory compliance, low migration and safer, more sustainable curing technologies.’  

‘The GIO sets very strict requirements for ink safety,’ Nef continues. ‘Many raw materials we previously used can no longer be applied, so we’ve had to rethink, reformulate and develop new ink series. Fortunately, we had a strong foundation to build on. In addition, designers are increasingly asking about PPWR, recyclability, and how to align with circular economy goals, showing how sustainability and compliance are now influencing every stage of packaging design.’  

As a result, innovation is accelerating. Low-migration inks, food-safe coatings and UV LED-curable systems are gaining prominence as converters and brand owners demand products that not only perform on press and in end-use environments but also meet environmental and health standards.   

Complying with these regulations is challenging enough, but the rapidly approaching deadlines make it even tougher, which doesn’t give manufacturers enough time to innovate compliant products.   

Gary Seward, managing director of Pulse Roll Label Products, says that most of the R&D work today is being driven by regulatory changes rather than true innovation. We only have a limited number of people, and much of their time is spent ensuring compliance with new raw material requirements or sourcing alternatives because existing materials are being declassified. This process is time consuming, and once you find a substitute, it still needs to go through customer approval.’  

That’s the downside of rapid regulatory change: it stifles innovation and exhausts resources.   

FOOD-SAFE AND UV LED INKS  

Food-safe packaging is becoming a critical focus for the label and packaging industry as stricter regulations approach and consumer safety remains paramount. With increasing scrutiny on the migration of substances into food, brand owners and converters must ensure their inks and coatings meet the highest safety standards.  

At Labelexpo, Toyo Ink introduced Steraflex GIO, a new low-migration flexographic ink designed to meet the stringent requirements of the GIO. Free from intentionally added photo initiator 379, it ensures compliance with evolving food and pharmaceutical packaging regulations.  

Sun Chemical introduced a new migration-compliant screen ink portfolio for labels, along with migration-compliant varnish, tactile varnish and digital ink technology featuring LED curable options with updated formulas.  

INX also promoted its low-migration inks for non-direct food contact products and screen printing inks for low-migration self-adhesive labels. Flexo inks were also available for shrink sleeves.   

The transition from traditional UV curing to UV LED technology was another key focus at the show. Several companies introduced inks designed to support easy shift for converters, combining low migration risk with significant energy savings.  

Siegwerk showcased its Siucra Nutriflex LEDTec and Siucra Nutriflex 10 inks, both of which are compliant with GIO for primary food packaging. The company also introduced Siucra Flex, a nonlow-migration dual-cure flexo ink for non-food and select food packaging where barrier properties prevent migration.  

Many raw materials we previously used can no longer be applied, so we’ve had to rethink, reformulate and develop new ink series

Sun Chemical promoted high-performance inks, coatings and adhesives for labels and packaging, including UV, UV flexo, UV LED, water-based and EB systems. Highlights included the SolarWave UV LED flexo inks and coatings, SolarWave Panther high-density blacks, and SolarScreen Wave UV LED screen inks. With sustainability a priority, the company also presented recyclable solutions, such as SolarWave Integra UV LED ink with EV-LU029 coating for retention-grade applications.  

Jonathan Sexton, marketing manager, energy curing products, Europe at Sun Chemical, explains: ‘The biggest trend in the narrow web label market is the rapid shift to LED curing, and it’s happening fast, with nearly half of our ink sales now LED-based. While there are still challenges in optimizing for different applications, LED has become a standard technology across the industry.’  

He adds: ‘There’s also a growing demand for food-compliant inks, not just in packaging but also in labels and shrink sleeves. Many printers now prefer to use low-migration inks across all jobs to maintain consistency and safety, even when food compliance isn’t strictly required.’  

Zeller+Gmelin presented its Uvaflex LED FCM Y581 for food packaging, the Uvaflex LED Y580 for non-food use and the Toracur W580 for waterless offset printing.  

Henkel Adhesive Technologies presented high-performance products for CO2 reduction, including PS adhesives for linerless labels and UV-curable PSA adhesives.  

Frimpeks showcased UV, LED, low-migration, and water-based inks for high-speed production, along with specialty coatings that ensure compliance and enhance shelf appeal in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical applications. The company also displayed self-adhesive label materials and adhesive systems for flexible packaging, including solvent-free, water-based and solvent-based options.  

Elkem also promoted its release liners range: Silcolease RE Poly 11362 and RE Poly 368, which are 100 percent recycled, solvent-free, with a 70 percent lower carbon footprint. The company also promoted UV coatings, which can now be cured under UV LED.  

Flint Group highlighted its next-generation UV Hg curing ink series, engineered to meet the demands of food-safe packaging, complemented by the EkoCure Ancora dual-cure series. Flint also promoted its new range of FCM-grade high-opacity opaque whites.  

Rotometal is also diversifying beyond tooling. The company has developed a new line of UV and LED inks, coatings and adhesives, including food-safe formulations, to be launched in 2026.  

Fujifilm promoted its CuremaX inks and varnishes. ‘The biggest shift we’re seeing is the move from conventional UV inks to LED inks, not just for the ink itself, but for the energy-efficient curing technology,’ says Ralf Peterson, application and solution manager EMEA at Fujifilm.  

Our advice to customers is simple: if you want to stay ahead of regulations, choose food-safe, GIO-compliant inks. But there’s still a big price gap and many customers remain highly cost-driven

UK-based Paragon ID, one of Fujifilm’s customers, has experienced significant energy-saving benefits of switching to LED UV. Paragon ID has installed three Fujifilm LED UV curing systems across its eight flexo presses. The shift has delivered energy savings of 70–84 percent, with ROI achieved in 13-18 months. The LED systems eliminate ozone, reduce heat and odor and improve operator comfort while allowing faster press speeds.  

The company saves at least 66,000 USD per year in energy costs and is targeting carbon net zero by 2040 as part of the Paragon Group. Jamie Parker, head of operations at Paragon ID’s Hull, notes: ‘LED UV was a no-brainer investment for both sustainability and business performance.’ 

SUSTAINABILITY  

As Stefano Rogora, marketing manager Europe at INX, puts it, sustainability is not a trend, but a daily commitment for the company.  

The same holds true for the labels and packaging industry, where every stage, from pre-press to finishing, is working toward more sustainable practices. Ink and coating manufacturers at Labelexpo showcased products that support sustainability.  

Henkel Adhesive Technologies showcased products to help brands meet EU PPWR requirements and design future-proof packaging. Highlights included recyclable PSAs to boost circularity, such as wash-off adhesives for PET bottles (including Aquence PS 3017 RE) and repulpable adhesives for paper labels.   

Archroma Packaging Technologies debuted its range of water-based and partially bio-based products covering narrow web, tape and label, paper and board and flexible packaging.  

Flint’s Evolution series enhances label recycling and supports the transition to circular packaging. Also at the booth were the latest expansion of the Vivo Colour Solutions platform: a new module, Vivo ColourMatch, designed to achieve brand shades and manage press returns.  

The Signite label technology by Actega significantly reduces both carbon emissions and labeling costs. Compared to traditional options, Signite technology delivers 28 percent lower CO2 emissions than pressure-sensitive labels and 30 percent lower than shrink sleeves, according to Actega. Signite allows brands to directly replace existing labels or create a true no-label look, applying decoration only where needed, eliminating die-cutting and matrix waste.  

The company highlighted overall system savings from reduced waste, up to 40 percent more labels per reel and 20 percent more uptime on press.  

Following its Innovation Award win at Labelexpo Americas 2022, Signite established an exclusive partnership with All4Labels, expanding from Europe to South Africa, South America and Central America. Production and demo sites are now active in the UK, Spain, Italy, and South Africa, with Brazil set to follow.  

Signite has also partnered with Makro Labelling, part of Sidel, to adapt rotary labeling technology for its system, now serving the cosmetics, personal care, food, wine and spirits markets.  

Pulse Roll Label Products showed visitors how they can reduce their ink usage. Seward of Pulse Roll Label Products says: ‘By using less ink, you’re ultimately reducing packaging, since ink itself is part of the package. Ink may dry on the label, but it starts wet, and it’s made of plastic and oil. So, using less ink means using less plastic overall.’  

From an ink perspective, sustainability still has limited real adoption. Everyone talks about recyclability, but only a small part of the market is truly acting on it, according to Seward. Cost is also a deciding factor when it comes to opting for sustainable packaging.  

Natalie Gerard, global segment leader, general release, pressure-sensitive industries at Dow, echoes the sentiment: ‘What we see as well is that cost control is very important for customers. They prefer cost-effective solutions that will help them to be competitive as well as offer the best products to their customers.’  

EFFICIENCY  

Inks and coatings are evolving alongside printing technology, enabling faster and more consistent ink distribution to enhance print accuracy and overall press efficiency.  

Pulse Roll Label Products showcased PureTone inks, offering high-strength, single-pigment formulations. Pulse also discussed bespoke ink mixing, which helps achieve the Delta E target and color match. Also on display was Monolox, a fixed anilox printing system for spot colors that standardizes anilox selection. The company has developed a system that allows a single, low-volume anilox to be used for all spot colors, enabling consistent color matching across digital and flexo printing.  

Sun Chemical introduced its first HP Indigo-approved primer for label applications and HP Indigo 6x00, 6K, 6K+, 8X00 and 8K presses, designed for use with the in-line priming unit. The new SunEvo EV-LWR09 WB LEP primer will roll out across EMEA from Q4 2025.  

The primer can be used across a wide range of PSL substrates and delivers instant ink adhesion with reduced coat weights and lower voltage corona discharge, cutting energy use and media damage while preventing yellowing and voltage burns.  

Marcos Valdezate, business development manager, SunEvo – digital coatings at Sun Chemical, explains: ‘Allowing customers to choose primers from multiple approved vendors helps address supply chain challenges and creates a win-win situation. It also enables new applications, as different primers offer unique features and added benefits for the label community. The feedback from customers has been very positive. We have been testing these primers with multiple HP customers for quite some time before releasing, so it is a proven solution.’  

Actega also introduced its new water-based ACTDigi LEP Primer as part of HP’s expanded in-line primer portfolio. Designed for the HP Indigo 6K, 6K+ and 8K presses, the primer enhances ink adhesion and print quality across a wide range of substrates, from coated papers to synthetics and even textured wine labels.  

Compliant with key regulations and easy to clean, the primer supports both in-line and near-line HP Indigo processes. Its water resistance makes it suitable for durable applications like beer labels and other long-lasting prints requiring additional finishing, such as hot foil stamping or thermal transfer printing.  

A SUCCESSFUL SHOW   

Exhibitors reported a successful show and appreciated the move from Brussels to Barcelona.  

Melis of Toyo Ink notes that customer response was positive. ‘The move from Brussels to Barcelona has been a great decision. Nearly everyone we met mentioned they planned their visit to spend an extra weekend here. The city itself is a huge draw, attracting visitors from across Europe. We’ve met customers from southern France, Greece and Italy.’  

Exhibiting for the first time, the show provided Archroma the opportunity to introduce itself to the industry, connect with customers and interact with global media outlets.  

‘Our focus and commitment to the tape and label industry will continue to expand with a focus on enabling circularity with our chemistries. While we are still relatively new to this market, we believe the opportunity to exhibit in 2025 and at future events will further elevate our profile in the industry,’ says Buchholz.