Brand owners & design

JoySpoon breathes freshness into packaging with HP Indigo

Adyasha Sinha — Mon, 26 May 2025 09:40:57 +0000

JoySpoon, a young Indian brand reimagining mukhwas (mouth freshener), has leveraged the digital power of HP Indigo 25K to modernize the packaging of this heritage snack. The brand collaborated with Noida, India-based Hora Art Center to design and produce premium labels that reflected the uniqueness of the product inside.

JoySpoon could experiment with a label design, produce limited editions and make quick design updates while avoiding inventory waste and daily cost pressures in conventional printing.

The stakes have never been higher for emerging brands, particularly in the food, beverage, and personal care sectors. Limited shelf space, short consumer attention spans and growing demand for clean, ethical and visually compelling products mean that packaging needs to resonate.

'Packaging is the first conversation our product has with the customer,' said Yash Mehta, founder of JoySpoon. 'With digital printing, we could innovate, test and grow on our terms. HP Indigo made that possible for us.'

Launched in 2024 by Mehta and his wife Vaishali, the brand appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4 and even presented personalized packs to each judge, printed using HP Indigo technology—a detail that helped reinforce the brand’s thoughtfulness and visual identity and ultimately contributed to securing investment.

Ritesh Agarwal, one of the judges on Shark Tank India and the founder and CEO of OYO, an Indian multinational hospitality chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes, and living spaces, commented: 'What impressed me about JoySpoon wasn't just the product, the packaging felt premium, thoughtful, and ready for modern retail. From the personalized Shark Tank kits to their clean, contemporary label design, the team clearly understood that packaging is not just wrapping. It's brand storytelling. That attention to detail gave me the confidence that JoySpoon wasn’t just a great product, but a brand built to scale.'

JoySpoon operates a 100 percent women-run production facility, highlighting another dimension where packaging and purpose intersect. By choosing HP Indigo’s digital technology, the brand ensures that its packaging aligns with its values—supporting sustainability, empowering women and celebrating cultural heritage through design.

According to HP, it is enabling India’s booming startup landscape by bridging the gap between creativity and execution. HP Indigo's digital technology helps startups move faster, reduce waste and bring their visions to market without compromise.

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JoySpoon breathes freshness into packaging with HP Indigo

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The Indian mouth freshener brand collaborates with Hora Art Center to leverage the capabilities of HP Indigo 25K digital press.

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The Indian mouth freshener brand collaborates with Hora Art Center to leverage the capabilities of HP Indigo 25K digital press.

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Winners of Finat Label Competition 2025 announced

Akanksha Meena — Thu, 22 May 2025 11:36:39 +0000

Finat has revealed the results of the 45th Finat Label Competition. The 2025 edition attracted a total of 184 entries, with 47 companies and 21 countries from all over the world participating.

The judging of this year’s Finat Label Competition took place under the new chairmanship of Z. Murat Sipahioglu, Heidelberg Turkey. After long years of chairing this event, Anthony White and his wife Connie decided to retire. The panel now consists of Messrs Z. Murat Sipahioglu, and fellow judge Steve Wood, both with more than 15 years’ experience and in-depth technical knowledge of the processes used in the label industry; two newcomers with technical expertise in their own right within the label industry: Phil Baldwin (Bobst, UK) and Fahri Ilazi (Kocher+Beck, DE), and Mick de Reuver from FroQ Brandservices BV (NL) who provided his marketing experience.

Türkiye and Austria topped the list of countries entering with a combined total of 47 entries followed by Spain with 18 and Germany with 16 entries. The highest number of entries by category was led by wines (38), beers and spirits (28) and with sets of labels in third place (16). The number of entries using digital as one of their main printing processes increased slightly to 88.

This year, the food and beverages and industrial and automotive categories, previously included under general applications, were separated hence increasing the number of categories from 21 to 23. This modification not only enabled Finat to see how many participants were actually interested in participating in each category, it also showed that the food and beverages category is still a popular category.

The awards ceremony, presented by Dr. Vlad Sljapic, was held on May 21 on the occasion of the Finat European Label Forum in Amsterdam. Overall, the 2025 Finat Label Competition was again a testament to the dedication of the Finat community and the high quality of label printing around the world.

The full list of winners can be found here.

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Winners of Finat Label Competition 2025 announced

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The competition attracted a total of 184 entries, with 47 companies and 21 countries from all over the world.

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The competition attracted a total of 184 entries, with 47 companies and 21 countries from all over the world.

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L&L China hosts summit for beauty label industry

Akanksha Meena — Wed, 14 May 2025 07:26:51 +0000

Labels & Labeling China has concluded summit focused on ‘Break the homogenization in beauty industry’, held in Shanghai New International Expo Center on May 12, the first day of CBE (China Beauty Expo). Founded in 1998, CBE is a long-standing beauty industry event, which has extensive brand resources and deep market insights in the beauty industry.

In the beauty industry, label and packaging serves as a key carrier of product image and brand value. However, at present, the homogenization of beauty labels is becoming increasingly severe.

‘This is our first collaboration under the Informa Group. We aim to fully utilize our respective strengths in the beauty industry and label packaging printing. We hope to establish a chance for in-depth interaction within beauty brand owners, designers, label converters and suppliers,’ said Liu Tao, group director China of Labelexpo Global Series, in his opening remarks.

The opening presentation highlighted brand owner, Wen Mu, general manager of Shanghai Yuanwu, the owner of Towind brand. As both a designer and brand owner, he noted that label and packaging accounts for only a small portion of the whole beauty product costs and the innovation in label packaging must be cost-effective. In today's low-margin market, packaging no longer just protects products—it now plays multiple roles in shaping brand identity, improving user experience, and meeting sustainability goals.

The converter presenter, Donald Liao, deputy general manager of consumer packaged goods business unit, Cymmetrik Group, emphasized leveraging technology to meet customers' changing needs. Currently, digital innovation has emerged as a pivotal force in the beauty industry. Especially for small batch, fast delivery orders, digital printing technology offers significant advantages. He also shared cutting-edge digital label technologies and application achievements in this industry, enabling brands to stand out in an intensely competitive market.

For smart labels, Gu Qiuyan, senior manager at Toppan (Shanghai), shared the opportunities of NFC technology in the beauty sector. He noted that NFC technology links digital identities with IoT, creating virtual-real experiences, which could attract consumers to get more product details, tutorials, brand stories, and join virtual activities, boosting brand interaction. He also shared some successful case studies to provide new ideas for beauty brands.

Other session presenters included HP, Avery Dennison and GMG, sharing innovative thoughts in beauty label and packaging industry from suppliers’ roles.

For more cutting-edge technologies on the latest materials and process technologies for label packaging, visit Labelexpo Aisa 2025, at SINEC E1-E4 in Shanghai from Dec 2- 5.

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L&L China hosts summit for beauty label industry

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Held alongside China Beauty Expo, the summit focused on breaking homogenization in beauty label industry.

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Kind launches fully recyclable paper wrapper

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 06 May 2025 05:33:50 +0000

Snacks brand Kind Snacks has introduced its first curbside recyclable paper wrapper pilot in the US. This packaging innovation marks a significant step in achieving a recycle-ready wrapper for the bars category while the brand continues to make progress towards its goal of ensuring all packaging is designed for recyclability by 2030.

Made with pulpable paper, Kind's pilot will leverage a curbside recyclable, How2Recycle pre-qualified paper type. This packaging material will help make it possible for consumers to recycle, enabling them to make a kinder choice - both on the shelf and for the planet.

The Kind paper wrapper will be available exclusively at select Whole Foods Market stores across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Texas, southern California and select stores in Louisiana, Arizona and Nevada starting May 1 through October 1 while supplies last for Kind's best-selling Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt single bars.

‘Our collaboration with Kind represents a true paradigm shift in sustainable packaging,’ says Whole Foods Market principal packaging advisor, Sandra Lewis. ‘Through their innovative development of this recyclable paper wrapper, they're fundamentally reimagining how snack foods can be packaged. Working together to bring this solution to our shelves represents a significant milestone in our mission to reduce single-use plastics.’

This innovation builds upon Kind's first pilot of a paper-based wrapper in 2023, which was an e-commerce trial available exclusively on kindsnacks.com. This initial pilot gave the brand a robust foundation of consumer feedback and performance insights, such as preliminary shelf life, transit and machinability data. After spending the last year in R&D integrating learnings, Kind and its partners are have brought this improved, fully recyclable wrapper to market.

‘At Kind, we're constantly listening to our consumers, and what we hear is clear -- they want products that not only deliver exceptional quality but also align with their values,’ said Osher Hoberman, chief marketing officer of Kind North America.

‘This new paper wrapper pilot is a direct result of that feedback. We're proud to continue to lead the industry with bold, forward-thinking and innovative solutions, not just for our packaging, but across our entire product portfolio.’

Kind's technical packaging partner, Printpack, was instrumental in developing this latest version, which is a How2Recycle pre-qualified curbside recyclable wrapper.

‘Developing a recyclable paper wrapper in less than two years demonstrates remarkable progress in sustainable packaging innovation,’ said Printpack chief strategy officer, David Love. ‘This breakthrough sets a new standard for sustainable solutions in the food packaging industry and shows what's possible when companies prioritize environmental stewardship.’

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Kind launches fully recyclable paper wrapper

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The brand's second paper wrapper pilot will be available at select Whole Foods Market stores across the United States.

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The brand's second paper wrapper pilot will be available at select Whole Foods Market stores across the United States.

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Inside Metropolis Coffee’s packaging process

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 05:04:16 +0000

Brand owners & design 02 May 2025

Inside Metropolis Coffee’s packaging process

Chicago-based brand Metropolis Coffee Company’s innovative packaging strategies balance storytelling and flexibility while actively pursuing sustainable practices.

Metropolis Coffee Company, a family-owned business founded by Tony and Jeff Dreyfuss, has been in the specialty coffee industry for over 21 years. Known for its high quality, the brand emphasizes traceable sourcing to support farmers while bringing organic beans to coffee lovers across Illinois.

Metropolis has successfully expanded into Costco and is now available in almost every major retail chain in the Midwest.

Known for its consistency, the company ensures the quality of its coffee year-round through careful curation under the watchful eye of its expert roasters.

Metropolis roasts approximately 1000,000 pounds of coffee annually at its 18,000 sqft roastery along the North Branch of the Chicago River. The company also operates a flagship café in Edgewater, a vibrant neighborhood on Chicago’s northeast side. While the café has remained a community hub for over 20 years, the heart of Metropolis’ business lies in its wholesale, private label and roasting operations.

Revamped packaging

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Metropolis Coffee faced significant challenges, with an 80 percent decline in business as Chicago’s hospitality sector and offices shut down.

Despite these setbacks, the company used the downtime to reimagine its packaging and storytelling. These efforts helped the business recover and boost growth by 20 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.

‘Grocery doubled for us during COVID because everybody was buying their coffee to drink at home,’ says Anne Djerai, CEO of Metropolis Coffee Company. ‘And our old packaging was not standing out on the shelf. The packaging had muted colors, and the lettering was tiny.’

Recognizing the need for a more substantial shelf presence, branding studio EightySeven, led by brand director and founder Maxwell Billings, revamped the brand’s story, its packaging and presentation to align with the business’s larger goals and stand out in a new and exciting way.

‘We used our storytelling expertise and understanding of consumer behavior to design packaging that would stand out on the shelf,’ says Billings. ‘Working directly with the leadership team, we quickly refined key elements of the brand to establish a new presentation for Metropolis, starting with color.’

Compostable materials need to be designed in a specific way to break down properly. However, when you fill the bag with coffee that has a certain weight, it can cause the material to weaken and break

EightySeven analyzed the shelf to understand the existing color environment on the shelf and explored how the brand could use contrast to stand out. The designers strategized with color while emphasizing the ‘M’ logo on the pouches as a unifying mark for Metropolis. The team reimagined existing brand elements to be more consistent and easily recognizable in the aisle, making it easier to spot Metropolis products.

Djerai emphasizes that specialty coffee is a luxury, and customers are willing to pay more for a premium product. Packaging must reflect that value with thoughtful details that make it feel like a gift — something that stands out, whether it’s a unique logo, intricate design or striking color.

The redesign

Metropolis embraces its Chicago roots by incorporating the city’s identity into its branding. The back of the bags features a ‘Proudly Roasted in Chicago’ sign-off with four Chicago stars, instantly recognizable by locals.

‘Coming to the Metropolis roastery, you can feel how much creativity flows through this team and organization,’ adds Billings.

‘We wanted to bring that to life through their packaging experience. By weaving storytelling and design into every part of the package, customers uncover different layers, from the meaning behind Metropolis to key messaging, coming together to create an immersive experience.’

The designers finished off with a subtle surprise on the bottom of the pouch, a brand-focused story reintroducing Metropolis to craft coffee lovers.

Metropolis employs several techniques to ensure quality from roastery to shelf, including nitro flushing its coffee. Since the coffee will not be used immediately, especially on a grocery shelf with an extended shelf life, the pouches feature a one-way valve to push out the oxygen using nitrogen. The coffee naturally releases gas after roasting, therefore without the valve, the bag could explode.

Currently, the brand uses metallized polyethylene with a heat seal at the top of the bag and a reusable zipper, allowing customers to reseal the bags after opening to keep the coffee as fresh as possible.

In the packaging space, these creative choices, like a foil or fi nish paired with a story and vision can instantly give people a feeling for the product

‘Previously, brands used EVOH for its cost-effectiveness and thicker structure, but during COVID, supply issues with plastics plants and aluminum mines forced a material shift. Now, we use a different type of metallized polyethylene, which has a foil-like appearance but is less dense.

This helps maintain the critical oxygen barrier necessary for preserving freshness. When coffee is exposed to air, it goes stale, which impacts the flavor. This is specifically true for ground coffee, so the packaging has to have a barrier to keep it fresh,’ Djerai explains.

The pouches feature labels categorizing the brand’s products into 12 to 15 different roast blends, making it easy for customers to tell them apart. The labels provided flexibility, allowing all coffees to fit into the light or dark roast categories.

Metropolis also supports its wholesale customers with lower minimum order quantities (MOQs) than most specialty roasters. When a customer cannot meet the MOQ for custom bags, Metropolis works directly with them to find practical alternatives, such as using stock bags or simplified options.

Additionally, the company leaned heavily into the single-serve coffee market, launching innovative projects such as the first compostable espresso capsules in North America. The new packaging design also prioritized flexibility to accommodate collaborations with other brands while maintaining consistency in design across packaging formats. These efforts positioned Metropolis for continued growth and new opportunities in the post-COVID market.

The brand’s packaging is currently produced in Korea and China, while the espresso capsules are made in Germany.

Compostable packaging

Metropolis is at the forefront of sustainable practices, such as using compostable material in its packaging. However, Djerai notes some current limitations to applying those materials across its entire product line, specifically with whole bean coffee.

‘The challenge is ensuring the bag material is strong enough to handle the beans’ weight. Compostable materials need to be designed in a specific way to break down easily. But, when the bag is filled with coffee, the weight can weaken or even break the material,’ she says.

‘We can use compostable materials for smaller quantities and formats, which is why we offer a lot of fraction packs made from compostable materials. But when it comes to larger packages, especially those over a couple of pounds, that’s where we face challenges. We’ll switch when we identify a solution but, we use a metallized polyethylene material for now.’

The coffee pouches can’t be recycled because they combine metallized and plastic properties, which must be separated for recycling.

‘Another challange is that, particularly in Chicago, there are no city-funded recycling programs — everything ends up in the landfill unless you have a private recycling service,’ Djerai adds.

However, the brand is heavily involved in offsetting these challenges through other sustainable means, such as using compostable materials wherever possible, especially in its espresso capsules.

Traditional coffee pods made with plastic or aluminum are challenging to recycle. To reduce its environmental footprint, Metropolis espresso capsules are commercially compostable and certified by both BPI and by the Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA), meaning they’ll be accepted at any commercial compost facility.

‘Regarding the Metropolis capsule line, every aspect of the packaging is designed with sustainability in mind. While some brands use more extravagant techniques, Metropolis has developed a technology where not only is the capsule home compostable or commercially compostable, but the box they come in is also made from recycled cardboard. As a brand, it’s great to see Metropolis going above and beyond to make these sustainable choices,’ Billings says.

Designer’s perspective

From a design perspective, Billings says that the production technique can be a tool when telling a story on a shelf.

‘When brands are intentional, it shows. Bringing different types of finishes and textures to the packaging experience is essential. It’s another sensory way to connect with people.’

He explains: ‘With the Metropolis packaging system, we created touches of contrasting finishes to grab attention. Pairing a soft touch with the spot gloss on the ‘M’ and the paneling on the sides creates accents that catch your interest. In the packaging space, these creative choices can instantly give people a feeling for the product.

‘What excites me technology-wise is anything that can introduce new finishes and textures, however subtle, that can add up to a unique experience. Let’s say you’re a food or beverage brand focused on the golfer’s lifestyle. Where can you introduce textures of a dimpled golf ball, leather grip or other sensory parts of the experience to tie with your product? Those subtle storytelling opportunities are where brands can connect with people and separate themselves from the competition,’ he adds.

In an industry where sustainability has become standard practice, Metropolis Coffee continues to grind away as it seeks new ways to integrate the latest compostable materials into its offerings. This aligns with the growing discussion around the coffee industry’s impact and the demand by consumers for responsible, eco-friendly packaging without compromising the quality or performance of its products.

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Akanksha Meena

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Avery Dennison enhances Optica portfolio

Piotr Wnuk — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:18:07 +0000

Avery Dennison has partnered with TrusTrace, one of the leading traceability and compliance data platforms, and GPRO, an RFID and Industry 4.0 provider, to enhance its Optica portfolio for the apparel industry.

Avery Dennison has partnered with TrusTrace to expand the portfolio's Materials Traceability offering. This partnership addresses brands' and retailers' increasing demands for deeper insight into the origins, movement and impact of raw materials across the apparel value chain.

By leveraging TrusTrace’s platform capabilities as part of Optica, brands can map their upstream supply chains and establish a verifiable chain of custody for each product. The technology supports a wide range of traceability use cases, from sustainability verification to enhanced risk management and responsible sourcing.

With this detailed data on origins, processing steps and supplier relationships, brands can build more trustworthy narratives around sustainability, enhance their regulatory compliance programs by addressing product and supply chain-related regulations rather than just due diligence, and meet consumer expectations for transparency and ethical sourcing.

In a separate but complementary development, Avery Dennison has launched a new WIP Tracking technology within Optica in collaboration with GPRO. It enables apparel manufacturers to capture and track data in real time, providing full visibility into the status of work orders as they move through the production line.

With greater visibility, brands can address production bottlenecks, improve efficiency and reduce lead times. The Optica WIP Tracking technology supports line balancing, performance benchmarking and proactive issue resolution, helping factory operators and brand partners make data-driven decisions on the ground.

Built on RFID technology, the technology integrates with client systems and complements Avery Dennison’s broader connected product capabilities. Digitizing and automating production visibility reduces reliance on manual processes and delivers actionable insights from the shop floor, improving overall responsiveness across manufacturing networks.

This new capability follows pilot programs and feedback from early adopters in key manufacturing markets, forming a core pillar of the Optica production visibility technology.

Delia Glover, vice president of product, innovation and solutions development at Avery Dennison, said: ‘With growing pressure for sustainability and ethical sourcing, supply chain transparency is more critical than ever. Optica’s two enhanced solutions - Materials Traceability and WIP Tracking - each address distinct challenges across the supply chain. Materials Traceability focuses on mapping the upstream supply chain and ensuring transparency of raw materials, while WIP Tracking provides factory-level visibility, allowing brands to monitor production status, reduce lead times, and track quality and lost time.

‘By combining these solutions, brands gain a seamless, end-to-end view of their supply chain, enhancing their compliance programs, improving decision-making, and reducing sourcing and production risks. Factory leaders face no shortage of rising challenges, from pursuing greater visibility of goods to realizing lead time improvements. Providing real-time visibility of order progress and status, along with up-to-date reporting, capacity allocation, and order adjustment capabilities, helps to optimize the network, reduce risk, improve margins, and drive customer satisfaction.’

Avery Dennison has released a dedicated whitepaper highlighting how many fashion brands operate in the dark, exposing them to waste, inefficiencies, shipping delays, lost sales and shrinkage.

Based on findings from a survey of 250 senior fashion retail supply chain leaders in the UK and US, Boosting Margins – The Power of Enhanced Fashion Supply Chain Visibility uncovers serious item-level visibility gaps

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Avery Dennison enhances Optica portfolio

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Two new partnerships strengthen apparel supply chain visibility with optimized Materials Traceability and Work in Progress Tracking.

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Two new partnerships strengthen apparel supply chain visibility with optimized Materials Traceability and Work in Progress Tracking.

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Saueressig introduces Matches for Hybrid Software's CloudFlow

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:04:23 +0000

Saueressig Group, one of the leading international providers of innovative products for the packaging and surface industries, has formed a strategic partnership with Hybrid Software to integrate the AI-powered image search solution Matches into Hybrid Software's workflow platform, CloudFlow.

Matches enables fast, intuitive searches for visually similar or identical image content, eliminating manual keywording. Thanks to its integration into CloudFlow, the AI image search is now embedded into existing production workflows, creating new opportunities for process optimization in pre-press and packaging design.

‘By integrating Matches into CloudFlow, we are making our technology available directly within the pre-press production workflow for the first time,’ said Ingo Beutler, product owner of Matches at Saueressig. ‘Our partnership with Hybrid Software significantly expands the reach of our solution and impressively demonstrates how modern AI applications deliver real, practical value.’

The Matches component available within CloudFlow includes all the core functions of the current version, such as text-based content search, intelligent region-of-interest recognition, and optimized visual search tailored specifically for the label, packaging, and decor industries. Users thus benefit from an end-to-end technology that intelligently connects creative and technical processes.

Nick De Roeck, CTO of Hybrid Software Group, commented: ‘The integration of Matches significantly enhances CloudFlow’s capabilities, delivering substantial value to our users. AI-supported image search and analysis is becoming a cornerstone of modern, automated workflows.

‘Together, Saueressig and Hybrid Software bring Matches to market, a high-performance solution that reflects our core values: innovation that’s practical, and always on the pulse of print.’

‘Matches will become an integral part of the digital workflow—from the initial design draft through to production,’ added Beutler. ‘This integration brings greater efficiency, transparency, and speed to customers worldwide. The integration of Matches into CloudFlow offers customers a tangible increase in efficiency and future-ready access to advanced AI technology. Saueressig and Hybrid Software are jointly paving the way for intelligent, next-generation production—enhancing competitiveness, strengthening innovation, and securing long-term success.’

The latest technology is immediately available as a module within the CloudFlow platform.

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Saueressig introduces Matches for Hybrid Software's CloudFlow

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The latest addition is a significant step toward further digitalization and automation in the Design2Print process.

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The latest addition is a significant step toward further digitalization and automation in the Design2Print process.

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Hardly Water’s quest for the perfect label

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 05:15:30 +0000

Brand owners & design 22 April 2025

Hardly Water’s quest for the perfect label

For startup brands, packaging can be challenging, with limited budgets and tight timelines often clashing with production and supply chain complexities.

For startup brands, packaging can be challenging, with limited budgets and tight timelines often clashing with production and supply chain complexities. These brands heavily rely on label and packaging converters to guide them through the process, ensuring their packaging aligns with their vision and meets market demands.

Hardly Water was founded by Tonya Romin and Jason Therrien in 2021. Romin, CEO of the company, says that the idea of starting a spiked water brand came to her and Jason during Covid to come up with a product that was clean, easy and convenient to drink, and above all else, not carbonated.

‘Everything in the market that we have seen in the last 36 months has been carbonated seltzers,’ Romin says. ‘There's over 3,500 of them in the market, and there's more that are coming out every day, and a lot of them are either malt or spirit based.’

‘As someone who deals with my own health issues, I wanted to create something neutral. Something without complications in sourcing and suitable for a wide range of preferences. For example, some of my family members don’t drink hard alcohol, and I personally avoid gluten because my body doesn’t react well to it. This meant we couldn’t use a malt base. During flavor formulation, we discovered Sugar Brew, a fermented cane sugar-based alcohol. While it's not new to the market and a few companies use it, many don’t disclose it openly,’ she adds.

We know that at bars, people often read labels out of habit or curiosity, so we thought, "Why not make it something engaging?" A couple of sentences about the product, with a little humor to keep things light

Label transparency is a top priority for the brand. Romin underlines that companies should clearly state what's in their products, and that’s why Hardly Water’s nutrition information is prominently displayed on its can labels.

‘At one event, a customer asked if a drink contained citric acid because of an allergy. I explained that this flavor did, but another option didn’t, allowing her to try it safely. She might have skipped it altogether if the ingredients hadn’t been clearly listed,’ Romin says.

For the design of its labels, the brand partnered with Stout Collective, a Chicago-based design firm specializing in beer branding. Stout’s creative team worked closely with the brand to design labels for its cans that not only showcased flavors prominently but also reflected the essence of the product and the founder’s hometown.

‘We wanted to create something that truly reflects Chicago,’ Romin says. ‘If you look at our packaging, you’ll notice the skyline and the stars at the top. Those are inspired by the stars on the Chicago flag. Additionally, we included our own insignia stamp: the "H" for Hardly, paired with a small Chicago star beneath it. It ties back to our brand while giving a nod to the city we’re so proud to call home.’

Each flavor has its own story, something entertaining to let customers know what they’re drinking. Underneath, the brand highlights the elements of the fruit, offering a fun tidbit for anyone looking to read something while enjoying their drink.

‘We know that at bars, people often read labels out of habit or curiosity, so we thought, "Why not make it something engaging?" A couple of sentences about the product, with a little humor to keep things light,’ she says.

The cans also feature a QR code that directs customers to Hardly Water’s Instagram for news and updates and a link to its website, so customers can stay connected and informed.
There are five variants of the product in the market.

Navigating print production

Once the designs were finalized, the brand began reaching out to label converters to print shrink sleeve labels, and that’s where things got interesting.

Romin expected a smooth production process but faced unexpected delays. The converter had multiple facilities, and the sales agent was unresponsive. Customer service gave conflicting updates, first assuring timely printing, then extending the delivery timeline.

The brand then connected with a digital printing converter Hart Print who was able to produce digitally printed cans instead of shrink sleeves to meet the timeline to for the brewery.

The brand finally started with three flavors: blueberry with basil, cucumber with blood orange and mint and watermelon with guava to test the market and later introduced the peach mango and raspberry hibiscus flavors. The original design featured a black can with a gray skyline, and the flavor text on the side was outlined rather than filled in.

Once the products hit the market, the brand began receiving feedback. Since the brand initially focused on selling in bars and restaurants, some bartenders pointed out that while the black cans stood out, it was hard to read in dark environments, especially late at night.

‘Taking that feedback into account, we decided to fill in the word "water" to match the other colored elements, and we also filled in the flavor name on the side of the can, (which was previously outlined) to make the label easier to read,’ Romin explains.

These changes were made across all variants of Hardly Water. Additionally, the brand added key details such as ‘5% alcohol’, ‘gluten-free’ and ‘all-natural’ at the top of the can. Even though this information was already at the bottom, the team wanted to highlight it more prominently. The intention was to ensure that as consumers become more familiar with the brand, they could easily spot this important information upfront.

The Hardly Water team preferred digitally printed cans after its experience with the initial production run. However, the cost and volume made it less feasible which is why the brand switched to glossy shrink sleeves on cans for its second run with the new design changes.

A local Illinois converter initially promised a matte finish for the shrink sleeves but, a week before printing, revealed it wasn’t food-grade. The team had to switch to a glossy finish, adding another hurdle to an already challenging process.

‘This was the third label company we were working with. So, in just one year, we've worked with three different converters,’ Romin says.

While many beers use plastic carrier tops for their four and six packs, Hardly Water has chosen a sustainable alternative to minimize environmental impact opting for E6PR scorings.

Clear communication

After going through several hurdles with multiple label converters, Romin notes that communication plays a huge role in the success of any partnership.

‘It's about understanding the process and ensuring clear communication with any partner. If issues arise, it's crucial to be transparent, express the problem, offer solutions or options, and work towards a resolution. That trust and upfront communication are vital to me. It’s frustrating as a customer to spend time and energy investigating problems that the provider should address proactively. For example, while the second company we worked with eventually improved their communication, delays and last-minute updates, such as missing a printing deadline, caused unnecessary frustration. Setting realistic expectations together can make a huge difference,’ she says.

Overcoming packaging challenges as a new brand is not just about finding the right packaging materials or designs—it's about building strong partnerships, particularly with the right converter. A reliable converter can significantly impact a brand's launch, ensuring its packaging aligns with its vision and market goals. This collaboration can ultimately define the brand’s future success in a competitive marketplace.

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Akanksha Meena

Global Brands Editor

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Temecula Coffee Roasters invests in Epson ColorWorks printers

Piotr Wnuk — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 02:55:16 +0000

Temecula Coffee Roasters has invested in Epson ColorWorks on-demand color printers to produce custom coffee labels, enhancing printing speed and quality while reducing waste.

Started in 2017 as a small-scale coffee roaster with a goal to support a boarding school in East Africa, Temecula Coffee Roasters is a family-owned and operated business that now serves thousands of brands through its private label business. Working closely with both wholesale and private label clients.

‘In our business, being able to print on-demand labels is imperative,’ said Bryan Rauch, COO at Temecula Coffee Roasters. ‘As an order comes in, our software processes the order, and out of over 17,000 SKUs, assigns the appropriate label and we’re able to print instantly. Because it’s on-demand, we don’t require a minimum order quantity, which our customers love. We can also upload design changes at any time without having to worry about wasting a roll of pre-printed labels when things change, which is inevitable in this business.’

When Temecula Coffee Roasters first started, it was using a small desktop printer, printing two rows of two labels each.

‘Every time we printed, we had to print four labels, regardless of how many we needed. And if one needed re-printing, we’d have to print a whole sheet,’ said Rauch. ‘I estimate we were re-printing at least 10 percent of our labels, which led to ink and paper waste. Today, our re-print rate is closer to 1 percent – a dramatic decrease.’

When Rauch and his team started looking for a new label printing technology, they turned to a local partner for help – Pacific Barcode. Temecula was looking for a printer that combined speed, quality and warranty for the right price.

‘We pride ourselves in providing label solutions for everyday products, adaptable to any dimension, form or style,’ said Scott McKenzie, president of Pacific Barcode. ‘When Bryan told me the problem he was looking to solve, I knew ColorWorks was the right solution – a printer that would allow their business to deliver labels that pop with color and finish, in any volume required.’

Temecula Coffee Roasters processes about 1,000 product pounds of coffee daily. With over 45 coffees that remain constant, they offer 2oz, 12oz, 16oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes, all available as whole bean, drip ground, coarse ground and fine ground. All these SKUs mean the company has around 1,000 labels and 500 or 600 different designs, and while printing varies by day, sometimes it is printing as many as 2,000 labels per day.

‘We have five or six ColorWorks printers running at any time and the “spare-in-the-air” service offering ensures they will send a replacement if needed, which is invaluable,’ said Rauch.

According to Rauch, a big benefit to the company’s private label customers is that they can be small stores that sell maybe only five bags of coffee a week, but the packaging makes it look like they have a professional print house behind them.

‘We are able to advertise 300 DPI printing and our customers can print full photos if they want to. We know we can run a roll and not have to worry about a re-print,’ commented Rauch.

‘Consumer businesses rely on label printing, and can save time and money by printing only the labels they need, when they need them,’ said Stevi Sterns, product manager at Epson America. ‘We are pleased to see companies like Temecula Coffee Roasting find success with ColorWorks, fueling their business with a solution that offers high-quality labels, on-demand with little fuss.’

‘Our customers love the labels we produce, and we appreciate the reduced waste to our workflow. Great labels with full photo-quality prints from an easy-to-use solution – almost as great as the coffee we produce,’ concluded Rauch.

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Temecula Coffee Roasters invests in Epson ColorWorks printers

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Coffee producer adopts on-demand color label printing for bold branding and striking packaging.

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Coffee producer adopts on-demand color label printing for bold branding and striking packaging.

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Loftware Acquires BL.INK

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:50:53 +0000

Loftware has acquired BL.INK, one of the leading enterprise link management platforms that empowers brands with secure, scalable and data-driven technologies to enhance engagement and streamline digital interactions.

This acquisition furthers Loftware’s long-standing commitment to providing customers with a single end-to-end technology to support their journey from new product development and supplier management through manufacturing and warehouse/inventory management all the way to distribution and consumer engagement.

Delivering SaaS technology, BL.INK’s technology enables connected packaging and digital engagement for global enterprise brands while building trust through product transparency and verification. BL.INK enables brands to create digital product passports (DPPs), helping them engage with consumers through connected packaging and personalized digital experiences.

‘Each part of the supply chain plays an essential role in ensuring products are produced, stored, and shipped with accuracy and consistency to meet consumer demand and standards. This acquisition builds on Loftware’s capabilities to support our customers’ journeys through the entire supply chain,’ said Loftware president and CEO, Jim Bureau. ‘Link management, dynamic QR codes that don’t expire, and no-code DPPs are critical, especially in industries where products, packaging, and digital content are increasingly interconnected. Adding BL.INK’s robust solutions to our portfolio enables us to support global brands in building seamless, trusted data-driven connections between people and information.’

BL.INK offers a product suite which helps global teams build and manage shortened URLs and QR codes with consistent, structured data, improving campaign and data tracking in real time.

Its no-code DPP platform enables brands to create millions of product microsites in minutes, pulling data from any existing sources to share details with consumers. The platform integrates with existing workflows and tools, supports multiple users and roles, and offers security to meet the compliance needs of the most stringent, highly regulated industries.

BL.INK also plays a pivotal role in accelerating adoption as the industry transitions from 1D to 2D barcodes to meet new GS1 Sunrise 2027 and GS1 Digital Link standards.

‘At BL.INK, we simplify the connections between people and information. Our platform empowers businesses to create, manage, and analyze short links and QR codes with unparalleled precision, ensuring every interaction is seamless, data-driven, and secure. That’s why our customer base includes some of the world’s most recognizable brands,’ said Andy Meadows, founder and managing director at BL.INK.

‘This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for our company, enabling us to expand our reach and enhance the value we deliver to our customers. By combining our expertise helping brands communicate with consumers through connected packaging with Loftware's proven reputation in enabling authentic, compliant, and traceable products through a connected supply chain, we are poised to offer an end-to-end solution that empowers businesses to innovate, improve traceability and compliance, and engage consumers in more meaningful ways,’ concluded Meadows.

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Loftware Acquires BL.INK

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This acquisition aligns with Loftware’s strategy to modernize product identification throughout the supply chain.

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This acquisition aligns with Loftware’s strategy to modernize product identification throughout the supply chain.

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Temecula Coffee Roasters invests in Epson ColorWorks printers

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