The focus seems to be rethink, recalibrate, recycle.

The three big trends which stood out were: four process colours, with minimum two Pantone colours, along with one special post-press operation; greater control over the pre-press which ensures easier production (almost all ops inline); and short runs with the “sweet spot” lower and lower. The simplicity of the technology and the small footprint have enabled more and more ops to be rendered in-house.

There were short-run labels being printed digitally with special post-press augmentation. There were entries with intricate die-cuts, cold foil and de-embossing. There were labels with invisible inks and glow-in-dark. There were pouches with biodegradable materials. There were packaging structures which were child-proof or easy for the senior citizens to use.

There were many samples like self-adhesive labels, cartons, pouches and wraparounds. What grabbed the eye of the jury members was: lightweighting versions of the same product; usage of low-migration compliant inks for indirect packaging; printing on the reverse side of shrink sleeve applications.

The Jury members were especially impressed with the anti-counterfeiting measures used in the samples, from the simple QR codes and barcodes to invisible inks to holographic effects. Also, high-end cartons featuring special finishes and metallics. Plus, complex labels with multiple processes and hybrid screening.

The Jury also noted how the prevalence and availability of technology have inspired traditionally small and not-so-market-savvy brands to experiment with innovative packaging design. A quiet sort of revolution seems to be brewing in the segment, where all brands whether big or small, corporate or family-run, are able to find new ways to present their packages, with added enhancements because the technology is available and at a competitive rate.  

Noel D’Cunha, managing editor, PrintWeek and WhatPackaging?, said, “Almost everything is inline. A lot of traction for tamper-proof packaging and anticounterfeit products. Dizzying juxtapositions of image, materials, and data. Immaculate selection of paper and board grades; and techniques (not too much; and not too less) such as embossing, foiling effects, or specific printing methods like MetPET or printing on plastic sheet or spot UV on velvet lamination.”

He added, “One of the samples was about plastic usage. The client’s brief was not to use plastic to deliver the product to the consumer. Innumerable initiatives to recycle it. This year, consumers will see recycled plastic for Diwali gifts so at least a percentage of it gets reused. Simple example is: jars. Almost 50% of them are made from 20% recycled PET. So, the jar isn’t 100% plastic. The industry is experimenting. A global jar in a paper container. Coatings is another catch phrase. A move towards water-based coatings and eyeing the future possibility of coatings based on bio-based raw materials. The key is: effective barrier solutions balancing sustainability and functionality.”

Elodie Nerot, creative director, Elephant Design, said, “The samples we saw today highlight how packaging converters are pushing the boundary of what is traditionally possible in print. It was a revelation for me. I was excited to witness the different possibilities of packaging design.”

Neeharika Paul, packaging transformation master, PACKult Studio, said, “I liked how micro-foiling has been used to enhance the tactile feel of the labels and the packages.”

Yatin Patil, manager, engineering and NPD, Desworks by Bizongo, said, “I was excited to see how flexo is evolving alongside gravure. There is still a difference in quality, but I think flexo will catch up. Another thing I liked was how the converters are using anti-counterfeiting measures such as invisible inks, holograms, and QR codes.”

Supreeth Sudhakaran, group communication and brand, Aditya Birla Group, said, “There were so many innovative samples, it was a learning experience. I especially appreciate how the post-press embellishments were unintrusive and at the service of the brand, not the other way around. Today, many print firms and converters require self-adhesive labels for bottles. This is a move away from the more traditional wet labelling process. Besides increasing the bottling speeds there is a huge improvement in the quality of the label, too.”

Geet Nazir, managing partner, Conran Design Group said, “Sustainability has become a focus area and it is good to see the industry endeavouring towards achieving it. Ultimately the solutions for sustainability, resource efficiency and recycling and reuse will come from the print and packaging industry. This will encourage and enable brands and customers to convert to the new formats; and help them to meet their sustainability commitments fast.”

The Jury members were also impressed by the versatility of the packaging materials used. There were samples that deployed 100% recycled material, rPET and rPP. What impressed the jury was the percentage of recycled material used, physical properties achieved and the stability of the packages.

Deepti Kshirsagar, chief design strategist, TCT Strategic Branding, said, “Being from a creative field, initially I was expecting some good designs. But when I started discussing with the jury members, I was amazed by the speciality ink features. What blew my mind was the ink that gives a funky radium effect when UV light is passed through it. Also the experimentation with multiple substrates as well as the structure of the packaging item.”

Raju Kalgutkar, head of packaging, consumer products division, Piramal Enterprises, said, “I saw a lot of progress in printing. I noticed a lot of CI flexo jobs. There was one sample that was a hybrid of flexo plus offset printing. It was a difficult process judging the samples because a lot of them really impressed us.”

Amit Saurkar, head, packaging development, MTR Foods, said, “I am happy to be back as part of the PrintWeek Awards Jury. Another year of excellent samples and it is astonishing to see that the industry is trying something new every day. And not to forget, everything we judged today has been commercialised.”

Faced with the combination of a cut-throat, time-sensitive, brand-conscious new-age Indian consumer and the plethora of product choice competition crowding the retailer shelves, the brands (big and small) are increasingly under pressure to shout to make themselves heard. Saurkar said, “Design, print and packaging have been evolving and are evolving for good.”

Another Jury member added, “I like how brands are aware of counterfeiting and we can see that the brands are actively trying to find suitable solutions for these products.”  

There were holograms and QR codes as well as the spirograph-like patterns which are usually seen on bank notes. Also, lots of improvements have been made to the UV preview, special raster functions, and tech-wizardry to prevent copying by using two colours. There are many more combinations to increase the level of security. It makes the creation of packaging items simple, yet highly secured, and ensures anti-counterfeiting is brought to the next level.

Sheetal Dandekar, senior general manager, JB Chemicals, said, “Once designed, your product goes through a lot of processes and treatments. And in a few cases, the final packaging and the design that was created do not match. We see this as a challenge, and the good part is that we are actively trying to curtail the difference.”

Soma Roy, lead, packaging development, Bajaj Electricals mentioned during the discussion that the industry is doing a good job by trying to experiment with new materials, and new printing techniques as well. She said, there are truly universal challenges around productivity, profitability, sustainability and volumes. In partnership with some of the companies whose samples she saw, she said, she could see how companies in this sector are tackling some of these challenges.  

Fazal Farooqui, director of strategic partnerships, Packfora, said, “I have been a part of this process for quite some time now. I believe the pharma industry is using a lot of techniques to prevent duplication which is quite impressive.”

This includes miniature booklets. In addition to folding, pharma specialists have added a perforated adhesive tab to each booklet. The tab seal is designed to keep the miniature booklets closed until the customer needs to read the contents, as well as allow for easy mechanical insertion.

Regarding books, D’Cunha said, “Publishers are optimistic over book demand despite the Covid-hit during 2020. The recovery has been astounding. The India Book Market Report 2022 prophesies Rs 98,920-crore for the print book market by 2024-25. It was Rs 30,660 crore ten years ago. A surge in demand for short runs. More work, more jobs. Everyone has been super-busy. Business is accelerating.”

Rajnish Shirsat, co-founder and CEO, R&S Enterprises, said, “The quality of work has gone up drastically with a lot of small players from small towns emerging. This is a great sign for the industry. I observed the post-press improving with many value-additions and neat finishes.” He added, “Digital printing has improved tremendously, and different papers used for book production and the consistency in printing were impressive.”

According to Mukund Moghe, senior manager, brand and production, Tata Services, the key trends he noticed were the dominance of digital technology, sustainability, short-run printing and hybrid printing. He was also impressed by how RFID technology is being used in the printing industry, particularly for packaging and labelling. “RFID tags embedded in printed materials enable tracking, authentication and enhanced supply chain management,” he said.

He added, “Sustainability has become a significant concern in the print industry. Technologies and practices that reduce waste, energy consumption and environmental impact have gained attention. This includes the use of eco-friendly inks, recycled paper and advanced printing techniques that minimise resource usage.”

According to Surendra Babu, books are a growth market in India. There are textbooks and academic books which are growing. “But what the Awards indicated was specialised, POD with beautiful finishes: books that people will buy and pay well for. Meanwhile, the definition of big volumes is changing. This does not mean books are not necessarily being printed. I think many more varieties of books are being produced. And Indian book print firms are producing them with greater efficiency.”