Printing on Packaging

Packaging Printing Solutions

Whether you are looking to code and mark primary or secondary packaging, our packaging printing machines enable you to code virtually anywhere on your box or carton, in any orientation and easily code onto card, paper and a wide range of other substrates. 

Applicable to all industries, our packaging printers provide ideal solutions for durable and high-quality coding and marking without the need to use expensive labels or pre-printed packaging. By printing directly onto the inner and outer packaging, you avoid the need to have stacks of pre-printed packaging or labels and the risk of them becoming out of date or out of stock. You also remove the need for storage, handling and applying the information you require, which in turn can save you high costs.

Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Packaging

All industrial packaging can be split into three categories: primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.

Primary packaging holds and protects the actual product and has the most direct contact with the product. Apart from protection of the inside, primary packaging is what customers see on the retail shelf, therefore it needs to be designed to catch consumers’ eyes as well as provide essential, regulatory information. Primary packaging can be made of multiple substrates, such as:

• Glass
• Plastic
• Aluminium 
• Cardboard, etc

Or be in various shapes or forms:

• Bottles
• Cans
• Pouches, etc

Secondary packaging protects and contains products in primary packaging and may be seen by consumers. This is usually classed as outer packaging and holds a bundle of products, for example:

• Outer cardboard boxes
• Cases
• Cartons, etc

Tertiary packaging is mostly used for protection during the transport and warehousing of the products. Any printed information on tertiary packaging is for identification only and hardly visible to the consumer. Tertiary packaging includes:

• Pallets
• Pallet wrap
• Shrink wraps, etc.

What is Packaging Coding

Any information and code types that have to be visible on primary packaging are usually regulated by the legislation of the specific country to which the products are sold to. It is imperative to understand what is required for a particular product and market. The purpose of these codes is to provide information to the consumer and identification of the product. Coding on secondary packaging is usually for product identification and traceability, whilst tertiary packaging printing has, if any, coding and marking for identification purposes.

Printer Types for Packaging

Continuous Inkjet

Our packaging printers offer easy integration onto your existing production lines and can be quickly moved to wherever you need them. Linx packaging printers support a full range of code formats including text, batch and number sequences, calculated dates, and even graphics and logos, maximising the coding options with an intuitive interface.

 Linx CIJ printers reduce ongoing costs by efficiently using inks and solvents and are designed to be durable and reliable, meeting the highest standards of coding quality. 

• Durable, high-quality multi-line coding
• Wide range of inks to keep your codes in place on nearly any substrate
• Can withstand harsh production environments 
• Range of inks for specialist marking, e.g. food grade, invisible/UV coding
• Optional IP protection for harsh environments
• Ideal for primary packaging coding

Laser Coders

Laser printers are ideal for permanent coding and provide a low operating cost product marking solution. Linx laser coding machines are designed for use in challenging, high-speed production environments while ensuring industry-leading text and code quality.

• Permanent marking capability
• Low operating costs – no need for consumables
• High-quality coding even on the fast line speeds 
• Ideal for primary packaging coding and marking

Large Character Marking Printer

Our large character marking (LCM), industrial printers and case coders offer a cost-effective alternative to labels and pre-printed boxes and are ideal for secondary packaging coding and marking. 

• Ability to print text, logos and graphics onto porous substrates such as paper, card and wood
• Reduce the cost of labels, waste and disposal of backing paper as well as storage space needed
• Using inkjet technology (IJ) for high-resolution, quality coding
• Ideal for secondary packaging printing

Box & Case Coders

Print high-quality text, barcodes and logos onto your cardboard boxes, cases and cartons. Apply legible, accurate codes onto your secondary packaging to ensure effective traceability. All of our packaging coders are designed for long intervals between services, keeping running costs and downtime to a minimum and reducing waste by replacing labels or pre-printed boxes. 

• Print high-resolution inkjet codes directly onto Boxes and Cases
• High-quality coding for a variety of substrates
• Economical cost per code solution with simple installation and easy operation

Request a Print Sample

See what your code will look like on packaging.

To find out more information and to request your samples with no obligation, click the button below.