The printing requirements for cigarette packs in China are always high. On the one hand, the exquisite outer packaging can not only reflect the grade of cigarettes, but also can make its own brand stand out among its competitors and play a good propaganda role. On the other hand, the existence of counterfeit cigarettes requires the printing of cigarette packs to be aesthetically pleasing and requires a high degree of security. In China, cigarette printing technology and technology are second only to printing RMB and securities.

Nowadays, a new printing process, namely laser pattern imprint transfer, is applied to the cigarette packaging of many brands on the market. The rise of the process lies in its environmental protection and anti-counterfeiting characteristics, and meets the requirements of cigarette packs. The need for international green packaging trends

While packaging brings convenience and benefits to people, it also causes serious damage to the human living environment. On the one hand, packaging consumes a lot of energy and resources. On the other hand, increasing packaging waste has become the fourth pollution source after water pollution, marine lake pollution and air pollution. Based on the consideration of sustainable development strategy, it is of great significance to vigorously develop green packaging.

In the current trend of international tobacco packaging, the requirements of “environmental packaging” are particularly prominent. At present, various kinds of cigarette products have very high requirements for environmental protection in all aspects. For example, the materials used in packaging are all degradable in the natural environment and harmless to the environment. The use of environmentally friendly packaging products is a “green pass” for tobacco companies to enter the world market. Both tobacco companies and tobacco packaging suppliers increasingly recognize the necessity and urgency of using and developing and producing environmentally friendly products. The production and application of “green packaging” products will be the focus of development in the tobacco industry and tobacco packaging industry in the next few years. According to relevant information, 85% of the surveyed companies stated that the environmental protection, safety and health requirements for cigarette labels are getting higher and higher. Nearly 70% of the surveyed companies stated that in the future the company will gradually phase out the use of non-degradable non-environmental materials.

The existence of counterfeit cigarettes brings the anti-counterfeiting requirements of cigarette packs. Most foreign cigarette labels are very simple, and—and with the use of the gravure printing process, the paper is also a single white paper. Because the problem of counterfeiting cigarettes abroad is not very prominent, security is not very important. In China, counterfeit cigarettes have been flooding the market and have continued to prohibit the use of cigarettes. This has caused great impact on the regular cigarette manufacturers. Therefore, the security of cigarette packaging is an eternal topic, and the anti-counterfeiting technology is endless. Such as DNA, three-dimensional laser three-dimensional dynamic, holographic positioning hot, soft paper gravure, thermal imaging rainbow paper, special ink. Tobacco factory is generally easy for consumers to identify, counterfeiters are difficult to follow up, with the characteristics of environmental protection, cost is relatively economical first-line anti-counterfeiting technology. Through the application of these anti-counterfeiting technologies, one can highlight the brand and crack down on counterfeiting. At the same time, there is no danger of luxury design or excessive packaging.

Laser pattern anti-counterfeiting has been widely used as an intuitive, consumer-friendly anti-counterfeiting technology. The holographic products used for cigarette packets mainly include laser holographic anti-counterfeit labels, laser holographic packaging materials, and laser holographic hot stamping materials.

Laser pattern imprint transfer line process

The holographic hot stamping process has been used in the packaging and printing industry for many years, and it has been used in the decoration of many cigarette packs. However, due to the two major problems of hot stamping materials and hot stamping equipment, it has not been able to develop rapidly.

The laser pattern imprint transfer line offers another solution for holographic pattern printing. The process of the laser pattern transfer printing production line is to coat the surface of the printing crystal with full- or partial-surface coating oil, press the pre-made laser film onto it, and after curing and shaping, the laser film pressed on the film Peel off. In this way, the glazing layer formed on the surface of the printed matter can present a holographic pattern consistent with the laser film, and from different angles, different patterns can be presented, giving a novel aesthetic feeling.

This process is different from the hot stamping process of laser hot stamping foil. The pattern of laser hot stamping foil is transferred to the printed matter. There is no laser pattern on the substrate. Laser hot stamping foil can only be used once. The laser film used in the laser pattern imprint transfer process still retains its own laser pattern after embossing, just as the pattern on the laser film is “photocopied” to the printed material, so the laser film can be used repeatedly.

The laser pattern printed on the production line is also different from the hot stamped pattern. The pattern printed on the production line is transparent, ie, a transmissive hologram, the hologram pattern can be seen at a certain angle of view, and viewed from another angle of view. It is almost transparent, so the printed laser pattern on the printed crystal will not cover the original text and pattern on the paper.

The process is also different from the print directly laminated laser film. The laser film is coated with an adhesive on the ram film, and the paper print is heated and pressed to bond them together to form a paper-plastic product. However, the surface of printed products produced by the transfer of laser pattern imprinting is not coated with laser film, so it is more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly.

Technical features of laser imprint production process

In view of the deficiencies of the original laser pattern used on the packaging, the laser pattern imprint transfer line adopts a more advanced process method to achieve the effect of beautifying the appearance of the printed matter and protecting the environment. The advantages of this process are mainly reflected in the following aspects.

1. Meet the requirements of environmental protection

Because there is no composite plastic film on the package, it is conducive to the recycling of cardboard, and the abandoned packaging box can also be degraded in the natural environment. The varnish used in the printing process contains almost no solvent, and the organic volatile matter emission is extremely small, reducing air pollution and improving the working environment. Compared with the lamination of the laser film, the process method can avoid the solvent residue in the solvent type lamination process on food, medicine, and beverage packaging, and avoid the possible pollution to humans and food, medicine, and drinks.

2. Anti-counterfeiting effect is good

Since the imprint transfer technology is novel, the patterns on the laser film can be customized according to their own requirements, so that the general counterfeiters cannot imitate. And for most counterfeiters in small batch production, it is difficult to master the full set of printing technology and purchase of manufacturing equipment.

3. Local or comprehensive laser pattern printing

According to the needs of the packaging paper design different size, shape of the laser pattern, to achieve anti-counterfeiting, while also beautifying the appearance of the packaging, improve the packaging grade.

4. Effectively reduces printing costs

The pattern of the laser stamping film on the film after stamping is transferred to the paper, and the used film cannot be used again. After the laser film used in the production line is imprinted, the same holographic pattern can be reproduced on the print, and the holographic pattern on the film remains completely, so the laser film can be used repeatedly. If the operation is skillful, the laser film can be reused more than ten times, thereby greatly reducing the cost of the printed product.

Conclusion

Laser pattern imprint transfer and advanced technology, leading technology, its environmental protection and anti-counterfeiting technology security to meet the requirements of international environmental protection and anti-counterfeiting products, but also can beautify the appearance and increase the added value of packaging products, which has caused concern in the packaging printing industry. The process has been applied to the printing of the packaging of domestic brands of cigarettes, and other fields will also be more and more widely used, such as wine, food, medicine, cosmetics, food and other packaging.

Author: Wengchong Xi

Source: China Packaging News