Page 44 - FINAT Yearbook 2019

Education
FUTUREPROOFING THE
LABEL AND PACKAGE PRINTING INDUSTRY
It is little more than seven or eight years since the concept of putting together an education and training resource for the label and package printing industry was first conceived. Today, that initial concept has grown into the Label Academy, a global resource of some 15 technical books, two encyclopedias and a comprehensive history of the evolution of the label industry, together with an ever-increasing range of dedicated master classes and workshops. But it’s about much more than that. The Label Academy’s founder Mike Fairley reports about the latest titles.
From the writing of textbooks on the basics of label production that cover the printing processes, label design and origination, codes and coding, die-cutting and tooling, the Label Academy has rapidly expanded in scope, with its latest range of titles designed to provide information, help and guidance to aid this fast-moving industry. With ever evolving new markets and applications, it is vital that it can future proof itself and best respond to the opportunities of tomorrow.
FLEXIBLE PACKAGING
One of the latest
additions to the
Label Academy’s
best-selling book
series is Illustrated
Flexible
Packaging, a
sector with one of
the fastest growing
print markets and
achieving annual
global growth of
around five
percent. It offers
limitless
possibilities for
label converters
looking to diversify, especially into shorter runs, so there was a compelling need for a stand-alone guide. However, it’s not a straightforward entry process, so a key purpose of this new book has been to set out the challenges and give practical ways to navigate these.
It was also designed to be an essential read for those who are either setting out on their flexible packaging journey or looking to expand production. Chapters in the book include: Paper and board, metallic foil, films and multi-layer constructions; Types
of flexible packaging and special constructions; Pre-press, printing and converting; Forming, filling, sealing and lidding operations; Markets, applications and opportunities. Six months on since publication, the book has proven to be our best-selling guide of the year.
SHRINK SLEEVE TECHNOLOGY
Also appearing was the updated Shrink Sleeve Technology, aimed at new and existing converters seeking an understanding of how to produce the perfect shrink sleeve label and appreciate all the complexities involved.
As one of the fastest
growing product
decoration
technologies, with
technological advances vastly expanding the market for shrink sleeve labels, the book set out to provide a clear understanding of the production process from start to finish. Chapters include: Shrink sleeve substrates and their usage; Printing technologies and inks for shrink sleeve decoration; Converting heat shrink sleeve labels – slitting, seaming, sheeting and finishing; Challenges, learnings and the quest for perfection.
FURTHER UPDATED TITLES
Two other (updated) key educational titles have also come out in 2019. The first of these is Inks, Coating and Varnishes: A guide to manufacture, handling and performance. Often
44 | FINAT YEARBOOK 2019