Leading potato producer Branston recently launched their new nationwide ‘Pic on a Pack’ initiative, an opportunity for consumers of prepared potatoes to have their photos printed on to packs of Tesco Parmentier Potatoes.
The first of a kind competition has been made possible due to the introduction of cutting edge, digital print technology used by Ultimate Digital to produce flexible packaging. The complete digital workflow used by Ultimate Digital offers a fast turnaround design to print process. Unlike conventional print which requires numerous printing plates and ink changes, digital print requires no plates and no job change-over, this makes the personalisation of flexible packaging possible as various designs can be printed consecutively.
Mark Wilcox, Branston Technical Manager
“The ‘Pic on a Pack’ initiative is a way of getting people talking about our great products in a category that’s hard to generate any noise. Tesco were very keen to embrace the project and saw the benefits in linking directly with their customers. We’ve worked closely with the Ultimate Digital team to deliver the first digitally printed, personalised lidding film in Produce. Using digital print has made the project possible as each impression can be different, there are no plates involved at all! Digitally printed personalised labels have been around for some time but personalised flexible packaging is a new and exciting opportunity.”
Important for Ultimate Digital’s customers the business has recently been accredited with ISO9001, ISO14001 and BRC Safety Standard, which means the company can now digitally print food packaging for all food brands and retailers; a major accolade for the company and a first for the UK marketplace.
Chris Tonge, Ultimate Group Executive Director
“The past year has seen the business commit a great deal of skill, hard work and investment to develop digital print technology to produce flexible packaging for the food sector. I am proud and excited to say that following detailed audits and independent testing Ultimate Digital now have the capability to produce digitally printed food contact packaging for brands and retailers, which confirms our status as a market leader. The use of our Smart Digital Workflow ensures we can deliver files to the digital press quickly and accurately, streamlining the process from design to finished pack. The ‘Pic on a Pack’ project is a key example of what can be achieved when using digital print to produce flexible packaging”
