Marks & Spencer has become the first retailer to use digital print opening the door to on-demand print for its Summer of Flavour Fruit Jellies.
Andrew Speck, commercial and environmental packaging manager, commented, ‘M&S and Ultimate have worked closely to develop food-approved digitally printed flexible packaging. Digital print allows small volumes of printed packaging to be produced, which enables new products to be trialled in-store. With no need for printing plates and a reduced artwork process, this has opened the door to on-demand print, something that conventional print techniques cannot deliver.’
The digitally printed, flexible packaging has been printed and laminated by Ultimate Packaging, a UK supplier of all the major UK retailers. As an M&S Hero Printer, Ultimate has supported it with the development of design and print standards for a number of key ranges.
The Fruit Jellies design has been reversed printed using only four process colours, plus white, to match the existing eight colour flexo specification. Laminating digitally printed film required specialist adhesives.
J&K Confectionery packed the product using its standard packing line to process and pack the digitally printed film.
Mark Trevethan, J&K Confectionery’s projects and development executive, commented, ‘The digitally printed film laminate supplied by Ultimate was excellent quality, and the packing process ran very smoothly. M&S confectionery products are premium and require premium packaging. The rich colour and fine detail achieved using digital print means the packs will look fantastic on-shelf.’
