QTL Prints Custom Halloween Wrappers Using Digital Technology
Quality Tape and Label (QTL) has produced the world’s first HP SmartStream Collage packaging for King of Pops. HP Indigo’s new automated variable design software allows converters to produce tens of thousands of uniquely designed wrappers, which QTL did for King of Pops’ Halloween line. And QTL did this in just eight days.
The Halloween series features unique wrappers for five flavors: pumpkin chai latte, spicy red devil, caramel apple, witch’s brew and boooreo cheesecake.
“Thanks to this specially designed edition, we were able to motivate our sales force. Regional managers pre-booked events and we sold out quickly,” says Leonard Jenkins, King of Pops production director. “We asked QTL to urgently print additional wrappers in one week so we could prepare our facility for additional production.”
The first print run of five SKUs on the HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press totaled 18,000 wrappers, with an additional 25,000 printed in one week.
Running its business with 90 percent digital printing, QTL recently implemented HP SmartStream Collage software for its HP Indigo digital presses for labels and packaging. During an innovation-driven meeting with King of Pops, QTL pitched the idea of using Collage to promote the customer experience with their wrappers. The design teams at QTL and King of Pops collaborated to create the unique Halloween-themed wrappers.
A plug-in for Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator, Collage works within SmartStream Designer to take design elements and distribute them randomly by algorithm according to rules. Using the software, virtually unlimited quantities of unique designs can be created. Very large quantities of designs can be created and processed into PDF print files using the cloud-based HP PrintOS Composer.
“The benefit of Collage is that it preserves the brand design consistency and then adds in the design elements, which can be seasonal or flavor images, in a minimalistic and controlled fashion,” notes Rob Daniels, president, QTL.
“Halloween is our favorite time of year to have fun with flavors and packaging. When we heard about this new software, we felt it would be perfect for this run. We also posted wrappers on our social media creating a lot of excitement,” says Danielle Maskery, designer for King of Pops.
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