Hoffmann Neopac, a global provider of high-quality packaging for a broad array of industries and applications, has won a Swiss Packaging Award in the Marketing category for the company’s initial project involving its recently launched DigitAll360° tube procurement service. Introduced earlier this year with an online marketplace, DigitAll360° offers intuitive ordering of digitally printed tubes with high-quality variable printing, precision color matching, flexible batch sizes and expedited delivery.

The DigitAll360° online shop was introduced to address a longstanding desire to provide exemplary products and services even to start-up and niche brands. Neopac has noticed growing demand from start-ups, indie beauty brands, natural cosmetics manufacturers and pharmacies seeking high-quality printed tubes in runs of 2,000-25,000. Via its easy, automatic design-and-order process, DigitAll360° has opened Neopac’s tubes portfolio to smaller, newer brands looking to combine product protection with dazzling decoration. 

The award speaks to the new tool’s potential: Switzerland-based Steinfels was actually the pilot customer for DigitAll360°. The tubes produced were 75ml in volume, 40 mm in diameter, and comprised 64% post-consumer recycled materials. The tubes were digitally printed, and feature a Supersoft flip-top cap. 

Despite being the first commercial order for DigitALL360°, the project was nonetheless a continuation of an existing product for Steinfels, meaning the tubes also needed to enter the market seamlessly.

As showcased by the Well Body foot cream, DigitAll360° can print photorealistic graphics and text on the entire surface of cylindrical containers. Quality control elements include automatic 360° print check with improvement reporting, 360° 3D tube views prior to printing, and test packages for preliminary product compatibility and processability tests. Other highlights include: 

• Unparalleled all-around decoration: True to its name, DigitAll360° offers 360° decoration with no slit or overlap, and also delivers outstanding seam and shoulder printing. As impressive as where it can print is what it can print: highly opaque whites and glosses vividly displayed to make products stand out from competitors. On-cap decoration capabilities also are available. The newest release enables Neopac customers to choose between glossy or mat varnish, and between mat/glossy combination and selective printing.

• Unprecedented digital color matching: DigitAll360° can employ up to 7 simultaneous colors with white and glossy lacquer at up to 600 DPI resolution. This ultra-wide color gamut and micron-level color registration yields photorealistic images and superb color matching ideal for half-tones, gradients and other special hues.

• Digital-level variability: Digital printing also makes variating decorations or text far more economical. From mosaic printing, promotions and prototypes to packages printed in different languages, DigitAll360° offers unsurpassed versatility.  

• Quick delivery: Neopac can deliver DigitAll360° products on short lead times – typically within four weeks. This overcomes a consistent industry challenge for printing with this level of style, sophistication and brand impact. 

• Increased Sustainability: From initial decoration to product manufacturing to consumer recycling, DigitAll360° delivers major sustainability enhancements and reduces environmental footprint throughout product lifecycles. The service offers a mono-material PE and PCR (post-consumer recycled) tube portfolio, and digital printing also helps lower resource waste and consumption as well as energy and chemicals usage. In the near future, Neopac’s  PICEA™ wood tube will be added to the webshop portfolio.

The Swiss Packaging Institute’s Swiss Packaging Awards honor outstanding packaging-related achievements and solutions. The annual competition showcases the robustness and creativity of Switzerland’s packaging industry. Winners are entitled to enter the World Star Packaging Awards, the international competition recognizing the world’s best packaging innovations.