While many packaging designs offer shelf impact to draw attention visually, other options are available to engage consumers’ other senses when the product is touched.
Actega, a manufacturer of specialty coatings, inks, adhesives and sealing compounds for the print and packaging industry, has introduced new coatings that enhance the visual as well as the haptic impact of shrink-sleeve labels.
The new products include coatings designed to create highly tactile, impactful shrink sleeve effects. By applying the Hybrid AQ-UV Soft Touch Coating and UV Wet Touch Coatings, users can produce packaging designs that perfectly represent the product itself, such as wet-touch coatings on a beverage bottle or the soft-touch finish on a tube of luxurious, conditioning moisturizer, or the brand image.
“Brands are constantly looking for ways to differentiate their products to stand out on a competitive store shelf, and these new coatings are designed with the consumer experience and brand identity in mind,” explains Wolfgang Hoffmann, Actega’s head of market management, EMEA, Labels.
In addition to these advanced coatings, Actega’s new UV and Solvent-Based Silver Inks, including a Solvent-Based Rainbow Silver, have been launched for brands and converters looking to create a dramatic metallic shine. Converters can also opt for these silvers instead of a traditional foil finishing process, enabling better recyclability of the finished container, and reducing waste associated with applying foil.
These new products, alongside a new UV Matt Coating and UV Shrink White Ink, enhance Actega’s extensive range of functional and special effect coatings for shrink sleeves.
The coatings and inks work on all common substrates, according to Hoffmann. “Shrink sleeves are a fast-growing market, providing 360º coverage and the highest flexibility in container shapes. By continuously developing and innovating our portfolio of products, we aim to ensure that our customers can stay competitive and take advantage of the many business opportunities available in this sector.”
Research studies confirm the format’s solid growth: one report forecasts the global heat-shrink tubing and sleeves market at a CAGR of 5.9% between 2021 and 2031 to reach a value of $1.8 billion in 2021, while another values the shrink- and stretch-sleeve markets at $10.4 billion in 2020 to reach $15.6 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 6.5%.
