Smart Packaging Printing - What Do Packaging Printers Need to Know?

Packaging is currently the centre of intensive research that is being carried out regarding new technologies that integrate digital data on a package. This has been fuelled by developments in electronics technology, materials and processes that have the potential to create packages that can carry digital - machine readable data. These developments concern in particular, new materials (such as printed polymers) and tagging applications (such as RFID and EAS systems) which are described as "Intelligent", "Smart" or "Active" packaging. One matter of particular interest is how these types of digital information can be integrated and implemented into the existing production workflow of packaging, which is normally consisted by the processes of packaging design, prepress, printing and finishing.