Success Story: Ball Packaging Europe decorates cans in photo quality

For its waterless printing technique Ball Packaging Europe received the 2005 Technical Innovations Award in Silver from the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA).

A new type of printing process developed by Ball Packaging Europe led to this innovation which significantly extends the design spectrum.  It is now possible to decorate cans superbly with complicated colour gradients or high resolution photos.

Using so-called waterless printing, Ball Packaging Europe has produced 330 ml steel cans for Ozujski beer, which InBev brewery introduced on to the market in Croatia in March.  The can shows complex motifs in excellent quality which reflect the dynamic image of the brand.

Waterless printing is an offset process which, in contrast to conventional printing methods, does not require water and humidity.  The major benefit of waterless printing is the improved quality of the printing as a result of the high resolution.  The details of the design are reproduced much more distinctly.  Another advantage of this process is the quadrichrome technique which permits the generation of more colour variations.

Thanks to waterless printing it is possible to achieve excellent quality even for very sophisticated can decorations.  This gives customers greater creative scope.  An excellent packaging design is essential for promotional campaigns and also to successfully position new products on the market.