THE DEMAND FOR SMARTER

LABEL SOLUTIONSThe quest for intelligent, clever

and smart labels

Mike Fairley

Director Strategic Development

Labels and Packaging Group, Tarsus

The demand for smarter label

solutionsImagine a world where labels can be used to:

Keep food fresher for

longer

Absorb odours

Stop moisture

deterioration

Detect gases

Minimise counterfeiting

Prevent tampering

Offer proof of process

control

Reduce theft

Detect or kill bacteria

Monitor expiry dates

Indicate when food or drink is at its optimum to consume

Provide compliance

Enhance food safety

Reduce theft

Monitor or track temperature change

and Communicate with consumers

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Are these requirements part of the

future?

No, all of them are already being done

today or are close to market

acceptance

The demand for smarter label

solutions

The future is all about making labels more

clever, smarter and more intelligent

The demand for smarter label

solutions

But why are label buyers and users

looking for smarter and more intelligent

label solutions?

The demand for smarter label

solutionsKey reasons for making labels smarter

To aid the automation of distribution,

handling and storage operations

To provide proof of process control

To offer a means of authenticating

products or packs

To provide a means of eliminating or

reducing theft

The demand for smarter label

solutionsKey reasons for making labels smarter

To speed up checking and high speed

reading processes

To improve business efficiency and

reduce computer processing time

To minimize product tampering and

unauthorized opening of products or

packs

The demand for smarter label

solutionsKey reasons for making labels smarter

To aid asset management and assist

returns control

To offer data capture opportunities

To provide a means of eliminating

counterfeiting

To keep food fresher for longer

The demand for smarter label

solutionsKey reasons for making labels smarter

To indicate product deterioration

To indicate damage to packs or goods in transit

To offer extended text or multi-language capabilities

To give exciting opportunities for special offers, promotions and competitions

To communicate with consumers

The demand for smarter label

solutionsSo what are the key ways of making

labels smarter or more intelligent?

1. By building in intelligence during label design

2. By using special labelstock solutions

3. Through the use of special inks and coatings

4. By using clever press and converting technology

5. By utilising interactive codes and images

The demand for smarter label solutions

“A world of new solutions”

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Reviewing the benefits of smart

and intelligent label solutions

The demand for smarter label

solutionsBenefit

To aid the automation of distribution, handling and storage – including tracking and tracing, data capture and proximity/remote reading

Means of achieving

Simple bar codes

Multiple bar codes

Peel and place codes or numbers

Snowflake codes

Matrix codes

Magnetic or optical codes

Electronic product codes

RFID smart labels

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Aiding the tracking and tracing of products

or packs

Simple, complex or Radio frequency tags

multiple codes printed incorporated in labels

on labels

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To provide proof of process control or proof of proper storage or handling requirements

Means of achieving

Temperature indicating labels for cold (e.g. chill cabinet) or high (e.g. sterilization) indication requirements

Shock indicators

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Temperature indicating

labels to provide

correct storage or

usage conditions

RFID temperature tracking tag for

pharmaceutical and other cold chain

applications

The demand for smarter label

solutions

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To offer a means of authenticating products or packs

Means of achieving

Invisible print or codes

Special designs or images

Holographic images

Biological/DNA coding

RFID smart labels

Hidden print

Special labelstocks or inks

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To provide a means of

eliminating or reducing

theft (retail, commercial

or industrial)

Means of achieving

Labels or tags that

incorporate:

Radio Frequency (RFID)

Electro magnetic (EMID)

Acousto-magnetic

(AMID)

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To minimize product

tampering and

unauthorized opening

of products or packs

Means of achieving

Tamper evident labels

Tamper resistant labels

and seals

Void labels

Ultra destruct labels

Special security labels

Shrink seals

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Tamper evident and

tamper resist shrink

labels around the

neck of bottles and

jars

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To provide solutions to reduce or eliminate counterfeiting or unlawful copying

Means of achieving

Anti-counterfeit and anti-copy substrates

Security designs

Security inks

Security print

Trace coding

Biological encoding

Optical encoding

The demand for smarter label

solutionsBenefits

To keep food or

drugs fresher for

longer

Means of achieving

Anti-microbial labels

Oxygen scavenging

labels

Ethylene scavenging

labels

Moisture absorbing

labels

Odour absorbing

labels

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Self-adhesive oxygen

absorbing label to

increase pack

performance and

efficiency

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Elimination of oxygen

and the management

of moisture in

pharmaceutical packs

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To indicate product

deterioration

Means of achieving

Microbial growth

indicators

Freshness indicators

Leakage indicators

Time/temperature

indicators

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Hydrogen sulphide

indicating label to

warn of pack

leakage and

disruption in the

cold chain

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Oxygen

indicating label

to warn of pack

leakage in

modified

atmosphere

packaging

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Foodsmart label

used to indicate

the freshness of

fruit

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To provide exciting opportunities for special offers, promotions and competitions

Means of achieving

Peel and reveal labels

Scratch and reveal labels

Aroma and scented inks

Frost or condensation look images

Glow in the dark images

Holographic and thermochromic inks

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Specially printed label

stripe on the side of

bottle that will glow in

the dark – for use in

low illumination

nightclubs

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Benefits

To enhance drug

safety. Labels that

can calculate

dosage information

on drugs and

medicines

The demand for smarter label

solutionsBenefits

Labels that

communicate with

consumers through

mobile phones,

including QR codes,

SnapTags and

Augmented Reality

The demand for smarter label

solutions

What’s in the pipeline for tomorrows labels?

New developments in nanotechnology, including:

nano-coatings

nano-sensors

smart dust

microwire

Biological encoding

DNA encoding

The demand for smarter label

solutions

So what is the downside to providing smart/intelligent label solutions?

Converters need clever, intelligent and creative personnel that can come up with ideas and applications

They need clever converting technology and presses

They need intelligent and creative sales and marketing personnel to put the benefits to customers

The demand for smarter label

solutions

Conclusion

“Smart label converters should be

developing smart label solutions

for a smarter and more profitable

future”