Screen-Printed Glass Bottles: Your Business’ Competitive Advantage
What’s the first thing customers notice about product on the shelf? Perhaps it’s the shape of the product or what it’s packaged in, but one thing will always grab their attention is its design and composition. When it comes to grabbing the consumer’s attention and reeling them in, the packaging is one of the most important factors. According to Packaging and Purchase Decisions researchers, “Packaging seems to be one of the most important factors in purchase decisions made at the point of sale, where it becomes an essential part of the selling process”.
Alongside its basic purposes – containing the product, keeping food safe of contaminants, and providing product information – your customers are often most likely to gravitate to the packaging that reflects the quality, ethics and price point they are looking for along with a unique design that stands out from the rest. Packaging design should be a part of any consumer products’ selling strategy.
In today’s climate, switching to glass products with eco-friendly labelling has never been more crucial. Over the last ten years, plastic packaging has taken the hot seat when it comes to waste. Glass is a recyclable, reusable material that when used in packaging, is seen as nostalgic and superior quality to the consumer.
With the help of Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL), glass packaging now has endless possibilities to capture the customer’s attention. Businesses that are in search of reusable, eco-friendly, unique and creative packaging whose design goes beyond the traditional label should consider Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) printed bottles.
What is Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL)? How does it work? What are the competitive advantages that it provides? Keep reading to learn more!
What is Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL)?
Here at Stanpac, we understand packaging needs. That’s why we provide our Stanpac Ink service! In other words, we offer glass printing and bottle decorating which uses a direct-screen printing process called Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL).
The Glass Packaging Institute defines Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) as, “a process where ceramic inks are printed directly onto bottles and then heated to adhere the ink directly to the bottle, creating the permanent decoration.” Instead of using paper and shrink-wrapped labels, the design is printed directly on the glass bottle or jar.
Over the years, we’ve been able to perfect the art of Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) and have used this printing process on glass milk bottles, glass jars, wine bottles, beer bottles, kombucha bottles, fresh-pressed juices and so much more!
Glass printing and bottle decorating provides a more aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly and higher quality packaging alternative for a variety of different industries with the dairy industry being one of the most popular industries to make the switch.
How Does The Process of ACL Work?
The process of using Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) on a glass bottle is quite simple to explain, but the behind the scenes process of printing on glass is something to marvel over. In the beginning, the bottle is held at the base and neck then moved to a position where printing can begin. Colour after colour is applied via a printer and up to five different colours can be applied at once.
Once the colours have been applied, the glass bottle or jar is sent into decorating decoration lehr. In that lehr, the jars are heated to 1,185 degrees Fahrenheit where the process of vitrification takes place. Vitrification is when the ceramic ink becomes part of the glass. The glass is then slowly cooled to relieve any stress caused by the high temperatures.
Once cooled, our clients are left with a batch of high-quality glass packaging that can be reused and that will help them stand out from the noise of an overcrowded marketplace. However, that’s just some of the competitive advantages of using Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) printing on glass bottles or jars. Below are four of the competitive advantages that glass printing and bottle decorating have in store for businesses.
What are the competitive advantages?
1. Stand Out From Your Competitors
When designing packaging, there are a few things that should be considered to meet the four following goals: attract the buyer, communicate your message quickly and effectively, establish a desire to have the product and, ultimately, to sell the product. Packaging should have enough of an impact to stand out from the competitors and Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) can help make that goal a reality.
A great way to stand out amongst a sea of packaging with paper and shrink wrap labels is to print on glass bottles and jars! The glass bottle or jar is the canvas and the design boundaries associated with traditional labels are not as much of an issue. Businesses can use any colour desired and even go the extra mile by applying effects like precious metals, glow in the dark etc. This presents brands with a great opportunity to get creative and produce stand-out packaging that is sure to impress and persuade consumers to buy.
In recent years, consumers have become more conscious of the negative impact that their purchases have on the environment. Consumers are actively changing their purchasing habits to reflect their environmentally-friendly values. Glass packaging that is free of single-use labeling is sure to stand out to eco-conscious buyers. Applied Ceramic Labelling (ACL) printed glass packaging is a very eco-friendly choice that fits the three Rs: recycle, reuse, reduce. Glass packaging can be recycled and reused multiple times which in turn ends up reducing its environmental impact.
Many businesses including milk delivery services and craft breweries make reusing their glass bottles and jugs a part of their business model. For example, when milk gets delivered to customers, the milkman picks up the empty milk glass bottles from the previous delivery. The glass bottles are then brought back and are sterilized using specialized Glass Bottle Washing Equipment. Finally, the bottles are refilled with milk, are delivered and the cycle continues!
Interested in learning about why we recommend glass packaging instead of plastic packaging? Check out our blog 5 Reasons Why Glass Milk Bottles Are Better Than Plastic Milk Jugs.
2. The Perception of Higher-Quality Products
With all of the choice that’s available on the market, it is more important than ever that packaging stands out on the shelf, serves as a great first impression and properly reflects product and brand image. Not only do consumers tend to perceive products in higher quality packaging to be of superior quality, it also instills brand trust. According to a study on the impact of consumer product package quality on brand perceptions, “packaging quality has an important role to play in building brand trust that engenders consumer behaviours beyond simple repeat purchase, such as willingness to spend more on a brand’s products”.
Recent research determined that “rising consumer affluence appears to show that consumers are willing to pay more for convenience, appearance, dependability, and prestige of better packages.” In layman’s terms, many customers in 2020 desire and seek products in high-quality packaging.
What does a higher-end consumer find appealing in packaging? According to an article posted on Canadian Business, unique printing and finishing techniques can make your packaging part of your brand. There is something about a heavier, more durable packaging material that screams quality. ACL printing on glass bottles offers all of the above.
ACL gives you the opportunity to expose your product to the market with an already heightened advantage: its packaging. Not only is glass the perfect vessel for conveying value, but it also has superior benefits over paper or plastic products, the best being that it’s 100% inert meaning that you won’t compromise product quality, sacrifice taste or health. Many consumers are aware of the benefits of glass packaging and find value in spending a little bit more for products that come in a glass bottle.
Are you curious to learn more about the benefits glass packaging provides? Check out our blog The Hidden Advantages of Glass Packaging: Why Glass Wins in the Dairy Packaging World.
3. Screen-Printed Glass Bottles are Durable and Reusable
Once your design is printed on the glass bottle or jar, it will last for its entire lifecycle and can endure multiple washes. Even with the most caustic of sanitizers, decorated bottles that have been put through the ACL process will not shed their design. This allows your business or customers to reuse the bottle over and over again. A great way to keep an eco-friendly and budget-friendly business model or gain word-of-mouth marketing without investing any more dollars into your marketing budget.
Gone are the days of single-use plastic bottles, as of 2019, more and more people are switching to reusable water bottles to transport their liquids. Moreover, shrink-wrapped and plastic labels are creating critical issues with recycling with many not being fully compatible with plastic recycling systems in North America.
As your product begins to sell, customers will notice the reusability of it allowing them to use it for other methods (a rising trend with millennials). This is the perfect opportunity to promote the eco-consciousness of your business to a market segment that is hard to reach, but sizeable – millennials make up 20% of the population in Canada and 25% of the population in America.
When it is time to have your bottles cleaned, look no further than our state-of-the-art Glass Bottle Washing Equipment. Holding up to 400 bottles per use, the washer has an output of 34-40 clean bottles per minute, allowing your business to carry on with its regular duties faster than ever.
Our machines are designed with the mindset of reducing the cost and footprint of water, electricity and detergent use making it the perfect machine for your eco-conscious business. Its high-quality standards and advanced technology together with skilled and reliable after-sales service, make this model an excellent choice for any business that requires the cleaning of glass products.
You’re invited to attend Stanpac’s 2020 Refillable Dairy Workshop! Learn more and get your tickets here.
4. Say Goodbye to Paper and Shrink Wrapped Label Related Issues
Warped imagery, overlapping designs and splotchy art is a thing of the past with ACL printing. We recently switched to KBA – Kammann Technologies to ensure that our glass printing is the best it can be.
Have you ever noticed that some paper and shrink-wrapped labels have an “off” quality to them? Common issues include warped imagery, bubbles, wrinkles and slips which compromise brand image and quality perception.
The potential imperfections mentioned aren’t an issue with ACL printing. Even with the most oblong or unique shaped bottles, ACL glass bottle printing can overcome most surface printing challenges that are thrown at it. Using a combination of organic and ultraviolet inks, ACL printing allows for colours that pop, eye-catching designs and decorating bottles from top to bottom.
How To Get Started With Stanpac Ink Glass Printing and Bottle Decorating
Let your packaging be your competitive advantage in the marketplace. There is no better time than now! With Stanpac, it’s easy to begin the glass bottle printing process. As we previously mentioned, the bottle is your canvas so the first step is to provide us with which bottle your company will want to print on. The next step is figuring out what’s going on the bottle. You’ll send us the artwork that you’d like printed on the glass products. An Adobe Illustrator profile is preferred.
Next is deciding how many you would like ordered. Even though we do not carry a maximum or minimum order size, it makes the most economical sense to run at least one pallet’s worth. Price is determined by bottle quantity, the number of colours, the use of precious metals, and the complexity of the design which will provide us with run speed and set up time.
After that, we’ll coordinate a target date for the completion of the order, the day we would need to receive the bottles if you’re not purchasing through Stanpac and any other related packaging and shipment information you see needed to provide us with.
Now that you know why switching to glass bottle printing and decorating is worth it, it’s time to take action! Browse our glass bottle selection and full gallery today. Choose one of Stanpac’s glass milk bottles to achieve that down-home country feeling. They can be used for re-bottling the milk bought at the grocery store or serving milkshakes at your family restaurant or pouring wine at your roadhouse. If you are looking to order your glass packaging from another provider, make sure it is ethically sourced and that they practice sustainable methods for both the planet and their employees.
Any questions? Feel free to call us at 905.957.3326. We look forward to hearing from you!
