INX International's Color Perfection Magazine, Issue #2

International Issue INX International Publication, Volume 1, Issue 2 www.inxcpmag.com

SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

FUTURE TRENDS IN COLOUR WITH TREND SPECIALIST LAURA PERRYMAN

MARKET TRENDS:

DAVID BECKHAM’S HAIG CLUB WHISKY NOW AVAILABLE IN CANS

CANNED WINE COMES OF AGE

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, INX Europe

CHEERS TO OUR INTERNATIONAL ISSUE INSIGHTS FROM PETER LOCKLEY

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s in many industries, the can decorating and canmaking industries have needed to be incredibly flexible, to say the least, in this challenging year.

The packaging supply chain has adapted to new demands as key ingredients have been rerouted to provide essential items like hand sanitizers. At the same time, suppliers continue to develop ink innovations, pursue significant sustainability goals, and nurture the circular economy in terms of recovering the resources and products being used today.

Despite the amazing upheaval, the metal container business has risen to the challenges. The market for cans produced and

INSIDE COLOR PERFECTION Cover image courtesy of: Diageo © 2020

2 INSIGHTS FROM PETER LOCKLEY 3 ‘TOURING’ INX UNIVERSITY 4 MARKET NEWS 13 NEW PRODUCTS 2

decorated for beer, soft drinks, wine, and other beverages that we serve at INX International continues to grow, and has been remarkably resilient.

projects that track behaviors, evaluate design disciplines, and unearth consumer and market trends to understand what drives packaging design.

Many key workers considered essential are now valued in a way they perhaps weren’t previously.

We hope this change lasts; it’s indeed a welcomed one.

In fact, while metal beverage packaging growth remains strong in Europe as it has for years, recent U.S. expansion has become very robust as well. Overall, it’s a positive outlook around the globe.

We also uncover valuable insights from Shaun Thompson, our Technical Services Director – U.K./ Europe, who relates some of the challenges customers face in the two-piece can industry and recalls his extensive travels around the globe. Shaun also discusses his printing ink design, manufacturing, and technical sales and service experience.

Another positive we’re sharing is this: our second issue of Color Perfection™ magazine, an international edition, filled with brand design and metal decorating industry news from around the world. We hope brand owners, canmakers, and designers will find information they can use. Our feature story explores ink colour and decorating trends with Laura Perryman, a colour expert here in the U.K. She conducts colour research

Have you or your team enrolled in INX University, our free eLearning platform for INX customers and partners?

INX U offers a structured approach to ink-related problem-solving activities and is designed to improve the overall two-piece metal design-to-market process.

Accessible from a desktop computer or a mobile device, the platform is easy to use, and students may take the self-paced courses on their own time.

There have been so many advances in canned wine that it can be described as a movement. In fact, wine marketers large and small are opting for metal cans when packaging their varieties to spur sales. Some are even trying the direct-to-consumer route to grow sales. We also have an update on the winner of our first INX Can Design Contest, Crown Brands for Cerveza Indio’s Barrios de los Muertos. We highlight our German acquisition, RUCO Druckfarben, offer practical ink colour management practices, technical tips and much more.

We hope you enjoy this special international issue, especially if you’re homebound and have more time to spend reading. We wish you the best as we all press on and look forward together.

Peter Lockley, President, INX Europe INX International Ink Co.

FEATURES 7 CANNED WATER MAKES CHARITABLE SPLASH:

Part of a thoughtful program, festively decorated aluminum cans and bottles feature inks from major program sponsor, INX.

8 COVER STORY: THE DESIRE OF COLOUR:

We view the kaleidoscope of current and future trends in colour and design with trend specialist Laura Perryman and her team at Colour of Saying.

12 UNCANNY COLOUR & DESIGN TRENDS

Laura Perryman finds that several emerging global colour schemes are affecting metal beverage packaging, incorporating ecological, industrial and earthfriendly influences.

16 CANNED WINE COMES OF AGE

It’s the metal can’s time to shine, as the containers are having a moment with wine. The ‘movement’ isn’t slowing down.

What’s more, big brands are using metal cans to grow directto-consumer sales.

14 MEET THE INX EXPERT

Thriving in the ink industry throughout his career, Shaun Thompson loves just about everything about ink.

INX Color Perfection Magazine

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re you working in the two-piece metal decorating business? INX has established INX University, an educational platform for the graphic arts industry, designed for marketers and converters, can designers and production personnel.

Specifically created for the two-piece metal decorating market, the professional development program offers online metal decorating courses for INX customers and partners.

Accessible from a desktop computer or a mobile device, the easy-to-use e-learning platform provides access to technical material, diagnostic information, and professional development training for those involved in graphic arts.

Dave Waller, Vice President of Sales – North America Rigid Packaging, says the decision to offer the metal decorating courses stem from the interest generated by the highly successful INX Color Perfection™ program. “We leveraged our leadership in metal decorating inks and colour management technologies to develop distinctive courses and share rich knowledge with brand owners, designers, and metal decorators. This will help with multiple cost-saving advantages and improve their overall design-to-market process.”

More than 150 beverage brands, breweries, canmakers, design agencies, and other beverage marketers use the INX Color Perfection system to get their cans to market quickly.

THE COURSES Seven of the courses feature expert instruction in twopiece metal decorating and match INX’s philosophy to share access to technical material, diagnostic information, and professional developmental training. inxcpmag.com

LEARN FROM THE INDUSTRY’S THOUGHT LEADERS

beverage cans among other packaging. “The course was also useful to our decorating team to refresh its knowledge and emphasize good practices in handling ink and colour. It can also serve as a setup and troubleshooting guideline.”

USER-FRIENDLY PLATFORM Registered users may take any or all the self-paced courses on their own time, with convenient pause-andresume functionality built in.

Their knowledge is tested at the conclusion of each course, and certificates of completion are issued with a successful score. In a special Resources Library, users have access to technical product information, best practices documentation and work instructions.

“The course is flexible and allowed us to complete it at our own pace and convenience,” says the team at Kian Joon Can Factory Berhad.

E-learning courses are designed to improve the overall two-piece metal design-to-market process. Users learn proven methods and reinforce their existing knowledge and skills to achieve accurate, reproducible, consistent colour throughout a global network.

Four Colour Series courses cover such topics as measurement, instrumentation, tolerance, and an explanation of why it is important to measure colour, as well as the factors affecting a visual, subjective assessment of colour.

Three Production Series courses include Ink 101, decorating setup and troubleshooting. This series introduces the ingredients, manufacturing, and quality control of INX two-piece metal decorating ink.

A Colour Tolerance course provides a basic understanding of Delta E colour difference measurement.

“Overall, we found the course we took very informative and a good choice for beginners on the basic knowledge of colour, ink, printing issues, setup and troubleshooting,” notes a user from Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad in Malaysia that produces tin cans and two-piece aluminum

A Colour Instrumentation course provides a general explanation of common gauge types used to measure colour and their features.

“I want to take another course in decoration,” states Mohamed Ahmed Arafa from Mahmood Saeed Beverage Cans & Ends Industry Co., Ltd. (MSCANCO), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Most of the decorating course instruction contains information not readily available anywhere else, Waller points out. “Given INX’s long history in metal decorating, we’re able to provide unique resources and sound information to assist our colleagues in the industry. We recognize your time is valuable, so we’ve made learning the material as flexible as possible.”

INX UNIVERSITY Why Measure Colour?

Colour Instrumentation Colour Measurement Colour Tolerancing Ink 101 Deco Set-Up Troubleshooting Register for a course today by visiting inxuniversity.com

There’s something for everyone at INX U. Watch the video about INX University metal deco program.

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2020 European Pigments Report Points to Growth A recent pigments report shows active ingredients, such as intermediates and pigments, are a concern during COVID-19 and beyond. Europe is facing the issue of what will happen to demand once the lockdown across the region to combat the coronavirus outbreak (COVID) has been lifted. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World EcoEU nomic Outlook report in April 2020 predicted that after a double-digit plunge in the gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, the 19-country euro area would record an average 7.5-percent drop in output this year with similar decreases in the remainder of the region.

See what’s trending in metal

UK

DAVID BECKHAM’S HAIG CLUB WHISKY Now available in cans Hoping to make a splash in this summer’s sales by introducing whisky to a wider audience, Haig Club, the single grain Scotch brand co-founded by David Beckham, has launched a range of pre-mixed cocktails in cans. The brand, owned in part by London’s Diageo, is offering 33cl of ready-to-drink cocktails in two flavours: Haig Club Clubman with Root Ginger Ale & Lime; and Haig Club Clubman with Crafted Cola.

The classic combination of ginger ale and lime gives drinkers a “zesty citrus” hit while the sweetness of the cola complements the whisky’s “smooth toffee, butterscotch, and vanilla notes,” a Diageo press release says.

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“We always like to push boundaries and try new things, and it is exciting that we are continuing to innovate with Haig Club.

These pre-mixed drinks are convenient, taste great, and arrived in stores just in time for summer. I love the new cans, and I can’t wait to see what people think,” Beckham said.

The cans share the same striking electric blue packaging graphics as the whisky’s distinctive square glass bottles that take design cues from the world of fragrance.

Suitable for socially distanced picnics and barbecues, the mixed drinks can be enjoyed chilled straight from the can, or over ice with a slice of lime.

In 2021, this would equate to an average GDP growth in the eurozone of 4.7 percent, according to the IMF. By next year, the global pigments market could start to return to pre-COVID annual growth levels of approximately 5-6 percent, with paints and coatings accounting for much of the increase, the report emphasized.

Although parts of Europe’s market for printing inks and their raw materials, such as pigments, will continue to be undermined by intense competition from online media, inks are likely to expand into new markets. The report considers the surge will be mainly the result of new formulations enabling a greater variety of inks to be printed on a wider range of substrates, with opportunities for versatile colour designs.

Europe is also able to use its strong research and development position to generate new pigment technologies, especially for special effects and to meet the current desire for stronger and more brilliant colours. As the industry begins planning for the post-COVID period, it is strongly assessing the benefits of having more European-based sources of pigment supply.

INX Color Perfection Magazine

RUCO Druckfarben Acquisition Expands INX European Offerings In June, INX International Ink announced that it finalized its acquisition of RUCO Druckfarben, a well-respected medium-sized manufacturer and system provider of highly specialized printing ink.

Based in Eppstein, Germany and employing approximately 150 people, the company DE has representatives in more than 70 countries and a blending and warehouse facility in Wood Dale, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. The international printing ink firm produces low migration UV screen, pad, gravure and flexo inks and lacquers. By entering the German market, INX, the third-largest North American manufacturer of printing inks, is expanding its position in Europe.

The transaction secures the future prospects of the long-established German company RUCO through expanding its market access in the INX network.

Moritz Hartmann was named Managing Director of RUCO on June 1. “This transaction is a milestone in our corporate history,” Hartmann said. “Despite the COVID-19 crisis, we expect a stable business development – especially in the food and pharmaceutical packaging segments.

Our activities there are regarded as system-critical.”

ENJOY THE TASTE OF A ‘RADLER’

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ow is the perfect time to enjoy a Grapefruit Supreme beer from Surly Brewing. A citrus and beer concoction influenced

by German radlers, popular as summer refreshers, the fizzy grapefruit brew has a bright citrusy flavor, gentle tartness, and a crisp, citrusy finish. A cousin to a shandy, a radler means cyclist in German, and caught on with recreational cyclists as a low-alcohol thirst quencher.

Surly released Grapefruit Supreme in six-packs and 12-packs in March. Radlers are typically low-alcohol beer “cocktails” that until recently,

were pretty much unknown in the U.S., but enjoyed in Austria and Germany.

Stiegl’s Grapefruit Radler from Austria became a prime example. Naturally cloudy in appearance because of the grapefruit juice, this mixed beer drink has a pleasant, tangy taste. As the American craft beer scene continues to explore and

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embrace esoteric and farflung styles, summer radlers have come into fashion all over the globe with clever, eye-catching can graphic designs. To make your own radler, you can use Amundsen Brewery’s Run To The Pils craft pilsner, for example, which features boldly coloured “radical” illustrations of skeletons running across its cans. In fact, dozens of incredible illustrations emblazon Amundsen’s large beer range including dessert scenes, birds, snakes, Vikings, and skeletons of all kinds, each one exploding with color.

"We will now drive the planning for the investments at the Eppstein site forward," said Peter Lockley, President of INX Europe. "Among other things, we are aiming at expanding our capacities in the flexible packaging sector. We will also focus more strongly on environmentally-friendly products that deliver unsurpassed performance and quality that minimize negative impacts."

Moritz Hartmann

inxcpmag.com

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Get to market quicker with the INX Color Catalog

Scan the QR code to learn more about INX Color Perfection and to subscribe to the magazine. Or visit inxcatalog.com

CANNED WATER

MAKES A SPLASH programs in Guatemala and Tanzania. Helping kids in U.S. hurricane areas, CW4K has sent truckloads of drinking water to Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and provided water during the water crisis in Flint, Mich.

Providing fresh drinking water for kids and families in need, Canned Water 4 Kids distributes aluminum cans and aluminum bottles, festively decorated with INX International's name on the side panel.

C

lean drinking water is something many of us in the U.S. take for granted.

But when disaster strikes in areas where pollution or contamination make the water undrinkable, access to this valuable resource becomes critical. Canned Water 4 Kids (CW4K), a charitable organization based in Sussex, Wis., provides clean drinking water for kids in developing countries and for disaster relief in the U.S.

that clean and bring water to children without drinkable water. INX has been involved from the start because Stromberg was working there full time when he created the nonprofit.

In August 2020, INX marked its 12th year supporting CW4K. “INX has also helped coordinate and finance the water deliveries in our disaster relief efforts,” Stromberg adds.

Founded in 2008 by Greg Stromberg, a retired Metal Deco director of national accounts at INX International, the 501(c)(3) charity ensures that 95 cents of every dollar donated from sales of the water helps fund programs

“It seemed like a perfect opportunity for the packaging community to come together and give something back,” he says. “We soon encouraged the [packaging and inks] industry to embrace and support us.”

CAN-DO SPIRIT

inxcpmag.com

Additionally, CW4K’s efforts include the digging of wells where clean water has been badly needed, installing water filtration systems, helping to build water purification plants and assisting other

The recyclable, sustainable aluminum 12-oz. pull-top cans and 16-oz. resealable bottles (the latter from Ball Corp.) are brightly decorated with happy, playful graphics that act as a billboard for the cause of clean water, using multiple colours of ink that INX provides free of charge.

Recently, some 300,000 16-oz aluminum bottles have been decorated with INX International's name on the side panel.

To learn more about CW4K or to make a donation, please visit cannedwater4kids.com

The eye-catching graphics were designed by Peter Gorman; VN Graphics provided the colour separations. Novelis has donated a substantial amount of the aluminum cans.

Nearly one million containers of water have been provided over the project’s 11-year existence, Stromberg says.

He thought of the idea years ago. “I was originally inspired by my grandfather, a dentist who fixed people’s teeth during the Great Depression for free if they couldn’t pay.

Canned water promotes the sustainability attributes of the aluminum container, which benefits our environment.

Best of all, we’re helping children today, so they have a chance at tomorrow. Every time you buy and drink our water, you are making a difference.”

GT

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INX Color Perfection Magazine

The

Desire of Colour

UK

Laura Perryman and her team at Colour of Saying are agents of change, painting portraits of the future for packaging.

Uncovering emerging trends that drive colour choices and graphic designs, the consultancy inspires designers and brand owners to show their brands’ true colours.

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or beverage brands reviving or extending product lines, updating metal packaging with new colours and/or decorative effects, research plays a key role in how to attract more consumers.

It’s vital for brands to understand what influences and motivates their target audiences today and especially going forward. Laura Perryman, a popular colour trend specialist and material designer in the U.K., has a lot to say about what’s trending in colour and packaging graphic design and their roles in the consumer buying process. Perryman’s firm, Colour of Saying (www.colourofsaying.com), is a Northeast London-based experiential colour/design agency empowering brand owners, canmakers, and other organizations with colour and material trend insights and forecasts to effectively influence their product innovations and market successes.

The group uses assorted aesthetic sleuthing techniques to gather details, searching broadly across design disciplines, consumer trends, trade shows, and more. They synthesize findings into designs and themes that form the basis of an inspiration “kit” for clients and their internal design teams.

inxcpmag.com

COMPELLING CAN COLOURS In the U.K. and Europe, aluminum containers are seeing an uptick in interest among beverage packagers. More packagers favor aluminum for its increased portability, sustainability, and light-blocking properties.

Europe will continue to offer great opportunities for aluminum canmakers, due to the decision by the EU parliament to ban single use plastics by 2021 along with growing stringency of other environmental regulations. In recent years, aluminum cans have enjoyed increased popularity in Eastern Europe and Mexico with the growth in high margin products such as energy drinks. North America is the biggest consumer of aluminum cans, followed by the European Union and Asia-Pacific, reports aluminiuminsider.com.

Creating eye-catching looks for the shiny cans, Perryman often brainstorms with package designers on a broad basis, exchanging ideas on finish, colour, and other aesthetics before the design team acts. Her colour research tracks behaviors and evaluates design disciplines to understand what drives packaging design today and tomorrow.

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Unique packaging featuring intriguing, sometimes limitededition graphics is often held onto by consumers as a keepsake, Perryman says.

ORDER YOUR METAL COLOUR CATALOG Start streamlining your colour from concept to can with over 600 colour swatches printed on metal for a true representation of colour.

“Colour can transform communication in both physical and digital interfaces,” she adds.

“In the coming years, canmakers, beverage brand owners and graphic designers will continue to provide printing and surface decoration, highlighting key consumer motivations. We see the increased need to tackle waste, so systems, products, and services that are recyclable and reusable will only increase in importance. A big driver like the environment is pushing smaller, innovative trends.”

KEEPING A FRESH LOOK Consumers increasingly focus on what’s new and original, and beverage brands are working harder to maintain recognition of their products.

Colour preferences and associations are incredibly valuable for brands to hone, Perryman observes.

“Consumers gravitate toward the cutting-edge, and as the digital world merges with the physical, we will navigate new, exciting opportunities in experience and sensory design. We encourage designers to push the boundaries. We help them take that leap, to challenge

printing processes and effects, to find innovative, distinctive solutions that add depth.”

Consumers emotively associate with previous colour experiences, she continues.

“Colour is visually encoded in sensory mechanisms in our memory and brains. Using our research, we match colour tones and hues with flavor profiles representing product contents or taste expectations. Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how rarely it's actually done in the industry.”

SURFACE EFFECTS RESONATE DEEPLY Perryman knows retail brands have just seconds to attract a consumer’s attention and make an impact on their buying decisions. While colour is a key influencer of package design, surface and tactile effects also prompt product purchases. Colour of Saying shows clients how to gain a better understanding of aesthetics with textural impact or atypical structures.

These trends may take on additional importance in the coming years, with innovative embossing and decorating techniques using specialty inks. “We are already seeing awe-inspiring 3D graphic design masterpieces, thanks to modern technology (AR, AI, motion tracking and the democratization of 3D render technology),” she adds.

BREWS NEWS Nowhere have new graphic and creative colour designs been more prevalent than for craft beer and seltzer packaging to strengthen brand recognition and heighten consumer appeal.

Bedecked with snappy sayings, unusual colour schemes and all manner of bold, new artistic styles, these cans are more expressive than ever.

Whether whimsical, dramatic, intricate, or muted, the looks and finishes elevate the experience consumers have each time they enjoy a beer, according to Perryman.

Designers may also push the envelope with surface iridescence to create exciting textures. And brightly coloured, psychedelic graphics are being used by several craft brewers, including Astronomical High & Hazy IPA from Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville, N.C., U.S., Terrapin High & Hazy IPA from Athens, Ga.-based Terrapin Beer Co., and Beervana Summer Edition from Sweden’s Brutal Brewing.

New developments in satiny overvarnishes lend a soft luster and reflectance to metal that elevates a brand and enhances its look and feel, Perryman emphasizes.

“Fluorescent, sparkling, matte, and stone-like effects have also been produced.”

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INX Color Perfection Magazine

always needs to tell the brand story, communicating bespoke messaging and building a deep connection with customers, Perryman notes. “We create bespoke reports, predictions, and palettes for companies and specific markets, using a form of creative material and intelligent colour enquiry.

INTENSIFYING THE SPECIAL EFFECTS Perryman’s group has discovered many other ink colour trends, such as an increase in saturation, brightness, and potency, as exemplified by the jewel-toned ombre effects on slender 33cl aluminum cans for a line of premium health drinks called Mude, from U.K. beverage company The Naked Collective. Other can designs opt for light pastel hues, and playful, sensorial, schemes like those used by Covington, Ky.-based Braxton Brewing for its fruity line of Vive Hard Seltzer and Sparkling Water and the soft sheen and springtime colours on certain cans of Crispin Hard Cider from the eponymous Molson Coors-owned company in Milwaukee.

Others are going with deeper ink colours, and clean, minimalistic graphics.

“Some designs use fewer colours overall, opting for bright, opaque shades,” she says. Pastel-toned cans of the U.K.’s fruity Dash Water sparkling water feature bright blue paintbrush swaths that look as if they were handmade. Arctic Summer Polar Hard Seltzer from Boston’s Mass Bay Brewing Co. uses the bright can finish as polka dots covering the cans. And Anheuser-Busch InBev’s new Babe sparkling wine in sleek, tall, clean white cans features only one colour presenting the brand name and variety. inxcpmag.com

Considering the coronavirus, brands will need more than well-designed packaging to make an impact going forward, reports Perryman.

Emerging technologies, special effects, digital transformations, and perhaps the Internet of Things will enter the beverage markets of the future.

“Programmable Photochromeleon ink developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an emerging technology that may be commercialized one day,” she suggests. The ink changes colour and pattern when exposed to the light of certain wavelengths.

Temperature-sensitive thermochromic inks are widely used today in metal can decorating to deliver excitement and interactive experiences, with great success. Graphics displayed on Coors beer packaging, for example, have employed thermochromic colour-tocolour ink technology that changes the label images from one colour to another and back again when exposed to lower and higher temperatures. Some inks will even disappear on the labels when chilled, revealing hidden designs or messages.

Photochromic inks undergo a reversible colour change when exposed to the light of a particular frequency or intensity.

Benchmarking what’s happening across other industries is an insightful way to help drive new thinking for package designers,” Perryman explains.

“Understanding consumer behaviour is a major key to aesthetics and colour.

Subtle shifts in shade can completely change how we view or perceive or interact with a product or surface.

Colour is one of the most fundamental elements of design, but its power to transform is often overlooked or dismissed as simply decoration. Colour demands our attention, communicates ideas, connects us together and offers a richer experience of the world around us. It's definitely part of the future.”

Colour demands our attention, communicates ideas, connects us together, and offers a richer experience of the world around us.

Laura Perryman. Colour of Saying

To truly resonate with consumers, packaging

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U ncanny

colour& design trends Among the many emerging colour trends affecting metal beverage packaging, Laura Perryman highlights three noteworthy global examples:

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RADICAL ECO

INCOGNITO/HYPER PEARL

AN EARTHY TOUCH

Perryman’s definition of this trend is one bursting with energy, optimism, and organic elements. Millennials and Gen Zs identify with this movement, as well as consumers who approach eco-consciousness with joy, playfulness, and fun, or who seek organic-based products and experiences. Hallmarks include bursts of raw colour, vegan without being drab, superfoods, and 100-percent “natural” and real ingredients.

An unobtrusive, less-ismore look, Incognito is underpinned by minimalism.

Driving this trend is the assertion that consumers prefer navigating undercover to purchase freely without pressure, “sweeping away conventional signifiers of age, race, gender, and style,” Perryman notes.

Characterized by rustic looks, metal beverage packaging will emphasize the Earth’s beautiful, natural landscapes as well as consumers’ heightened environmental awareness.

“Radical Eco is about a much bigger movement than just a passing trend,” Perryman indicates. “It’s about the transparency of natural ingredients in more tactile ways.”

Mouth-watering flavors, fresh and vibrant surfaces are echoed in effects from tactile coatings to vibrant ink colours, and appetizing finishes inspired by the juices of freshly cut fruit (beetroot purple, strawberry red and just-picked carrot orange).

“Imagine a can with fruit stains, organic swirls, and contrasting glazed glossy/ matte surface effects,” she suggests.

Incognito’s understated elegance can be conveyed via distinctive, subtle surface effects. A stripped-back approach using little ink and branding can be perceived as a luxury statement, she says. “Bare metal effectively communicates the ability to recycle effortlessly.”

The Hyper Pearl movement features iridescent pearl films and metallic-pearl effect surfaces that take on a light, semi-transparent quality. This is amplified by a growing interest in digital technology, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and the increasing use of digital filters and tools. Think futuristic looks, transparent shiny surfaces over matte surfaces, lustrous finishes, and sheen that creates an aura of elegant simplicity; dark shimmering shades can create drama.

The Human Nature trend refers to eliminating waste, (think refillable, functional, reusable packages), “wholesome” colours, and textures, graphics that convey a brand’s values, a local connection, integrity, and authenticity, Perryman mentions.

“A lot of soft drinks are being driven by the rise of wellness ingredients, so healthful ingredients and added health benefits are breaking through the competition,” says Perryman. Patinaed surfaces, worn, dry, and weathered elements also characterize this trend. Gentle colours, raw tactility, and “beautiful” imperfections also figure into the theme.

INX Color Perfection Magazine

Hot & New Products

SPECIAL EFFECTS: Metal Decorating

When you want to say it more powerfully, say it with INX coatings, inks, and special effect pigments.

INX's new products reflect our worldwide commitment to the metal decorating industry. Our R&D division continues to shine by utilizing the latest technology to bring new products to market.

The global reach and service infrastructure of INX International, together with the brand innovation capabilities of partners such as Chromatic Technologies (CTI) offers package converters specialty ink innovation. Our special effects technologies for metal decorating include freshness indicators, photochromic sunlight inks, high-velocity thermochromatic inks, thermo ink for tabs, crowns, and closures and reveal inks.

TACTILE INKS For Two-Piece Metal Decorating Why not add texture as well as colour? AP Tactile Inks are high-strength, thermoset, low-misting inks that are formulated BPA-free and print well on plain, clear, and white base-coated drawn and ironed aluminum and steel cans. The inks will cause special exterior coatings to reticulate, resulting in a textured feel. Use at a recommended fountain temperature range from 95-105 degrees F (35–40.6 degrees C). For more information, contact the Metal Decorating Division at 704-372-2080 or inxinternational.com inxcpmag.com

INX EnviroFriendly Inks Building on our commitment to formulate safe and sustainable products that have minimal negative impact on the environment, INX has developed AP EcoCan, a new sustainable ink option for high-speed, two-piece metal decorating. It is the first to receive a Material Health Certificate at the Gold level from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. The eco-friendly ink will commence manufacturing as pigments become available, using only materials that have been optimized and do not contain any X or Grey assessed materials/chemicals.

Offering low VOCs, BPANI, excellent transfer, good mobility, low misting and abrasion resistance, when the ink system is commercially available it will work with water reducible clear coatings and Isopropanol or glycol cleaning solvents.

The new ink development is a direct result of conversations with brand owners about their sustainability efforts and the contribution of metal packaging to a circular economy. For inquiries, email inxinternational@inxintl.com.

UV LED CURABLE INKS For Flat Sheet Metal Decorating UV LED technology has been around a while, but it’s new for metal decorating. Designed for printing and fabrication on sized or white base metal coated substrates, the INXCure® PrintPro LED base system is formulated to cure under LED 395-nm lamps and exhibits excellent cure response.

Base colors are mono pigmented, and pigment selection is based on resistance to solvent, heat fade due to light, and color permanency. These properties depend on pigment concentration.

All bases are not intended for retort/sterilization and will require a specific color combination for optimum performance. The same cure requirements that are used for ink which cure by UV Mercury lamps apply to UV LED. Ink cure requirements depend on ink film thickness and color, substrate, and condition of the LED lamp system.

For more information, call your INX representative or visit inxinternational.com.

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UK

MEET

INXPERT SHAUN THOMPSON Technical Services Director – U.K./Europe

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n ink expert in the industry for nearly 35 years, Shaun Thompson might have “ink running through his veins,” as he has been thriving in the industry throughout his career.

Shaun’s many technical and commercial positions have allowed him to travel extensively all over the globe. “I love meeting people,” he says. “I don’t think I could find something I don’t enjoy about this industry.” Shaun began working for INX U.K. last August in the new position of Technical Services Director. His role combines technical services with overseeing operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. “I can’t believe it’s been a year that I’ve been with INX,” he says.

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Shaun has worked in technical sales and service and business and sales management for a variety of ink companies. Most recently, he served as global sales manager for twopiece can inks. In fact, 33 of his 35 years in the industry have been devoted to the twopiece beverage can sector. “Shaun’s wealth of experience gives him the understanding of the challenges our customers face in the two-piece can industry, and he knows how to provide them with the support they need,” says Peter Lockley, President of INX Europe. “I am proud of our Technical Services teams in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and Shaun’s global knowledge

INX Color Perfection Magazine

is helping them to develop further as we continue to expand our market-leading position.”

Shaun’s first job was in the lab of an ink company. Skilled in school at math, chemistry, and physics, he enjoyed technical roles and worked as many hours as possible.

“I did some qualifications in the design and manufacture of printing ink, which was supported by my first employer. I have constantly strived to improve myself, set high standards, and am always reaching for the next level. I also learned to speak German and took a Technical Sales Manager position in Germany.”

Early on at INX, he visited several customers and got to know his new colleagues before the travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus limited those meetings.

Shaun has spent the last several months at home, working on his laptop. He admits this was a bit of a culture shock after many years of international travel.

Responsible for technical services and in-plant functions throughout Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa, Shaun says he’s very lucky to work with an excellent group of managers of in-plant teams, as well as a fantastic tech service team. Working together, they determine if training is needed on certain systems or new product support is required, and he makes general visits to the group.

Shaun also spends time developing new initiatives and updating existing ones by setting up performance indicators the team regularly monitors to ensure continuous improvement.

One of his main initiatives for INX Technical Services is to ensure the group is well

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trained, well-rounded and flexible, Shaun says “I’m keen to push our team to ensure INX offers a support level that reflects our marketleading position.”

CONTROLLING BRAND COLOURS Despite the economic challenges posed by the coronavirus, the Tech Services team and its business haven’t slowed down. “The food and beverage markets remain quite robust. Going forward, consumers will continue to demand environmentallyfriendly packaging solutions,” Shaun says.

He sees packaging trends from certain EU and Middle Eastern brands favoring multi-serve formats. “Multiple pack sizes and flexibility seem to be the key things at the moment, and more customers and brand owners are exploring ways to develop designs from digitization through to production, which requires spectrophotometers.

They are looking for ways to fine-tune production and speed up the process as well as colour management and communication around the world.”

Shaun considers this critical for customers. “The ink maker and canmaker face the gradual introduction of spectrophotometers. While this equipment has been around for a number of years, its introduction to our industry has been relatively slow. More brand owners are realizing the advantage of controlling their brand colour, so we are seeing an expanded use of colour digitization and the use of spectral values in the design generation phase. INX’s Color Perfection™ is an excellent example of how this can work. As more brand owners embrace the use of digitized

colours for design generation and spectral values for controlling brand identity, the partnership between the ink maker and canmaker needs to become stronger.

By working and learning together, we can expand the use of spectrophotometers beyond a simple tool for Pass/Fail, but also to utilize them to control usage and thereby costs.”

As the world’s leading ink supplier with a number of production sites globally, INX International is well placed to support metal packaging customers with the flexibility and world-class technical support they need.

“INX was first to market a digitized library of real-life metal colour standards with Color Perfection™,” Shaun observes. “We continue to expand this initiative to support our customers’ needs.”

Working for several years in colour digitization, Shaun is versed in equipment installation and training companies to use spectrophotometry.

Presenting new systems gave him the ability to embrace colour digitization and its benefits. “It also gave me extremely useful knowledge, both for myself and for INX,” he points out.

LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED Today, Shaun is involved in a number of internal and customer-facing continuous improvement projects.

This includes one that follows designs from the reproduction stage through to production, involving looking at gauge repeatability and reproducibility on printing equipment. This assesses how ink prints using various blanket materials, evaluating different people’s visual assessments of a

colour shade, and how the administration and standard operating procedures can have an effect.

“We are leaving no stone unturned,” he concludes.

“We want to further the use of colour digitization in our sector and continue expanding the Color Perfection range. Our R&D facility in Chicago is continually working on new developments and improvements to our existing offerings. There are some exciting developments for cradle-to-cradle ink systems as well as other sustainability improvements.”

SHAUN THOMPSON

Technical Services Director – U.K./Europe

Follow us on all your favorite social Shaun.Thompson@inxintl.com sites for tips, info and more.

Learn more about INX Color Perfection https://inxinternational.com/ products/inx-color-perfectionprogram

Watch INX Color Perfection in action youtube.com/embed/ HNcmk54ICuc

Scan the QR code to learn more or subscribe to the Color Perfection Magazine.

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E

ver spy some uniquely sized cans of craft beer in the grocery store liquor department that look a little different?

As you come closer, you realize they’re not for beer. They’re for wine. The canned wine movement is having a moment. Major brands are adding cans. If the trend keeps surging as it has been, with sales growing in the vicinity of 79 percent in just the past year alone, cans will go from having a mere moment to becoming a mainstay.

It’s not out of the question. Packaging is the calling card of a product, making the first impression for a brand. It’s key for a prospective consumer purchaser, so the can decoration and colour usage needs to be high tech and dramatic. Graphics have never been as vivacious and creative, and ink colours are coming into focus.

Deep into summer, we’re seeing many canned wine options, but market analysts

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THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE Cans are having a moment in wine’s ecosystem. Wine marketers are discovering the possibilities of metal cans when packaging. In fact, some call it the “canned wine” movement.

And that’s not all. Some big brands are using metal cans to grow direct-to-consumer sales.

say wine in aluminum cans is still in its infancy. In the early 2000s, the U.S.-based Francis Ford Coppola’s Winery introduced sparkling California wine in pink cans under the Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs label (see previous issue of Color Perfection™ Magazine). Though not the first company to try aluminum packaging for delivering fresh, young, quaffable wine, the pedigree of the producer, the packaging of the product, and the promotional punch (at the time the cans were marketed as perfect for “the ‘Sex and the City’ crowd”) helped kickstart an industry.

Ben Parsons, another early adopter of the canned wine movement opted in 2011 to put wine in tall, 250ml cans, with monkeys on the label. His decidedly innovative move led to many other well-known innovations in cans. The brand, Infinite Monkey Theorom Bubble Universe, is a prime example of the branding potential.

INX Color Perfection Magazine

CANS ON THE RISE Wine in cans are now in vogue. In 2012, the total sales for canned wine hovered around $2 million. Canned wine sales skyrocketed in the U.S. in 2017, up 54 percent, the highest growth rate of any alternative wine packaging.

The research group Nielsen reported that 73 percent of survey respondents indicated when picking a packaging type, ease of carrying was a significant consideration.

“Packaging will focus on the convenience of slim cans and alternative [structures]," the research firm points out. "One of the pockets of growth for wine globally is in cans. Wines from New Zealand, with potential also from Eastern European countries, wines in cans and other alternative packaging, wine spritzers and winebased cocktails in cans are especially noteworthy,” Nielsen continues.

AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR South Africa’s first canned wine, Lubanzi, is new to the scene. This globally-minded brand is raising the bar for the entire canned wine market.

Every can of wine is sustainable, fair trade-certified, and 100-percent vegan.

Also new is Santa Julia, from Argentina’s Zuccardi winemaking family. As with Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s brand, it is named after the winemaker’s daughter. Zuccardi produces a trio of wines in stylish 375ml cans from organic vineyards. Their rosé of malbec is worthy of popping the top and pouring into a glass or two. They also produce a red blend of malbec and bonarda under the Tintillo title, which is a inxcpmag.com

Victoria Mason, Waitrose’s wine buyer, said the launch “reflects key trends within the industry. Canned wine is becoming increasingly popular and we’re proud to be adding two excellent effervescent English wines to our successful range.”

Wine in cans are now in vogue.

full-on red wine, as well as a crisp steel-aged chardonnay.

Canned wine is increasing in popularity in the U.K. The drinks were “tipped to be a common sight at outdoor events” this past summer as Britons reached for an alternative to glass bottles.

And this year, an English sparkling wine in a “tin” became available in U.K. supermarkets.

U.K. winemaker The Uncommon has made around 150,000 cans to satisfy British drinkers’ demand for the “in vogue” drinks. Waitrose became the first U.K. supermarket to stock the canned wine in a dry and crisp bubbly white and a fruity pinot noir bubbly rosé. Both are low in sugar, vegan, and reportedly made using high-quality, hand-harvested grapes from vineyards in Hampshire, Surrey, and Kent. Department store Selfridges has also started stocking the drinks.

Most cans being used for wine are 100-percentrecyclable. They keep the wine cool, are lightweight, and practically unbreakable compared with glass bottles.

The smaller sizes are enough for a single serving, which is a good way to keep track of calories. Drinking canned wine is becoming increasingly popular in the U.K. for its convenience, and the drinks are so far a common sight at outdoor events this summer, as Britons seek alternatives to glass bottles.

A REFRESHING CONVENIENCE Much of canned wine’s day in the sun has to do with millennials and their acceptance of the convenience and environmental upgrade of cans. Some of the buzz also has to do with their appeal during the current coronavirus pandemic keeping people at home indoors. But the upward curve doesn’t look to be slowing soon. Millennials prefer the more portable packaging and attributes of being single serve; you don’t have to buy a whole large glass bottle if you only want one or two servings. Younger consumers feel there’s less of a stigma about what constitutes an appropriate package for wine.

A bottle is no longer seen as the only option.

In fact, cans are able to display imaginative, captivating graphics all the way around, providing an attention-getting advantage.

Cans may be the better

option for several other reasons. They preserve freshness and flavor and their sustainable nature is a big selling point for conscientious consumers.

There are many ways to look at the environmental impacts of cans versus glass, but it is indisputable that cans weigh considerably less than bottles and produce a smaller carbon footprint when shipped. Evidence also shows cans are more likely to be recycled. Cans are also easier to take along to outdoor events and have elements of the active lifestyle younger wine consumers covet.

Aspects of new wine development include the use of packaging consumers want, such as smaller container sizes — cans of 375ml, 187ml or even 120ml. The wine brand Empathy, just purchased by Constellation Brands, may follow this brand strategy going forward. Producers are still experimenting with the perfect size can for wine, but a single serving of 187mL is most common.

As more major wineries step up and respond to the dramatically changing consumer preferences, opting for cans may be next.

Whatever the size happens to be, the need for dynamic and exciting branding is strong.

In response, ink colours for cans will deliver the desired effect. Let’s celebrate this environmentally-preferable and lucrative trend with a nice can of wine soon.

More wine in can news on the next page 

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O

ne coinciding trend emerging along with major brands of wine getting into cans is in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail wine business. With more ready-to-drink offerings in cocktails, lower-calorie IPAs, hard seltzers in cans and “lifestyle-oriented” drinks available globally, suppliers and distributors are devoting more energy and investment into their e-commerce efforts.

Considering the coronavirus pandemic, consumers are filling more of their overall shopping needs online—and not via a store trip, Nielsen reports. Thus, wine brand owners are looking to the direct-to-consumer market, which has continually grown over the past decade.

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Canned wine fits this niche well, as many new brands from new and bigger players, along with the introduction of new flavors, formulas, and different packaging structures from existing players, will help to fuel the growth, Nielsen adds. And as Ryan Harms, owner, and winemaker of Union Wine Co. notes, “Putting wine in a can saves on packaging costs." (He estimates 40 percent less.)

WINES DIRECT TO CONSUMER One of the forerunners, Empathy Wines, a DTC brand owed by entrepreneur and media personality Gary Vaynerchuk, caught the eye and the taste buds of Constellation STZ Brands.

Constellation announced in July it would acquire Empathy Wines. New York-based Constellation, one of the largest alcohol producers in the U.S, owns several popular wine, beer and spirits labels — including Kim Crawford, among others — and sells its products at nearly every alcohol retail store across the U.S. Five years ago, the company said it would spend $315 million to acquire California-based Meiomi, an up-and-coming brand nearing 700,000 cases. Now, it’s banking on Vaynerchuk’s direct-toconsumer brainchild to win on the digital shelves.

“We believe the competitive environment will heat up quite dramatically, and are taking a really critical, bold, and innovative step

forward that will give us a competitive advantage,” Robert Hanson, president of Constellation’s wine and spirits division, recently told Forbes. Launched in early 2019, Empathy, described as a sustainable brand sold through an e-commerce platform using digital marketing, carries a price tag of $20 a bottle. Empathy has sold 15,000 cases as of July 1 (approximately $3.6 million in revenue), according to the Forbes article.

Constellation’s move underscores the growing interest in selling wine outside of the traditional three-tier system. The emerging DTC wine business, though currently small, may help build a more direct relationship with consumers, a strategy that appeals to millennials, according to Constellation’s CEO Bill Newlands.

Hanson noted that sales through wholesalers and brick and mortar retailers

comprise more than 90 percent of the company’s current wine business. But DTC shipments — currently representing less than 11 percent of the overall $29.8 billion wine market, have more than doubled in size since 2011. That’s why Vaynechuk was so interested in debuting a “digital brand.”

He sees working directly with farmers, cutting out wholesalers and retailers, and selling consumers a $40 bottle of wine for $20, as a great growth opportunity.

Empathy canned Rose & Bubbles, bursting with fresh berries and watermelon, is available in a 250mL can.

DTC brands are checking off real critical mass in other product categories (Warby Parker eyeglasses and hightech foam bed mattresses from Casper and Leesa), Vaynerchuk reasoned. And if American wine drinkers embrace wineries cutting out the middleman, perhaps Europeans will as well.

According to Wine Analytics, the DTC channel hit $3 billion in 2018 in the U.S., up from $2.66 billion in 2017, and suggests there is huge potential in this channel for wineries.

INX Color Perfection Magazine

Crown BRAND-BUILDING PACKAGING MX

OF MEXICO CELEBRATES INX CAN DESIGN CONTEST WIN

C

rown Brands for Cerveza Indio’s Barrios de los Muertos received the top award from INX International Ink in its first Colored by INX Can Design Contest in April.

Presented with an engraved trophy with the designed can mounted inside and an award certificate endorsed by INX, Crown Brands developed the eye-catching designs for the Indio “Barrios de los Muertos” beer, brewed by Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V. in Monterrey, Mexico.

Cerveza Indio, a dark beer that has been brewed and sold in Mexico since 1893, features a promotional 473ml can label that required bright saturated colours to emulate the importance of the barrios de los muertos (neighborhoods of the dead), a traditional celebration in Mexican towns for the Day of The Dead (Dia de Muertos). A vivid and colorful design, Crown’s festive graphics featuring skulls and skeletons in bright saturated INX colours was designed by Esveydi Rossano. The design showcases the many benefits of using INX Color Perfection™ for metal packaging. INX International devoted the competition to graphic designers and brand owners using the INX 2-Piece Metal Color Catalog and its corresponding INX Color Perfection Digital Color Library in the design of the can submitted.

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control over the digital file. It also allowed us to orient and direct the client from the start and avoid many pilot tests, which saved us a lot of time. We took advantage of the vast spectrum of colours in the catalog to make our products stand out with the different transparent, opaque, and bright varieties of colors.

Thank you, INX, for creating the Color Catalog. It helps us do our job more efficiently.”

Oscar Ocampo, another of the graphic designers involved with the project, also expressed his gratitude. “Winning the INX award is a little sample of the high printing quality we’ve been doing in Mexico. It’s the result of the joint efforts of many people during many years.”

Added Jesus Mariscal, “The use of the catalog helps to make customers aware of the tones that can be given with an adequate application of ink, which makes our printing processes efficient.”

Rossano and the production team responsible for the winning entry continue to find exceptional value in using the INX Metal Color Catalog on new projects, and in their quest to create another award-winning design to defend the title next year.

“I’m so proud of all the people on production, in the offices, our suppliers in Crown Mexico; behind all of the cans there is passion for our job,” stated Rossano, the graphic designer who submitted the winning entry. “Having the INX Color Catalog allowed us to have more

“The INX catalog (which includes the INX Digital Color library) allowed us to reduce the time it takes to get an approval from our clients,” added Jose Antonio Nateras. “They can easily pick it up and see the color they want to use, which also allows them to make color combinations and experiment with their designs and have a real reference they can trust for the color fidelity of their labels.”

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