Flexible Packaging: What You Need to Know
Flexible packaging is a cost-effective way to package your product, and with DuraFast Label Company, you can print your own flexible packaging in-house. Learn more about the benefits of flexible packaging below.
What is Flexible Packaging?
Flexible packaging is a cost-effective way to package your product, offering product protection, consumer convenience, and environmental sustainability. Flexible packaging is made of materials like plastics, polyesters, aluminum foils, and paper and includes seals, caps, and other closures.
Common forms of flexible packaging include:
- Stand-up pouches
- Snack food pouches
- Drink pouches
- Meat and cheese flexible pouches and wraps
- Pet food packaging
- Health care packaging
- Bar wrappers and pouches
- Frozen food pouches
Benefits of Flexible Packaging
Flexible packaging offers a variety of benefits over rigid packaging to manufacturers and consumers alike including:
- Improved product safety
- Improved product protection
- Extended shelf life
- Ease of use
- Cost savings
- Better protection of products
- Reduced storage space requirements
- No need for pre-printed packaging
- No minimum order quantities
- Ability to print seasonal and private label packaging
- Economical packaging
- Environmental sustainability
How Flexible Packaging is Made and Filled
Flexible packaging can be made into a variety of shapes and sizes with designs printed on the materials before forming and filling. Thus, the process starts with a roll of flexible packaging film, a printer capable of printing on that film. From there, the printed film is placed in a horizontal form, fill, and seal (HFFS) or vertical form, fill, and seal (VFFS) machine. These machines form the flexible pouches and fill them with product.
It is possible to print your own full color, professional flexible packaging in-house — even for short production runs — with the right solution from DuraFast Label Company. Print on demand means you can print as many, or as few, flexible packaging containers at a time as needed.
How to Get Started Printing Your Own Flexible Packaging
First, you'll need a digital press designed for flexible packaging. DuraFast Label Company recommends the Afinia FP-230, which features the powerful Afinia L901 Plus, a rewinder and unwinder, a laminator, and a slitter. You'll also need flexible packaging film. Once printed, your flexible packaging material rolls will be ready for use in an HFFS or VFFS machine.
- Afinia FP-230 Digital Flexible Packaging Press — This digital flexible packaging press is capable of printing on a variety of flex pack films for both HFFS and VFFS machines. The FP-230 has a maximum print width of 8.5 inches and supports large flex pack film rolls with an outside diameter of up to 10 inches. The inks used by the Afinia FP-230 are EU and FDA food compliant. With a fast print speed of 60 feet per minute and a beautiful, full-color resolution of 1600 dpi, the Afinia FP-230 is a capable flex pack printing machine. Plus, it's affordable for smaller manufacturers wanting to bring flexible packaging printing in house.
- Sihl ARTYSIO Flexible Packaging Films — Optimized for the Afinia FP-230 flexible packaging press, Sihl’s ARTYSIO high-performance packaging films offer strong barriers and sealing properties. ARTYSIO films are ideal for the most demanding applications such as food and liquid packaging, pet food packaging, detergent packaging, cosmetic packaging, and pharmaceutical packaging. ARTYSIO films have been created with product safety and environmental sustainability in mind. Strong functional barriers and seals along with independent certification as "made for recycling" bring the ultimate peace of mind.
DuraFast Label Company offers the tools and expertise to help you print your own flexible packaging on demand. With DuraFast Label Company’s digital printing solutions, it is possible for manufacturers of any size to bring flexible packaging production in-house. Check out our solutions below or contact us to speak with a knowledgeable flexible packaging specialist today.