Glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois will print directly to bottles with its new O-I Expressions service.
The digital printing process will use organic inks that won’t impact on the bottles’ recyclability, and will enable clients to lower their inventories to reduce waste. According to O-I, it is suited to meet the increasing demand for short-run and variable data products, including seasonal, limited edition and personalised campaigns.
Additionally, a premium service dubbed O-I Expressions Relief will incorporate digitally-printed tactile effects such as embossing and colour embossing, adding value to their bottles.
The services will first be available in Europe by mid-2019, with America to follow. “Europe accounts for 24 per cent of the global personalized packaging market, and at the same time Europe is a core market for O-I, so it is fitting that the first step of our journey will take place here,” said Vitaliano Torno, president of O-I Europe.
