Flint Group Packaging Solutions prepares for LOUPE Americas

Flint Group Packaging Solutions will bring a new identity to the similarly refreshed LOUPE Americas. To learn more about the newest trends and how the company’s latest engineering will stand out to attendees, L&NW sat down with Anna Niewiadomska, Marketing Manager, and Paulo Vieira, Global Key Accounts Technical Director & Packaging Coatings Director.

L&NW: What are your expectations for LOUPE and the new format?

AN: The new LOUPE format is exciting and represents a natural progression for the event, building on its proven past success while delivering additional value for visitors. We see it as a great fit for Flint Group Packaging Solutions as a business, as we already operate across labels, flexible packaging, and paper & board. The broader scope simply reflects the reality of many of our customers’ businesses today.   

The reality is that, for the most part, converters and brand owners are seeking new ways to optimize performance and sustainability across their entire portfolio. The expanded portfolio of LOUPE creates a more relevant environment for holding those conversations and demonstrating how integrated solutions can support them moving forward.   

For us, LOUPE remains a key platform to engage with customers and partners across North America. It provides an important opportunity to demonstrate how Flint Group supports the industry as a solutions partner rather than solely a supplier – delivering inks, coatings, and digital print technologies alongside value-added programs that improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support regulatory and sustainability goals. It is an event that fosters meaningful discussions on collaboration and innovation, and we are very much looking forward to attending again. 

L&NW: What products will the company highlight at its booth?

AN: Our primary focus will always be on inks. Our focus is to present Flint Group Packaging Solutions as an integrated supplier of inks, coatings and digital print solutions.     

As it pertains to inks, the solutions we deliver are integral to achieving high-quality, safe, and more sustainable printing. At LOUPE, we plan to showcase our UV LED technologies across the EkoCure range, alongside our water-based ink systems. Both ranges are designed to help printers improve energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact while maintaining consistent print quality. We will also highlight our Flexocure LEAP ink series – a food contact material solution for the US market – which helps to simplify regulatory compliance and testing.   

Alongside these inks, we will highlight a selection of our coating solutions for converters seeking to enhance their prints with added functionality, protection, or visual impact. Moreover, our teams will be ready to discuss technologies that support recyclability and circular packaging goals, such as our Evolution coatings and primers.    Our intention is to show how our ink and coating products work together as a complete system for achieving quality, efficiency, and sustainability, rather than as standalone products.   

And, to round out our unique integrated approach, we will highlight our Flint Group Digital Xeikon business and our digital consumables and engine technology. Visitors to our stand at LOUPE see demonstrations of three state-of-the-art engines running live digital print jobs. 

L&NW: What trends are you seeing with coatings?

PV: One of the main shifts we have seen in relation to coatings is the move away from viewing them as a purely decorative finishing step. Increasingly, coatings are recognised as a core strategic component within the overall packaging design and performance architecture, and are considered earlier in the overall development process as converters recognize the influence they can have across everything from recyclability to durability and brand perception.   

Sustainability, as ever, remains a major driver of this move. Coatings can play an important role in enabling recyclability by facilitating de-inking and supporting mono-material structures that are simpler to reprocess into new material. They also support the growing demand for functional performance in packaging by providing barrier properties, surface protection, and the overall preservation of graphic integrity throughout the value chain.   

Furthermore, the impact of the growing complexity of the packaging landscape on the coatings market cannot be ignored. Converters are frequently handling shorter runs and an expanding SKU count. Consistent adhesion and performance across different substrates are becoming core requirements, and this shift has only reinforced the need for a system-based approach in which inks and coatings are developed to work together seamlessly.  With digital printing being an important part of the growth in packaging printing technologies when addressing the increase in short runs, customized and with more variable printing, Coatings play an instrumental part in both decoration and protection. Flint Group Packaging Solutions’ Digital Coatings portfolio has been a key area of development and expansion.   

In addition, coatings are playing an increasingly important role in brand differentiation. Tactile and visual effects, such as matte or soft-touch finishes, are enabling brands to influence consumer perception and create more engaging packaging experiences.  

L&NW: What are the benefits of Flint Group Packaging Solutions’ newest coating products?

PV: Our coating technologies help converters combine strong visual impact with lasting functional performance. Ranges such as our DecaCode portfolio elevate packaging designs without making them more complex than necessary, avoiding the need for additional laminates or secondary materials. Products can be selected to deliver a range of desired finishes while providing the durability needed to maintain a premium look and feel throughout distribution and handling.   

Consistency is another key benefit of these solutions, as they help preserve color integrity and surface quality from production through to the point of sale or delivery, which is increasingly important in e-commerce-driven supply chains. They also give designers greater creative freedom, enabling distinctive textures and finishes that help products stand out in crowded markets. Importantly, this is delivered with reliable performance across different substrates and print technologies, alongside shorter, more flexible production runs.   

In addition, we intend to highlight the benefits of our Evolution range, which includes a caustic-resistant Overprint Varnish for floatable materials and a De-inking Primer for Crystallisable PET Shrink Sleeves. These products simplify recycling in both PET and HDPE streams, enabling greater quantities of usable material to be reclaimed and aligning packaging performance with circular economy requirements. 

L&NW: How does Flint Group prioritize collaboration with customers ensure they receive the right product for their application?

PV: At Flint Group Packaging Solutions, we work closely with customers to understand their specific applications and end-use requirements, ensuring we match them with the right solution. Our expert team considers all aspects, from colour management and performance to sustainability and regulatory compliance, and places a strong emphasis on reducing customer complexity. This approach supports supply security and the ease of job transfers.  

Our unified organization enables us to combine expertise in inks and coatings and offer a comprehensive portfolio backed by strong technical support. As a result, we can act as a partner to support customers across multiple packaging segments and ensure they achieve consistent, reliable results.