Columns

  • Tiny type labels do not serve customer interests

    Labels with tiny type are a customer disservice—one that can be avoided by getting thoughtful and proactive about how labels can be developed. There are a variety of ways to refer consumers to more extended sources of information off-label via…
    Mark Lusky 09.06.19

  • All the little lies

    If you are trying to improve your marriage, do you think the marriage counselor says, “Be sure to tell lots of little lies.” Do you know what I mean by a little lie? “Traffic was bad. It took longer to get home.” It&r…
    Rock LaManna 09.06.19

  • Is it first?

    An effective safety program reaches into all areas of a business.
    Jack Kenny 09.06.19

  • French leave

    With Labelexpo Europe on the horizon, you could expect Europe’s label sector to be in a white heat of frenzied activity. Except that it isn’t, or at least not in August in France. The minimum length of annual paid leave here is five weeks…
    John Penhallow 09.06.19

  • Palm oil

    Several issues ago I wrote about synthetics, manmade chemistries, if you will. I had numerous e-mails about that one, some positive and some not so positive. Such is life! But I have a post script to that column. I just read a wonderful opinion piece…
    Calvin Frost 09.04.19

  • Emulate showcases why label design,print quality are so important

    Donnelly, ID-based Emulate Natural Care, Inc. attests to the power and profitability of having well-designed, professionally printed custom labels. A woman-owned business founded in 2003, Emulate is a major contributor to the local economy, has recei…
    Mark Lusky 07.10.19
  • IML makes hummus packaging sustainable

    IML makes hummus packaging sustainable

    Lilly’s Foods, an Oregon-based company leading the hummus and salsa categories with its non-GMO, small batch recipes, touts 100% recyclable packaging, including tub and label. The brand has made efforts to commit to increasing sustainability ov…
    07.10.19

  • Your brand promise can last a lifetime

    Can you imagine being at the negotiating table to sell your graphic arts business and having a luxury brand name like Ferrari, Tiffany, or Rolex? How incredible would it be to command the top selling price because your company name is so synonymou…
    Rock LaManna 07.10.19

  • The patch: an intimate look

    A converting challenge, transdermal patches continue to evolve.
    Jack Kenny 07.10.19

  • Evian spelled backward

    I was going to discuss the ROI on EPR in this column.  Some of you would say, “What’s he talking about?” Very simply, the return on investment on extended producer responsibility. But, right now we’re sitting on a powder…
    Calvin Frost 07.10.19

  • Weapons of mass instruction

    In the old days, all you needed to run a press was a high-school education and a set of spanners. Nowadays, at places where label gurus meet, you cannot throw a spanner without hitting a lecturer in one or other of the arcane specialties of the label…
    John Penhallow 07.10.19

  • Hiring Grandma: Altering workforce assumptions to consider different solutions

    These days you can’t attend an association meeting or industry event that doesn’t have some kind of presentation, workshop or breakout session associated with workforce development. Ask any owner or senior executive at a label manufacture…
    Jennifer Dochstader 06.03.19

  • Food labels often hype instead of help

    Products claiming “natural,” “farm fresh” and “keto” properties often do a disservice to their customers, who latch on to the hype without drilling down into the food label ingredients to assess nutritional benefit…
    Mark Lusky 05.31.19
  • Solving the ‘Single-Serve Coffee Crisis’

    Solving the ‘Single-Serve Coffee Crisis’

    Step aside, coffee pods. Take a rest, instant coffee. There’s finally a single-serve option available in the world of high-end coffee, and it’s quickly becoming a game changer.  Santa Cruz-based startup Steeped, Inc., to…
    05.31.19
  • When bad behavior infects your company, integrity is the cure

    When bad behavior infects your company, integrity is the cure

    My father taught me to nip bad behavior in the bud. Bad behavior is lying, cheating, stealing, bullying, unfair treatment, or anything that compels an honest and upright employee to head for the door. Left uncorrected, bad characters infect others…
    Rock LaManna 05.31.19

  • Blog yourself

    Taking online communication to the next level.
    Jack Kenny 05.31.19

  • Chemistry is the culprit

    There’s something going on that doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’m going to divert from my “scheduled” topic, but it’s necessary. I’ve been reading about chemistry (Bill and David, do you remember Chemistry 101…
    Calvin Frost 05.31.19
  • Cherishing plastic

    Cherishing plastic

    In this column, your correspondent recently reported the death of IPEX, the packaging show that for many years was billed as Britain’s answer to drupa. Now another UK show is aiming to rise up and take over the mantle. The combined Packaging In…
    John Penhallow 05.31.19

  • Make labels do more to inform, inspire customers

    With the evolution of technology and transparency, labels are becoming ever-more robust and informative. Amid all this excitement, however, is the day-to-day routine that can stifle creativity and initiative. When you’re seeking ways to superc…
    Mark Lusky 04.05.19
  • Flexible packaging design winners

    Flexible packaging design winners

    The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) has announced the winners of the FPA 2019 Student Flexible Design Challenge.
    04.05.19