Phase 1 Prototypes, based in Dallas, TX, USA, been adding new interactive layers of dimensional decorative special effects to its projects with an MGI JETvarnish 3D digital print enrichment press from Konica Minolta. The customized optical highlights, reflective foil motifs and surface texture accents are now helping print buyers, agencies and designers to connect with their customers in ways not possible with traditional finishing methods.

Phase 1 Prototypes is a creative workshop and packaging laboratory for brands to create and develop new product designs for maximum consumer shelf impact with advanced printing technologies. The company's work was on display recently at a “Project Peacock Print Fair” event held in Dallas to educate buyers in the marketplace about new opportunities for creative print and package designs.

Deborah Corn of the Print Media Centr created the “Project Peacock” program as a national tour vehicle and traveling roadshow to invite all members of the printing, finishing and packaging supply chain and industry ecosystem to participate in a common, shared dialogue and discussion about the role of print in an omni-channel world of integrated communications, brand marketing and campaign management. This initiative is designed to unite printers with print buyers (brands, agencies, brokers and the graphic design community) with ideas of “Printspiration for the People."

Konica Minolta and MGI have co-sponsored the entire US Project Peacock Tour and invited Phase 1 to contribute some souvenir samples for distribution to attendees. The result was a stellar collection of luxury folding cartons with a wide variety of different JETvarnish 3D effects, including embossed lettering, holographic images and metallic color texture patterns with foils from Crown Roll Leaf.

In less than 48 hours, Phase 1 deployed its MGI digital finishing asset to design, test and create hundreds of fully converted samples for a series of six different luxury packaging containers in consumer product categories, ranging from chocolate to perfume.

A number of boxes were even personalized with names and greetings in small script fonts implemented via JETvarnish 3D embossed Variable Data Foiling (VDF) techniques to demonstrate small-batch, short-run gift, limited edition and e-commerce embellishment packaging applications. This type of rapid prototyping and fast manufacturing highlights the benefits of a flexible digital print finishing infrastructure.

Many of the boxes also featured the logos of the new Printing United expo and Brand United conference that will be held in Dallas from October 23-25, 2019. Konica Minolta and MGI will be unveiling a number of new digital print technology solutions at those events, and Corn will be the moderator of Brand United’s Digital Print for Professionals educational program.

When co-owners Bill Ramirez and Kristin Benna started Phase 1 Prototypes in 2006, they knew that their business model would depend on skilled print finishing expertise to translate creative concepts and artistic designs into physically engaging packaging applications. Therefore, they view the JETvarnish 3D press as “a natural fit” for the success of their future growth strategy. Although folding cartons are a longtime specialty area, they also offer solutions for all types of packaging product segments – including bags, wrappers, labels, flexible pouches, shrink-sleeves and retail merchandising displays. 

Ramirez explains, “We help brands plan the future of their product lines and transform the images of existing products with revitalized new looks and container formats. We often get projects to create new packaging designs a year or two before the products are even launched. The JETvarnish 3D gives us agility and latitude to create as many proofs, versions and prototypes as we need on-demand and then use the exact same setup to start full production immediately. It helps us act as strategic advisors to our clients by giving them new ideas and options to communicate with their distribution channels and customer bases.”

He concludes, “With our JETvarnish 3D system, we can now complete jobs in days that used to take weeks. We’ve also eliminated all of the time-consuming, expensive machine tooling and traditional foil stamping dies that used to be required to achieve premium luxury effects. It’s helped grow our business significantly by allowing us to do what our competitors cannot. We can now implement variable customized images, 3D textured sensory patterns and personalized packaging features faster and better than anyone else.”