The best way to package a product: corrugated board is robust, flexible and versatile. A veritable multi-talent among the many different types of packaging. And the idea is not only ingenious, but also so simple: paper webs formed into waves lend the material its particular stability and enable the packaging to withstand even the heaviest stresses.

Corrugated board packaging has been inspiring users for close on 150 years with its robustness and an endless diversity of new design and construction possibilities. Thanks to CAD, there are practically no limits placed on the designer’s creativity these days. Our cooperation with HP, which has yielded the widest digital printing press in the world, opens the door to an even wider circle of customers.

At the same time, the light and airy board construction protects the packaged products against impacts and falls much like an airbag does. And so there is scarcely a product in today’s marketplace that comes without a protective mantle of corrugated board. And print turns this mantle into a perfect brand ambassador.

The cosmetics industry would be unthinkable without it: Glass packaging is ideal for liquids and creams of all kinds, for fragrances, lotions and sprays. This is, firstly, thanks to its special properties, and secondly due to the haptic and visual appeal of the materials used. Premium-finished folding cartons protect the products on their journey to the customer, provide information on correct use, and heighten anticipation of the expected effect.

Glass packaging in the form of uniquely designed and decorated perfume flacons catches the eye with its high-quality appearance. It offers the best possible protection for the individual contents and is, at the same, time fully recyclable. That’s what makes it a sustainable packaging solution. For many consumers, the attractiveness of the bottles and pots is part of the cosmetic experience and closely associated with their perception of the brand concerned. More and more companies are realising the power of this unique overall impression and offer their products in luxurious box sets. The elaborately decorated bottles and jars are frequently re-used and may even be collected as designer pieces.

They are ‘the boards that mean the world’ – but you don’t necessarily have to go to the theatre to find them. Our choices of flooring, cupboard fronts and wall panelling are decisive in turning an apartment into a home, or an office into a place where you can feel at ease. Living spaces are as diverse as the options that decor printing offers. Interior decorators working on ships, trains or mobile homes also give preference to elements with printed designs. After all, laminates and modern composite materials are especially light compared to solid wood or stone, and help to reduce the overall weight. Moreover,
printing is significantly faster, more sustainable and less wasteful in terms of natural resources. With printed wall or ceiling panels, it is even possible to imitate paintings and frescos, in order to lend each room its own individual style.

Whether for a stone-like finish or concrete look, for rustic oak or tropical wood, for checked patterns or jungle print: what counts in decor printing – alongside personal taste – is the quality of execution, and factors such as colour accuracy, repeatability and light-fastness. In addition to qualities like these, the typically short runs and rapidly changing trends are drawing increasing attention to the capabilities of digital printing presses.

Catalogues and decor samples help us to weigh up the enormous variety of decors for a given environment and then make the right choice. But commercial printing can do much more besides. Brochures, leaflets or business cards can be found in practically every package, providing information on the products and their individual properties, on upcoming fairs and events, or simply just the relevant contact details.

Books, medicines, spare parts, even cookware sets. There is almost nothing that would not be ideally protected in a cardboard package. Food delivery boxes like this one may even contain much more Koenig & Bauer than immediately meets the eye. The spaghetti for dinner are bundled in sustainable folding cartons, and the accompanying sauces arrive in the kitchen safely and hygienically in a classic can. Special treats such as gingerbread or lavender tea are often packaged in elaborately designed tins or metal boxes. In many cases, the tins themselves are collector’s items and are re-used over and over again. All these packaging variants have one thing in common: they hold a wealth of information that has been added to the substrate on highly efficient printing presses.

The production-relevant data is added during the packaging process. Product marking has therefore become an inherent part of our daily lives. Good coding is a quality indicator and product safety feature, and at the same time enables producers to connect with the consumer. A quick scan of a QR code, for example, provides information on the individual points of the supply chain or tips for optimum use of the product. In addition, the package contents must be identified and characterised in accordance with EU legislation: best-before date, batch tracking number, production date, codes and logos. With a wide range of coding and marking systems using diverse technologies, we offer solutions to match all your particular tasks.

Banknotes are as omnipresent as they have ever been. Despite the fact that digitalisation continues to advance in this area too, physical cash is for many people still the preferred or only available means of payment. Alongside the seemingly obligatory pair of socks, you are much more likely to find cash in a gift from the family than a bank transfer receipt.

And as long as cash still exists, there will also be people who try to counterfeit it. Given the rapid technological progress that characterises our age, ever more stringent demands must be met by banknote printing in order to stay one step ahead. Transparent, tactile markings and patches – all these security features can be printed thanks to modern solutions. The ValiCashTM app allows the authenticity of banknotes to be verified in seconds with the aid of a smartphone.

Security is one matter, but pleasure is another. There are many ways to lend cash gifts a personal note. One unique, contemporary option is to use the SMILLTM app instead of a greeting card. As soon as a registered banknote is scanned using the app, any images, texts, voice messages or even videos that have been saved for the recipient are displayed. Which all shows what is possible when print and digital go hand in hand.

Different countries, different tastes. Frequent travellers are not the only ones who know that regionally typical foods often leave a lasting impression. Whether as a treat for ourselves or as a holiday souvenir for those we left at home, one of the most popular choices is local confectionery, which later catches attention with more than just its exotic taste.

Such sweets are usually sold in flexible packaging. Why? Because it is especially light and easy to carry, provides optimum protection for the contents, and stands out among familiar products thanks to attention-grabbing packaging designs. When printing flexible packaging, the machines must satisfy high demands if they are to achieve a top-quality end product. On the one hand, the specific properties of substrates such as plastic films must be taken into account. And then there is a desire for individualisation and attractive finishes. Thanks to the modular design of our high-tech machines, more printing units can be integrated as an option to accommodate additional processes such as coating in a single machine pass.

Online trade is booming in the confectionery and food branches, too. Alongside primary packaging using plastic films or metal, secondary packaging is therefore also becoming increasingly important in these market segments. Individualised folding cartons guarantee safe transport and round off the customer journey.

What happens with packaging once it has fulfilled its primary purpose? Your children or pets might be delighted with a new toy or play hide-and-seek in your large and often colourfully printed cardboard boxes. At the end of the day, however, most packaging will be disposed of. Corrugated board, paper and carton are 100% recyclable, even in their processed state. And Koenig & Bauer is tirelessly working on ways to ensure that printed packaging is also sustainable and recyclable. One good example is the food-safe water-based ink used by Koenig & Bauer Durst in its digital print process, which meets all the
lifecycle-based environmental performance criteria defined for certification according to the UL ECOLOGO standard.

Environment protection and resource efficiency are topics that influence and guide not only our activities, but also those of our customers. To make the entire print process as sustainable as possible, we are developing specific measures to reduce resource consumption. Together with our partners in other supplier industries, we are working on environment-friendly substrates and consumables. Thanks to the significant proportion
of fully recyclable steel and grey cast iron components, the recycling performance of our machines and equipment is correspondingly high.