SMART DESIGN

LABELS&LABELING |75
AUTHENTICATING a varnish cryptoglyph secured folding box with an iPhone 4
HOT OFF THE PRESS
CAROL HOUGHTON ROUNDS UP THE
LATEST NEWS IN SMART TECHNOLOGY
Casino is already exploring and
testing the uses for visually impaired
consumers.
But while QR codes can be printed
on the label or package without a
significant impact on price, NFC tags
cost anywhere from 30 to 50 cents
each. More expense is added to the
production process as tags cannot
currently be applied on the package
printing press.
‘Smoothly incorporating NFCs
into the design of the packages
can pose another challenge’ says
AlTai. ‘The NFC forum has created
its own logo so that shoppers can
quickly identify which packages
have these tags. The logo is making
strides in consumer awareness but
some design agencies are finding
that integrating such logos into
the design of the collateral can be
somewhat discordant. Ultimately,
you have to look at the brand goals
and the role packaging plays into
those goals. Packaging designers
now have to work harder to strike
a balance between being on-brand
and also being commercial enough
for consumers to benefit from the
added value of the NFC.’
She concludes, ‘Overall, we are
trending towards richer branded
experiences in-store and having
ITL AND LUMEN TO CROSS-LICENSE
UV LED CURING RIGHTS
Patents held by UK-based Integration Technology
(ITL) and US-based Lumen Dynamics (LDGI) are to
be cross-licensed, enabling ITL products entry to the
North American market and Lumen Dynamics enhanced
access to its European counterpart.
The patents allow for greater control of the curing
process while increasing the energy saving potential of
the process.
A designer and developer of ultra-violet curing
equipment for wide format inkjet printing, static head
inkjet, industrial applications and various new emerging
technologies, ITL first filed its UK and subsequent
European patent in early 2003. Filing its US patent in
early 2001, LDGI operates within the life sciences,
medical devices, optoelectronics and graphics digital
printing markets.
Under the patents, users are able to control individual
segments of a UV LED array to optimize the optical
profile for each application. Applications could range
from simply zoning the array for curing target areas
of the image to more complex scenarios enabling
the identification and exposure of complex geometric
shapes. The Lumen patent specifically addresses varying
power intensity across the array to optimize its cure
efficiency.
ITL and Lumen Dynamics are also founder members of
the recently-formed UV LED Curing Association.
JULY 2012 | L&L