INX Color Perfection Newsmagazine Issue #6

T HE

UTU R E IN

THE FUTURE IN FULL COLOR

INX International has accomplished a lot this year. I am confident we are well prepared for the remainder of 2022, positioned to meet the growing two-piece metal can ink demand. As the metal decorating industry’s global leader, we recognize the many challenges that exist but are ready to overcome them with thoughtful planning, strategic investments, and hard work. Our forward-thinking innovation works in concert with our initiatives to solve problems every day. These factors are helping our twopiece metal business stay as strong as ever.

Dedicated to technological innovations, our dynamic research and development

team is constantly upgrading our product formulations. In this new issue of Color Perfection® Magazine, we look at one of our latest developments, the inks for covert brand protection that we produced in conjunction with VerifyMe, Inc., Rochester, NY.

Convenient to carry and transport, metal cans are expanding into new market categories for energy drinks, plant-based beverages, coffee, and new takes on cocktails. This issue explores some of the latest examples, including the changing package design trends and attitudes in these markets, plus some of the exciting offerings in the craft beer segment.

Metal’s popularity is prompting our metal beverage can customers to build more production plants and add more lines. The can suppliers typically want their plants to be at 80-percent capacity, so they

have availability, regardless of unforeseen events. In response, we have made several domestic and global investments to meet their capacity requirements. For example, we are expanding our two-piece metal decorating ink manufacturing capabilities by 45 percent, which involves properties on three continents.

In the U.S., we have committed $2 million to outfit our Dunkirk, NY, facility with a two-piece metal decorating footprint, which will be fully operational in November of this year. We are also using our ink production facilities in California, Illinois, Kansas, and Texas to support additional volumes.

INXpert Gillian Finn, Commercial Account Manager for the Middle East, shares her perspectives about some of the international activities and the developments from our market leader in the UK, INX Europe.

And Sarah Jacks, Manager of INX Color Perfection, examines tools metal decorators can use to improve their color control processes and optimize can label production.

We’re especially pleased to show off our 2022 Colored by INX Can Design Contest Winner, a beautiful metal package for Great Lakes Brewing Co., and the edgy packaging graphics used in some of the contest’s other top entries.

There is so much to spotlight that in this sixth edition of Color Perfection Magazine, we don’t have room for everything. But we filled it with our selection of your innovations, news, trends, and advancements that we hope you’ll enjoy. Happy reading!

INSIDE COLOR PERFECTION

10 COVER STORY: BEVERAGE CAN LABELS GET SMART

Intelligent packaging graphics and labeling take beer and soft drink brands to new heights. Augmented Reality and QR Codes give consumers access to videos and product promotions.

14 WHAT’S BREWING IN CRAFT BEER

Health and wellness attributes, functional ingredients, and other trends are conveyed by intriguing can graphics for metal beer packaging. We explore some of the shifts in craft products and how their packaging elevates the category.

John Hrdlick, President & CEO INX International Ink Co.

18 PRINTING INK ADVICE

Sarah Jacks, Manager of Color Perfection®, covers ways to help metal decorators improve their color control processes and increase production efficiencies from concept to can.

Meet the Finalists of the Colored by INX Can Design Contest. Scan to watch here.

The North Coast Goes TropiCoastal

Great Lakes Brewing Nails Second-Consecutive INX Can Design Contest

Thetrade winds were calling when the vibrantly printed can for TropiCoastal Tropical IPA beer took top honors in the 2022 INX’s Colored by INX Can Design Contest. Produced by Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleve land, TropiCoastal successfully defended the brewery’s title and won the third-annual contest on the heels of Great Lakes’ vic tory last year with its design for another craft beer, Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat.

The contest generated a top winner and four finalists from several entries created by designers who produced a commercial can design using the widely accepted INX Metal Color Catalog.

“The INX Color Catalog con tinues to be instrumental in serving the beautiful illustrations and designs on each of our cans,” says Jameson Campbell, Creative Manager for Great Lakes Brewing Co. “It helps us best match color, opacity, and transparency of inks to maxi mize the boldness of each can’s final appearance. We want the cans to look just as good as the beer tastes. INX has helped us deliver each beer’s unique story and flavor promise to our cus tomers, reach new drinkers, and build even stronger brands.”

Offering a sophisticated and diverse selection of beers, Great Lakes Brewing has been in busi ness since 1986, and helped

revive the Ohio City neighbor hood. Campbell said his team took a different approach with this year’s winning entry.

“We broke a few conventions with TropiCoastal Tropical IPA, and moved our illustrations to a slightly more simplistic, yet still expressive scene,” Campbell said. “Color was even more im portant, as this brand appeals directly to the drinker’s appetite, and hints at its flavor cues with the color palette. The INX Color Catalog helped us consistently deliver the intended colors across all our packaging. It gave an extremely helpful point of reference to ensure efficiency and satisfaction throughout the [design] approval process.”

CREATING VACATION VIBES

The TropiCoastal graphics display vivid illustrations using vibrant colors acting as target colors to represent the brand’s special identity. “This offering features big, ripe, tropical fruit aromas,” Campbell explains.

“We sought to deliver a ‘tropical trip with every sip’ for the fruit flavors.”

Illustrator Sam Hadley execut ed feelings of a tropical oasis, with a warm, beachfront sunset scene amidst cool green and teal foliage extending beyond the label’s front facing. To deliver on its promise of a liquid getaway, Hadley created a unique tiki-inspired typeface that carries over to the brand’s supporting materials.

The Great Lakes Brewing Co. team, from left to right: Adam Ritterspach, multimedia coordinator; Megan Monsman, graphic designer; Jameson Campbell, creative supervisor; and Marissa DeSantis, brand marketing manager.

Svelte metal cans gain ground over their barrel-shaped cousins.

Beverage companies are increasingly choosing slimshaped 12-oz. aluminum cans over the ubiquitous squat, barrel-shaped design. Marketers say the slimmer, taller cans evoke sophistication and are becoming worthy competitors to the typical 12oz. version, merchandised in stores and vending machines for more than half a century.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the skinny cans intentionally stand out on crowded store shelves and suggest attributes such as quality or healthfulness. First used for energy drinks, the tall cans now wear branding for such big names as Molson Coors Beverage Co. and PepsiCo Inc., which are canning some of their latest beverages in the thinnerlooking package.

STANDING OUT IN A SEA OF SAMENESS

“The shelf is a sea of sameness, and just being different makes a difference,” notes Dave Fedewa, a partner at consulting firm McKinsey & Co. He co-leads consumer and household durables accounts in North America. Fedewa notes the slimmer-shaped cans tend to sell better and help save on freight costs. They also take up less space than traditional barrel-shaped cans in shipping trucks and on store shelves.

“One of the biggest challenges for retailers and their suppliers is keeping stuff on the shelf, especially in this age of Instacart,” he says. “If you can get 10 or 20 percent more on display, it could turn into 3- to 5-percent growth.”

Brands such as SanPellegrino Italian sparkling water and Heineken beer are also switching from shorter versions to slim cans. Nestlé

Tall and Slim Looks Good on Drink Cans

SA’s SanPellegrino Italian soda is one of the latest beverages to “slim down” its packaging, noting that it hopes to delight consumers with a more premium look.

According to Thomas Conquet, marketing director of SanPellegrino in the U.S., the elegant new shape visually communicates that the drink inside, reformulated to eliminate artificial colors

and sweeteners, is healthier than the “typical fizzy beverage.”

Breweries are narrowing and lengthening the cans for beer, too. Molson Coors Beverage, Chicago, is one of the latest beer giants to get into the rapidly expanding ready-to-drink cocktail category in slim cans. In light of soaring segment sales, the company recently

entered a partnership to distribute Superbird Paloma. The 100-percent Weber Blue agave tequila-based beverage contains pink grapefruit juice, agave nectar, and sparkling water. Crafted and canned in Tequila, Mexico, the drink's dramaticlooking can presents a colorfully-feathered dove resting on a skull, signifying the sweet and sour flavors within, on a pale grapefruittinted background.

Like Molson Coors, other beverage brand owners claim that consumers view the taller silhouette as more adult. The U.S. unit of Heineken NV, the secondlargest brewer globally by sales after Anheuser-Busch InBev, picked up on growing demand from younger consumers. Last year, Heineken tested selling its flagship Heineken beer in 8.5-oz. slim cans in Florida.

The test worked: Sales grew, and in March, the company rolled out the skinny can to the rest of the U.S., according to Borja Manso, vice president of brand marketing. The slim cans are a hit with brands promoting the relative nutritional benefits of their drinks. Canned versions of the hard seltzers White Claw and Truly, whose labels highlight their lowcarb, low-calorie contents, were quick to catch on: White Claw has been marketing beverages in slim packaging since the 2010s.

MIMOSAS Come to Fruition in Portable, Ready-to-Drink Cans

Inspired to create a hand-crafted, premade beverage, Michel Rantissi Jr. introduced America to what his firm, Mimosa Royale, Cloverdale, Calif., claims is the first ready-to-drink mimosa. Combining Moscato wines and juices, the multi-awardwinning mimosa offers a vari ety of flavors for any occasion.

“We love mimosas, but can’t keep mixing drinks every where we go,” says Rantissi Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the company. “There had to be another option.”

Available in orange, berry, mango, and apple flavors, premade Mimosa Royale has made its mark in ready-todrink, slim, tall cans, each containing 8 percent alcohol. The eye-catching, fruity can graphics offset a gold-toned signature crown logo and prominent Mimosa Royale brand name against comple menting pastel backgrounds.

Since the brand launched in 2021, Mimosa Royale has been selling well, says a pleased Rantissi Jr. “Word is spreading fast. This might just be the new thing.”

Investment segments include sustainability, digital printing, industrial automation, and brand services.

INX INTERNATIONAL Launches

$50-Million Venture Capital Fund

In efforts to acquire even more intriguing technologies related to the ink industry, INX International Ink Co. has established INX Venture Capital, a $50-million investment program, that will focus on making strategic, minority investments in technology and materials science startups relevant to the printing inks and coatings value chain.

INX Venture Capital will concentrate on categories such as sustainability and circular economy solutions, as well as digital printing, business and manufacturing automation, and services for brand owners. The program maintains and expands our leading role in shaping the future.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of SAKATA INX, INX International

views the move as an expansion of its innovation toolkit, which will “further our mission of leading the printing inks and coatings industry in delivering safe and sustainable solutions that enhance the customer experience,” explains Shane Bertsch, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Innovation. “We’re eager to marry our focus of creating value for customers, brands, and consumers with our curiosity for new technologies and business models.”

Described as “stageagnostic,” INX Venture Capital will also emphasize early-stage startups that demonstrate a “productmarket-fit,” and have begun to generate revenue. The fund will also pursue select seed and growth-stage

opportunities. Typical checks will range from $1 million to $3 million initially, with reserves for follow-up investments. INX Venture Capital will have a global investment mandate, with an emphasis on opportunities in its core markets of North America, Europe, and South America, in concert with SAKATA INX’s worldwide innovation efforts.

“As one of the largest ink manufacturing companies in the world, we believe our technical expertise and industry relationships can help entrepreneurs build great companies that create a positive impact on consumers’ lives and our planet,” adds Bryce Kristo, INX’s Chief Financial Officer. “We are excited to deploy INX’s resources to help our portfolio companies scale.”

Learn more about our Corporate Venture Capital Program and team members.

ALUMINUM PACKAGING Remains on Growth Surge

Demand for aluminum containers continues to outpace estimated U.S. industry gross domestic product figures, reports Research and Markets. It expects the U.S. aluminum beverage can market to reach a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3 percent from 2021 to 2026, while the global beverage can market, valued at $35.72 billion in 2020, should climb to a CAGR of 5.1 percent from 2020 to 2028.

Fortune Business Insights says that in the last decade, the aluminum industry invested more than $6.5 billion in U.S. manufacturing to support the growing demand for metal.

In July, Crown Holdings, Inc. announced it will construct a second high-speed can line at its aluminum beverage canmaking plant in Parma, Italy. The additional capacity — more than 1 billion cans per year, with production reportedly to begin in early 2023 — will serve both burgeoning customer requirements in Italy and surrounding markets.

In June, Kentucky-based private investment firm Manna Capital Partners said it intends to buy a 1,300-acre property in central New Mexico in which Colorado-based aluminum manufacturer Ball Corp., plans to build a $2-billion aluminum manufacturing and recycling complex.

The operation will reportedly feature an aluminum can sheet rolling mill and a recycling center that can process up to 1.3 billion pounds of aluminum each year. Once fully operational, the companies expect to use 85% recycled content.

Metal cans incorporating aluminum have an average 70-percent collection rate. This is creating more demand for metal packaged products. The increase in take-home beverage demand in the last two to three years necessitated higher U.S. imports of can sheets, as there was an unprecedented spike in athome consumption of soft drinks and alcohol in North America. Fewer Americans were consuming soft drinks and beer at restaurants and bars at the time because of restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

MORE RTD, PLEASE

What’s more, current evolving lifestyles and aluminum’s environmental appeal are shifting consumer behaviors, Fortune Business Insights points out. In the aftermath of the pandemic, hectic schedules and longer working hours continue to prompt consumers to choose more ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages in metal cans. The use of aluminum in beverage cans is especially popular for sparkling and seltzer water, energy drinks, beer, RTD cocktails, wine, and carbonated soft

drinks because of its ease of disposal and recycling advantages, notes The Metal Packager.

Aluminum's sustainability creates competitive business and product development advantages, the Aluminum Association reports. Energy demand has also declined by similar levels. The reductions have been driven largely by decreased carbon intensity of primary aluminum production in North America, lighter cans (most cans are 27 percent lighter than they were in 1991), and more efficient manufacturing operations.

“Sourcing of primary metal is a significant contributor to the product’s overall environmental footprint, even with the current high [amount of] recycled content in aluminum cans," says Chris Kofler, technical director, Americas at Sphera. “Some canmakers are moving away from plastic, as growing environmental concerns around the world are resulting in increasing awareness about the type of packaging materials they use."

"Consumers want packaging products that cause lower environmental impact, so the demand for recycled [content] products is growing. This is creating a high demand for metal packaged products.”

More information is available from the Aluminum Association at aluminum.org; researchandmarkets.com; sphera.com and fortunebusinessinsights.com

INX INTERNATIONAL: Meet Our Three New Vice Presidents

“I began working at INX while I was an intern in college,” Schouten remembers. “I’ve been fortunate to work here and learn from a strong leadership team that values the careers of its employees. It is rewarding to work with my colleagues to deliver innovative, safe, and sustainable product solutions around the world. I’m very excited to continue contributing to the growth and success of this company.”

In mid-April, INX International promoted the following to Vice President positions: Brian Petzel; Renee Schouten; and Heather Seville. The trio has a combined 75 years of experience with INX, which is the industry leader in metal decorating inks and color management technologies.

Brian Petzel has been with INX for more than 31 years.

Considered the backbone of the company’s Finance department and a budgeting wizard, he has proven to be especially adept at handling multiple complex long-term projects. He is now the Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis.

in Brazil, it has been a joy working with all of them and the support we have received from Sakata INX.”

PETZEL SCHOUTEN

“During my initial interview with INX – they were Midland Color at the time – I felt they really cared about their employees and were like family,” Petzel recalls. “No one event or project stands out during my time here, but instead it is about the people whom I have interacted with throughout the years. Whether it is our North American personnel, our European partners, or our neighbors

Renee Schouten joined INX 21 years ago and has devoted most of her time to expanding the Marketing department. Schouten leads her team in the development of creative materials and digital content that appears on the company website and at trade shows. As the new Vice President of Marketing, she also manages the Colored by INX Can Design Contest and the creation of Color Perfection Magazine, and currently serves as President of the International Metal Decorating & Packaging Association.

Considered the heart of the Human Resources department, Heather Seville started working at INX 22 years ago. As the new Vice President of HR, she’s known for her helpful involvement in nearly every aspect that assures compliance, consistency, and continuity for all potential hiring candidates, as well as INX employees and managers. Listening and reacting positively, fairly, and professionally in virtually any situation makes Seville a trusted resource.

“INX was my first full-time job,” Seville says. “I was lucky to land at a company with such a strong tradition of promoting from within. Over the years, I have been given the opportunity to build my career. My story is not unique at INX; I have many colleagues who have followed similar paths. The best part is watching friends and teammates – some of whom I’ve worked with for 20 or more years – thrive as they take on new responsibilities.”

To begin a colorful career at INX International, visit inxinternational.com/ company/careers

SEVILLE

Gillian Finn, Commercial Account Manager for INX Europe in the UK (known at the time as ACME Inks), joined the company in January 1984 in the Dublin branch. It was her second full-time job. “I stayed with the business as it moved to Rochdale and later to Heywood in 2003,” Finn remembers. She has remained at INX ever since, responsible for sales activities in the Middle East, ensuring they run smoothly. “I have been quite happy working for INX for many years and look forward to working for INX many more.”

“Despite all of the changes, trials, and tribulations of the last few years, the Middle East ink market has so far been able to weather the challenges, and the region’s sales remain strong,” she says. “The market remains stable."

"During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was no travel. But now, we are traveling again, and enjoy renewing long-standing relationships with customers. I have continued to maintain business for the Middle East region, but it has been somewhat of a challenge during the difficult supply chain crisis. Yet we kept our customers supplied with everything they needed at the time, despite supply chain issues.”

Being a commercial manager at INX means Finn uses her global knowledge and sales expertise every day. “Every day is a challenge,” Finn admits. “My knowledge of the supply chain and my experience comes in handy when moving product in and around the Middle East region.”

"For many years, we have been growing more business opportunities and initiatives in the Middle East and continue to do so. We have added new production plants, and our strong market position and savvy technical service team makes INX a desirable choice for buyers.”

GLOBAL CONDITIONS IMPROVING

"We have also been busy investing a lot of time and effort upgrading the UK facility. The UK operation also has a new management team focused on improving efficiencies in product manufacturing, data collection, and administration.”

“Within the last year, INX Europe has also started to manufacture and supply the LoVOC range of inks from our facility in Spain,” she adds. “We regularly attend trade shows and conferences to present these new developments and assist clients with the existing business.”

A NEW COLOUR EVERY DAY

GILLIAN FINN, COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT MANAGER

“I deal with the manufacturing plants daily from a supply perspective, so I check what we have available and interact with our Heywood production teams to ensure we’ll have the product supply we need for the region."

One of Finn’s main goals is ensuring INX products are available when customers in the Middle East require them. Despite the global freight concerns, she says it’s a must to provide the highest level of service set by the company. “It’s important to have a great rapport with our customers. I see them as vital partners in the smooth operation of my job, and they respond in kind. What I enjoy most in my work is that we deal with a different colour obstacle every day. It takes careful planning and thorough handling to move material. But we leverage that to grow with our customers and the business, and that’s heartening.”

She discusses recent developments, new projects, and news from her territory, the Middle East region.

"Our strong market position and savvy technical service team makes INX a desirable choice for buyers.”

BEVERAGE CAN LABELS

G Set m art

Linked to videos, contests, games, and Augmented Reality, QR codes invite customers to savor an interactive branded experience.

Intelligent packaging graphics and labeling take beer and soft drink brands to futuristic heights, as Augmented Reality (AR) and Quick Response (QR) Codes give consumers access to videos, contests, and other product promotions. Packaging designs also incorporate innovations such as Smart Labeling, direct links to videos, and art-inspired labels to engage consumers.

No matter how beverage brand owners do it, making their packaging stand out is key, given the great competition in the beverage segment. “What makes your product different and why should someone care?,” asks John Nunziato, Chief Creative Officer at New York-based Little Big Brands.

Nunziato explains that a package structure also is a hugely untapped differentiator. “You can make the product more convenient or give it more of a ‘badge factor’ through the physical structure,” he says. “Some brands have become small pieces of abstract art, with fewer claims and simple designs. I’m happy to see more custom typography being used. It’s a great

way for brands to be more ‘ownable’ and protect their assets.”

MAKING USE OF BILLBOARDING

Aditu Basu, marketing head at Future Market Insights in Dubai, said in a recent article that today’s cans should be treated as a 360-degree billboard, incorporating smart, active, interactive, connected, user-friendly, and eco-friendly packaging

solutions. “The intelligent packaging trend is taking packaging to new heights. Therefore, beverage makers need to focus on these trends as they impact the beverage industry overall.”

Other beverage companies are trying augmented reality (AR) labels in their can designs, Basu says. “Adopting technology in the packaging formats and designs gives brands

John Nunziato, Chief Creative Officer, Little Big Brands

extra dimensions to their packaging, which helps to engage as well as inform consumers. AR labels help the consumer go through the information provided by the brand just by scanning the image/ label offered on the product packaging,” she adds. “By scanning the AR label through a smartphone, some brands provide videos, a history about their product formation, games and contests.”

QR Code labels, the two-dimensional scannable boxes found on beer and wine cans, and other packaging labels, are another way to increase brand and product value, both at the time of purchase and after consumption. Almost all smartphone cameras have built-in QR Code scanners or operating systems that allow scanners to be downloaded. Coca-Cola is reportedly the first beverage giant to pioneer the use of QR Codes on packaging. Coke adopted QR Codes in their SmartLabel Scheme in 2011 to provide nutritional facts in PDF QR Codes. QR Codes may feature in-depth product and brand owner details, instantaneous feedback, or product review. Continued on next page.

codes link to nutritional information, allergy info, promotions, and more.

“You can make the product more convenient or give it more of a ‘badge factor ’."

Scan to interact with the Brands

BEER INVADERS

Immertia, a developer based in Australia, created a Space Invaders-themed game that can be played directly on beer cans. The company made this as a selfpromotional piece to target breweries around the world.

AR HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE

Coca-Cola has a long and storied history of running heartwarming holiday marketing campaigns. In 2019, they used Augmented Reality to bring Santa Claus and polar bears to life on their cans.

LIMITED EDITION CAN

Marshmello, an internationally-recognized electronic music producer and DJ, co-created a Limited Edition flavor with CocaCola. To promote the flavor, a scannable QR code was one way fans could reach a Coca-Cola Creations hub where they could create digital art and listen to music by Marshmello.

LAUNCH OF COKE STUDIO

The Coke Studio digital platform features music tracks and videos from a variety of breakthrough artists around the world. QR codes on cans were one of many ways consumers were invited to experience Coke Studio.

Security Ink Enables

Sophisticated Brand Protection

INX International is partnering with VerifyMe in the successful development of VerifyInk™, a covert ink technology now available for sale to run on continuous ink-jet (CIJ) printers. VerifyMe provides brand owners with time-sensitive logistics, authentication, supply chain monitoring, and data-rich consumer engagement features using unique smartphone readable codes on their products (see INX Color Perfection Magazine, 2021, Volume 2, Issue 2).

In the printing and packaging industries, the need exists for sophisticated supply chain security technology that can provide brand protection in the marketplace. It can also provide authentication, serialization, and track-andtrace functions to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated product counterfeiters. For every company with an established brand protection program and strategy, there are just as many companies that may be less prepared to deal with counterfeiting.

Suitable for direct-toproduct continuous ink-jet printers, VerifyInk covert brand protection ink can be used in combination with VerifyMe’s proprietary and patented reading devices, smartphone integration, dynamic serialization, and cloud-based authentication service. The CIJ VerifyInk solution will allow brands around the world to easily launch world-class brand protection solutions. More information is available on the new ink, as well as the marking technology and associated serialization and track-and-trace software at www.inxinternational.com and www.verifyme.com

Meet customers where they are by using dynamic QR

Codes that are different on each product.

Go i Ang g ai n st

G rai n t h e

Brewers worldwide are looking to differentiate by moving to the lighter side, responding to desires for simpler ingredients, less and no alcohol, and new flavors. They’re using innovative, eyecatching graphic designs to attract consumers and spur sales.

Many craft-brewed beers stand out for their atypical, quality ingredients and distinctive, whimsical, even irreverent packaging graphics. Unusual can and paperboard carrier designs are generating interest in regional ales, pilsners, stouts, ales, lagers, wheat beers, and other specialized formulations. Their designs range from finely illustrated, animated, retro, and otherworldy to uncomplicated and sporty, responding to differing consumer demands for brand stories and brewery backstories.

Consumers are constantly seeking innovative beverages, which has led craft brewers to increase their flavorful, fruit-filled, and herby options that reflect their distinct regions, the quality of their water, the seasons, and other variables. It is up to the can designers to give their all in portraying these unique characteristics.

Collectively, they have a lot more to work with. The U.S. beer industry has rapidly grown in the past five years, particularly in the craft and low-alcohol categories. These segments have surged at a rate of 13 percent each year since 2016, according to Sundale Research. In the U.S. alone, over 6,000 craft breweries produced some 20,000 brands in 2018. The global pandemic and current economic strains are placing hurdles on the path to recovery for breweries, and are likely to affect future sales. But to persevere and thrive, brand owners are delivering intriguing packaging visuals to appeal to fans and new audiences. Considering that 72 percent of American consumers say their buying decisions are influenced by packaging design, it’s no wonder can graphics are a major deciding factor in the purchase of one brand over another.

Consumers also appreciate breweries that do more than just brew beer, says the Hop Culture website. They want to know what a company believes in, what it stands for, and how it uses its platform to push environmentalism. What better way to give them what they want than in beverage can design?

Scotland’s BrewDog, established in 2007, produces full-bodied, flavorful, nonalcoholic beer to rave reviews. Recognizing climate change and global warming, beverage manufacturers, distillers, and wholesalers are creating sustainability initiatives to reverse the course of carbon emissions. BrewDog’s owners are some of the most noteworthy, making what they call “environmentallyfriendly” beer that claims to emit no unnecessary carbon emissions. One of its latest brews is Elvis AF (alcoholfree).

NEW FORMULATIONS, DRINKING TO CAUSES

Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol (NAB, LAB) craft beer sales are growing in the $26-billion U.S. craft beer market, stemming from a growing interest in health-conscious products, particularly among millennials and twenty- and thirty-somethings. IWSR, an alcohol industry market research firm, says 2020 NAB sales exceeded 30 percent in volume alone. And fruit-filled beers are on trend as more craft brewers use fruit to create new flavor combinations.

TASTE WITHOUT THE BUZZ

“COVID-19 made people think more about their health,” says James Hart, head of delivery at BrewDog PLC, now a multinational brewery/pub chain. Hart predicts that the alcohol-free market will only continue to grow. “Being at home means people drink at home, but you can’t do that every night because you’ll feel and notice the difference.”

BrewDog’s founders realized their full-flavored, nonalcoholic options could help banish the idea that alcoholfree means taste-free. The brewery’s no-nonsense packaging graphics mirror the beer’s clean taste and hardcore persona, with color schemes coded to tonguein-cheek beverage names: Punk IPA features colors of blue, black, and silver; Dead Pony Club Session Pale Ale illustrates an upside-down pony on olive green, black and white; and Clock Work Tangerine Session presents ombre hues of deep to light tangerine.

Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY, Athletic Brewing Co., Stratford, CT, and Dogfish Head, Milton, DE, have also crafted their own NABs. But their flavors and packaging are anything but “blah.” Brewers Steve Hindy and Tom Potter grew Brooklyn Brewery into one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S. Acclaimed graphic designer Milton Glaser created the packaging's famous "B" logo.

Ads for Brooklyn’s Pulp Art Hazy Double IPA ask fans to “put art in their fridge,” as the 60s-style can and carrier graphics resemble something out of a Peter Max art book. Electric pink, blue, yellow, and orange geometrics, and polka dots splash across all label panels.

Brooklyn's Special Effects Variety Pack incorporates three cans each of Special Effects Hoppy Amber, Special Effects IPA, Special Effects Hazy IPA, and an exclusive Special Effects Pils (pilsner). The intriguing non-alcoholic flavors have 95 calories. Can graphics display a “hippie”-like kaleidoscope-patterned, retro-60s party look, bursting in royal blues, pinks, lime greens, and orange/reds.

The messaging says the beer provides “all the satisfaction and none of the buzz.”

Smashing the stigma of NABs and reaching healthy and active beer lovers, Athletic Brewing exclusively produces NABs from artisanal recipes in its state-of-the-art brewery in Stratford, CT. Athletic’s “sporty options,” include Run Wild IPA, Free Wave Hazy IPA, and Upside Down Golden, each with 70 calories or less per can. Clean and uncluttered can illustrations in peach, aqua, sky blue, and sunshine yellow of sporting scenes, sunsets, and mountainous landscapes.

brew packaging with its novel Dogfish Head, a tasty microbrew with a catchy moniker. In 2019, Boston Beer purchased Dogfish Head, named for Dogfish Head, Maine, where the founder summered as a child. The brand grew nearly 400 percent between 2003 and 2006.

While the competition in the craft market is at an all-time high, these game changers know how to challenge the taste status quo, stay on the edge with their creativity and leverage clever packaging designs that keep consumers wanting more.

LONG-DRINKING ‘SESSIONS’

Some craft brewers are developing Session beers with relatively low alcohol content, suitable for drinking over an extended period. Sessions are fast becoming popular among various age groups. Boston-based Boston Beer Co. recognized the importance of craft

FOUR INX TOOLS STANDARDIZE COLOR PERFECTION

FOUR INX TOOLS STANDARDIZE COLOR PERFECTION

Metal decorators can optimize label production from concept to can using our color management tools.

By Sarah Jacks, Manager, INX Color Perfection

When it comes to ink color management, INX has a few tools to help metal decorators better control their colors on metal cans and increase production efficiencies. Metal is being used in a variety of new ways, including for non-alcoholic and ready-to-drink applications [see our RTD article in this issue].

WHAT YOU SEE ISN’T WHAT YOU GET

For attention-getting can labels featuring accurate and consistent color, designers need fast, precise color selection. They want assurance that what they see in the early stages of the process ends up on the printed can. Metal decorators also want cost-effective color management, a fast turnaround on color, and problem-

Watch the color book instructional

to see the industry’s first true color standard for beverage can

metal.

achieve accurate and

industry-wide

Metal decorating is a unique printing process; understanding how a metal substrate affects the color is critical in managing expectations. Paper guides usually don't consider the metal substrate's transparency and opacity. Alternatively, choosing a color shade from the cloud or other online resources requires interpreting the shade in a paper guide.

Varying shades often become "matches," approved to the same paper or cloud standard by separate brand managers in several different geographic regions. There is not one approved shade, which adds further confusion. Introducing varying shades for one color standard often results in disappointment in the resulting colors. Ultimately, the brand manager rejects them, and the processes may end up being repeated.

OPTIMIZATION TOOLS

Most companies allocate their resources to product development, leaving container manufacturing and packaging/labeling processes as an afterthought. But can graphics and labels are just as important as the product itself when it comes to attracting consumer attention and encouraging purchases. When you think about wellknown brands, the first thing that often comes to mind is the brand logo and the packaging – especially the colors used.

With the INX Color Perfection® suite of products, brand owners, graphic designers, and metal decorators receive assistance in achieving high-quality decoration on metal packaging.

The Color Perfection suite streamlines color management, addressing challenges associated with color standards. INX Color Perfection precisely captures the designer's or brand owner's color and graphic vision directly on the metal package, ensuring the canmaking processes are efficient and cost-effective throughout the regional, national, and global network.

For more information on INX Color Perfection, visit inxcolorperfection.com or call 800-631-7956.

TOOL #1: INX COLOR CATALOG

The backbone of INX Color Perfection is the INX twopiece Metal Color Catalog, created using INX best-inclass inks printed directly on aluminum. The INX 2-Piece Metal Color Catalog is the industry's first true color standard for printing directly on metal. Including over 600 removable metal color swatches, the catalog helps brand owners, designers, and metal decorators select, communicate, and approve colors more efficiently, reducing leadtimes.

Order Your Metal Color Catalog by visiting inxcatalog.com

TOOL #3: DIGITAL PROOFING

Producing and proofing cans digitally before pilot production and identifying required changes before a large production run can increase overall design efficiency and production processes. INX offers both direct-to-object proofing with the INX CP800 and can-wrap proofs with the Roland® VersaCAMM VSi Series.

TOOL #4: EDUCATION

Education is crucial to standardization. Given the unique nature of our industry, many tools and resources aren’t available for reference. That’s why we developed INX University, a free e-learning platform in eight languages that provides access to educational materials to anyone involved in the metal decorating supply chain.

TOOL #2: DIGITAL COLOR LIBRARY

Using the INX Digital Color Library, designers and prepress teams can access the INX 2-Piece Metal Color Catalog colors during the design phase. The INX Digital Color Library is a plug-in, preset, which permits INX colors to be used within Adobe® design programs. Designers may use the INX digitized Color Library combined with the physical color catalog at the beginning of their design creations. Even if designers plan to use conventional pilot processes, the Library helps provide better communication and speed-to-market.

Download Your Digital Color Library for Adobe by visiting inxcatalog.com

Many canmakers and design agencies adopt the CP800 to complement their current proofing processes. The proofer can be used without creating printing plates. That means customers can quickly view their cans and more efficiently finalize graphics and color combinations without the expense and time associated with conventional proofing. The system allows brand owners, designers, and metal decorators to expedite their current proofing processes — and ultimately, their final production runs. Watch videos, download bro chures or just learn more about direct-to-object inkjet proofing systems by visiting inxcolorper fection.com

Course content ranges from INK 101, describing how ink is made, to content on color management. INX University is complementary to customers and INX International partners and can be accessed anytime from a computer or mobile device, providing a convenient way to learn! INX University also can provide detailed progress reports for our customers and their users.

INX University offers free online training for customers and partners. To register for INX University, visit inxuniversity.com.

ACHIEVE COLOR PERFECTION

Metal decorating’s multiple variables affect color selection and reproduction, production processes, and costs. Color and its role in the consumer buying process is vastly important.

There are intricacies to decorating metal; aluminum is not paper. Establishing the first-ever metal decorating industry standards, we are driving increased optimization benefits and faster, more successful product launches for our customers. INX Color Perfectionists are always available to help!

INX will help you bring your vision to life on metal.

brewing is creative, and the cans are an expression of your vision. But for the look to reproduce flawlessly, you need a color standard designed for metal. Avoid production hiccups with the INX 2-Piece Metal Color Catalog and the free Adobe™ Digital Color Library. These tools are a true representation of color so you can select, communicate, and approve color efficiently, getting your labels to market quicker.

more about INX’s resources for beverage can design