Plastics Printing — Handle with Care

Substrates are not the only profit encroachers. Fisher notes that printing on plastics is a learned skill, and even the most common of occurrences can result in major problems. One bad plastic jam, for example, can dent a cylinder.

For Fisher and IWCO Direct, the strength of selling plastics lies in its value as part of a turnkey solution—in this case, as a direct mail component that drives higher returns and consistent volume for the client.

In Kendall’s estimation, the ability to print on plastics is pivotal for those printers who fancy themselves as single-source solutions providers.

“Look at the applications, look at what you see in grocery stores, liquor stores—anywhere you go,” he says. “Frequency cards are everywhere. We just got a new Pantone book and it was in a plastic box. The U.S. Postal Service is allowing odd diecut direct mail now, and that’s almost exclusively plastic. It’s all about making people pay attention to what you’re producing.

“The world is gradually accepting plastic as a medium, and packaging sells.”zz