Your shopping cart is empty!
Anti-Counterfeiting Custom Print
IMPAK has been approached by multiple customers who have had to deal with imitators attempting to replicate their valuable products, including the custom printed flexible packaging. Product counterfeiting has become a pernicious problem across several industries, including high-end electronics, pharmaceuticals, fashion, and more. Manufacturers that have been targeted by forgeries have to deal with revenue losses, customer dissatisfaction, and dilution of the strength of their brand. Fortunately, there are tools to fight counterfeits.
IMPAK offers UV-visible anti-counterfeit printing on flexible packaging as a relatively simple way to add a covert authentication feature without significantly changing the appearance of the package during normal viewing. For flexible packaging, the UV security element can potentially be printed in-line with the other package graphics. Depending on the construction and printing process, it may be positioned as part of the surface artwork, incorporated into a laminate structure, or printed in a designated area that is subsequently converted into the finished pouch or bag.
How it works
The process uses UV-fluorescent or UV-reactive inks that are printed onto the flexible packaging film or onto a label applied to the package. Under ordinary visible light, the printed area may be completely invisible or appear essentially identical to the surrounding artwork. When exposed to a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light—commonly 365 nm or 395 nm—the ink fluoresces and becomes visible.
Marks that can be covertly printed include:
- Logo or brand mark
- Serial number or alphanumeric code
- Symbol or icon
- Pattern or graphic
- Security line or microtext
- Batch or lot identifier
- QR/barcode-related authentication mark
For example, a pouch could look completely normal to a consumer, while a manufacturer, distributor, retailer, customs official, or other authorized party can illuminate it with a UV inspection lamp to check for a fluorescent company logo or security pattern. The real value is not simply that the ink "glows under UV." You control what glows, where it appears, under what UV wavelength, and who knows what to look for. That makes UV printing particularly useful as a covert authentication feature for flexible packaging.