High-touch packaging trends took off before the pandemic, with innovative yet inexpensive digital embellishing exploding onto the scene. Then suddenly, we stopped touching things altogether, and our buying habits leaped online.
​Yet, luxurious and impactful embellished packaging didn’t recede into the background. Instead, its power has doubled—drawing store shoppers in by increasing a product’s irresistibility and perceived value, and helping online shoppers understand what they are getting and why it’s the preferred choice. 

Carlson Print Group will partner with innovative digital press manufacturer Scodix at the Amplify expo June 14th – 16th at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
 
The immersive three-day event will include a trade expo, technology demonstrations, and seminars. Scodix experts will teach advanced digital embellishment design and file set-up in a Digital Workshop.

Packaging is a powerful way to introduce your brand to the world. A dynamic box that showcases a clear message is way ahead in the race. Clarity, differentiation, and the wow factor are key design elements in a competitive retail environment such as specialty pet products.

You only have two dimensions to make a three-dimensional impression.
 
Today's cinema, animation, and television productions use innovative special effects driven by advances in technology. Collateral, collectibles, and merchandise related to these kinds of projects need to match their tone and action.

Is your company thinking past paper?
 
While paper is in high demand worldwide, your organization should be aware of all the high-quality substrates available for printing on—especially when you are considering specialty printing and premium packaging.
 
We recently invested in show-stopping application technology that elevated our ability to digitally print on all types of materials, increasing the wow factor on each project while lowering costs overall.
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The new Scodix Ultra 6000 adds to our already amazing equipment lineup, giving us even greater capabilities to add foil, metallics, embossing, and other special finishes to projects.

While other packages are sleeping on the job, yours can rise and shine.
 
The magic of specialty printing is in the sensory experience. Embossing, debossing, foils and lenticular graphics make people want to reach out and touch packages on display. This interaction is especially important in luxury markets where price points are higher, buyers are discerning, and brand competition is fierce.

2022 can’t get here fast enough.
Consumer demand is up, but supply chain slowdowns and worker shortages continue to cut into productivity and response time. However, print and packaging are as strong as ever, and businesses can differentiate their brands through these mediums.
Do it now because the floodgates will open next year, and you’ll want your products positioned ahead of the pack.

​In Part 1 of our Special Effects blog, we covered the fundamentals of special effects and finishing. Now let's talk about why it is worth the investment. Beyond the "what" of special finishing lies the "why". At Carlson Print Group, we are firmly in the "why not" camp because these techniques only add to your work's quality, value and overall appeal. 
Worth the investment
It's true – special effects are not free. There is an additional cost to add these to your print and packaging projects. In the end, we think you'll see that the benefits far outweigh the costs.

​As a company known for its special effects and finishing options, Carlson Print Group likes to stay on the cutting-edge of technology – and help others learn and grow their knowledge base about the techniques we use. We thought we'd take a moment to discuss the fundamentals of special effects and how they work to enhance print and packaging.
​From Ho-Hum to Extraordinary
You have an amazing design on the screen, but it feels flat and ho-hum once you see it in reality.

​At a time when consumer interest in catalogs, magalogs and direct mail is peaking, the pandemic and other economic factors continue to wreak havoc on supply chains across the globe.

These disruptions are causing serious paper shortages and, in some cases, price hikes. Recent reporting from Bloomberg estimates the average price of paper went up as much as 16% last summer.