Design of the Month – Seize the Potential of Digital Can Decoration

New and innovative direct-to-shape digital solutions for beverage can decoration open up new possibilities for brands and the design options become plentiful for both straight wall and necked aluminum cans for mass production or high-volume short runs. Imagine being able to print up to 14 simultaneous colors. Adding embellishments such as selective gloss or matte and tactile embossing. Or pulling off smooth gradients and halftones, photorealistic images and accurate Pantone matching with ease.

The sample shown is a craft beer can with the design printed directly onto the can – a more sustainable option than using shrink sleeves or labels.

The background of the design is metallic yellow enabled by printing with Velox’s translucent inks on the metallic aluminum substrate. Selective white is printed under the image of the Tiki idol and the text, completely blocking the substrate and making the vivid imagery and sharp text possible.  For the silver Velox logo, the background is knocked out in the design to allow the aluminum to show through. The Velox technology produces exceptionally fine gradients, sharp lines and accurate color registrations that result in a detailed, high-resolution image of the Tiki idol face.

Another distinctive aspect of the design is the decoration that continues all the way to the chime and necked areas. This unique capability provides brands greater shelf appeal and enhanced visibility.

In the design shown, the serialized number printed in the mouth of the Tiki idol at the bottom of the can denotes a unique can. This is another capability enabled by agile digital technology. Serialization gives each can a distinctive identity, making it a collector’s item.

This up-to-date, chic design is made easy with Velox’s industrial digital decoration technology offering endless possibilities for designers and brands that only need to seize the potential of direct-to-shape digital printing.