When a restaurant group places two print orders- printed wax paper from one vendor and printed butcher paper from another- they are often disappointed to discover that the printed logo is not consistent, slightly different red, slightly different registration, etc, due to two presses and two ink batches. A color-management challenge is as much at stake with printed food wrapping paper as is a printing one for a full product line. Packaging for foodservice that is intended to be branded in a certain color should be handled by a single supplier, not four vendors each taking their best shot at a color based on a JPG.
What do you need to consider when it comes to printing?
The four substrates that are used for food wrapping sheets , parchment, butcher and deli paper – are covered in this piece as well. However, the difference comes in when it comes to print products, because each type of paper, paperboard, or film has its own way of absorbing ink. Different bases (white wax paper, brown kraft butcher paper, natural parchment) have different base tones and will not have the same appearance if a logo is printed on all of them using the same ink unless the colors are specifically corrected for each base.
The significance of the branded food paper consistency.
Food paper that is consistent throughout a product line is uncommon, and branded food paper that reads as such is even more so, and a real differentiator. For instance, a single supplier for all colour standards, rather than a single generic file sent across different substrates such as wax, kraft, and parchment. To every customer who sees packaging from more than one product line, that consistency says more, it’s more established, more professional. It also combines design changes into a single conversation rather than four conversations with four print vendors.
The specs that really matter when cross-substrate printing
The printing method is identical to all the custom food wrapping paper substrates: flexographic for volume orders, digital for smaller and/or first-time orders, food-safe soy or water-based ink on the non-food-contact side. When a colour correction is required, a PMS matching red on white wax paper will require a different ink formulation to produce the same red on brown kraft. If an order for foodservice packaging is multi-substrate, a proof is required on each material, rather than one proof assumed across all materials. As soon as the art and color proofs have been approved, turnaround is 4-6 days per substrate.
Who needs print consistency on multiple substrates?
For multi-concept restaurant brands operating multiple brands with a single kitchen, the key is uniformity of printing on any substrates they may employ. Franchises that require adherence to specific brand colors have the most to lose from the problem of having inconsistent logos on different packaging types. Foodservice packaging that are Private Label must have all touchpoints on-spec, as a retail buyer’s QA team ensures color checks are just as critical as any other aspect of the product.
One Purchasing Mistake that Costs an Order of Multiple Products Double
The pitfall is to send one logo file to the supplier and expect the same print to work on all products. Let them know that you want to specify PMS colors and ask for a physical proof on all substrates that the order calls for before they go to full run. If a supplier cannot explain why a color is different on kraft than on white paper stock, then he has not thought about it!
FAQs
Q: Will my logo be the same size on wax paper as it will be on butcher paper?
A: Not without correction. Base tones (white, kraft) are different, and some adjustments to the same ink per base tone (per substrate) are required to ensure the same colour is read.
Q: Is it possible to order printouts of all paper types in one order?
A; Yes, that is the idea behind one supplier acting as a single supplier for the range; one art file is colour corrected and proofed individually to each substrate in the sequence.
Conclusion
Order a no-cost estimate on printed food wrapping paper on any substrates that your menu requires, with color-matched proofs included. Please get in touch with The Delipaper at 832-900-9245 or sales@thedelipaper.com to request a cross-substrate proof prior to ordering.
