What sleeving materials are available?

CCL Decorative Sleeves offer shrink sleeves in PVC, PET and OPS.  The three materials have different shrink characteristics and are therefore suited to different applications.

PVC This material is easiest to control in the shrink process, it is also generally the most cost effective.  PVC is available in pasteurisable and steam grades and offers good scuff resistance.

PET This material offers the best scuff resistance and also the highest percentage of shrink.  It is pasteurisable and is also easily recycled.

OPS This substrate is more cost effective than PET and offers the lowest vertical shrink and therefore the most consistent finish.  It is often used for "squeezy" containers.

PLA This biodegradable film, made from a renewable source, is available to customers looking for an environmentally friendly packaging solution.
 

What print processes can I chose from?

CCL Decorative Sleeves offer three print processes; gravure, CI flexo and UV flexo in order to best meet the needs of all our customers.

Gravure printing is a proven technology and high quality printing method using solvent based inks.  The colours of designs are etched onto individual metal cylinders.

The benefits of gravure printing include:

• High quality photographic reproduction

• Reduced size text for extra information and special offers

• High quality origination gives consistency of reproduction over a long time period.

CI Flexo is also a solvent based process, based on a raised areas, i.e. dots/lines or blocks on a photopolymer plate, which transfer ink rotated around the drum, each colour unit being laid down in sequence with inter unit heat and airflow for drying prior to the next colour printing. Ink is transferred onto the plate and then the film, each colour unit prints in sequence.

UV Flexo utilises the same printing plates as C.I. flexo, but is a solvent free ink process.  Each colour is printed onto the film on a separate station and is cured by the use of UV lamps.  This gives greater depth of colour and reproduction than C.I. flexo

The benefits of Flexo and UV Flexo include:

• Low cost, high quality reproduction

  Rapid response due to shorter origination process

  Suited to promotional and labelling requirements

• Multi variant possibility

How can I further differentiate my product?

CCL Decorative Sleeves offer a wide range of special effects using special inks and combinations of surface and under-surface printing.
 

• Matt and gloss effects

• Thermochromic

• Holographic

• Tactile

• Product visibility

• Metallics

• Pearlescents

• Fluorescents

• High lustre finishes

• Scratch off

• UV optical brightener

• Flip Inks (duotone)

Metalic finish

Matt finish

CCL Decorative Sleeves' sales team will be happy to talk to you about the various innovative finishes available to enhance your products.
 

Shrink Method - Hot air or Steam?

A quick rule of thumb is that hot air tunnels are predominantly used with empty containers while steam is becoming the industry standard method of shrinking sleeves onto filled containers.  However for many applications it is quite normal to use both application methods to optimise the effectiveness of the shrinking process.
 

Which application machine?

CCL Decorative Sleeves work closely with all machine manufacturers and have a good knowledge of their product range.  Our sales team, supported by a highly experienced technical team, will be happy to recommend machines suitable for your needs.