To help North American beverage brands maximize the impact of their packaging graphics and expedite product launches, Crown Beverage Packaging North America, a business unit of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) has opened the doors to a new graphics studio. Located in Ambler, PA, the 14,000-sq.-ft. facility features cutting-edge technologies that shorten product development timelines and allow for design mockups in real time. The facility enables customers to have hands-on involvement alongside on-site experts to produce finished packages that create brand differentiation on the shelf.

Mac Tools, a leader in the automotive tool and equipment industries, with roots tracing back to 1938, is a division of Stanley Black and Decker Incorporation. Its products and services for the professional technician or mechanic are as popular with small town mechanics as they are with NASCAR race teams. A relationship with Lizard Skinz, an Avery Dennison certified vehicle wrap installer, rose to a new level when Mac Tools presented the idea of wrapping its toolboxes and selling them through retail outlets as well as its certified distributor network.

Biobased polymers are gaining increased prominence in the minds of consumers, as increased awareness of climate change and plastic pollution continues to grow. However, the range of biobased alternatives to the main plastics we encounter in our daily lives continues to limit its potential adoption. Key to accelerating the switch from petrochemical to biobased plastics is going to be a larger diversity of materials, including commodity polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene. IDTechEx looks at the key manufacturers of biobased polymers and production methods and capacities, in their report, “Biobased Polymers 2018-2023: A Technology and Market Perspective”.

The German TroFilms GmbH, based in Georgensgmünd in Central Franconia, is launching a new film quality with immediate effect. Under the product name TroPROTECT®-X MATT, the film specialist has developed and lead to market an excimer film, meeting all the requirements of modern film applications. In addition to a very high scratch and abrasion resistance at high matt grades with only 4.5 gloss levels (measured at 60 ° and a manufacturing tolerance of less than ± 1 gloss points) and excellent feel, this film quality can also convince by good tear resistance and very good processing qualities. Furthermore, the TroPROTECT®-X MATT is basically hot foil stampable like almost all foils of the TroFilms GmbH, can be overcoated with radically curing UV lacquers and glued (preliminary tests are recommended for all processing processes).

Colordyne Technologies‘ Director of Sales Taylor Buckthorpe, will speak at IMI’s Age of Materials Conference 2019 from September 4 to 5 in Lombard, Illinois. Buckthorpe will address how print providers and brand owners can select the right technology for their label and package printing needs.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the world's leading sign and visual graphics franchisor with more than 700 FASTSIGNSⓇ locations in nine countries worldwide, hosted its ninth annual Outside Sales Summit August 8-10 in St. Louis, Missouri. There were over 315 people from five countries in attendance.

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) has opened registration for the third installment of its apparel conference, THREADX (February 23 - 25, 2020; Scottsdale, Ariz.). Designed by SGIA’s Apparel Decorators Committee, THREADX takes a higher-level look at the industry, equipping attendees with ideas and strategies to take their businesses to the next level.

LexJet is hosting its second LexJet Experience in our Sarasota, Fla., headquarters on Sept. 24-26. The event will feature tons of ways for print service providers to improve their operation’s workflow and their bottom line!

Leading sign and graphics specialist FASTSIGNS UK has reported a double-digit increase in sales revenues for their UK franchisees, for the first six-months of the year, following major investments in technology.

CMYUK, the UK’s leading independent supplier of large format digital printers, cutters and materials has announced that Typecraft – the Cheltenham-based small and wide-format digital printing company – is to take delivery of an Esko Kongsberg X24 Sign Starter bundle comprising table top cutter with integrated i-cut software and a MultiCUT-HP tool head.