Latest Application Developments
In early summer 2025, I joined the U.S. branch of Shenzhen Jujin Packaging Co., Ltd. Previously, I discussed digital enhancement equipment from the perspectives of both the seller and the user. Now, I am discussing practical digital enhancement solutions directly with end-brand clients, which allows me to more directly understand the client-side demands for digital enhancement processes. Being in the U.S., and with Shenzhen Jujin Packaging acting as a global strategic partner of Siegold, collaborative activities have also deepened my understanding of Siegold's applications in the American market. Today, I will narrow my focus, concentrating on the application side and sharing my perspective on digital enhancement technology applications.
**Cosmetic Packaging Applications**
As a mainstream application in the digital enhancement market, enhanced applications for skincare and beauty products have been continuously emerging. However, due to the costs of enhancement applications, they are mostly limited to high-end skincare products or seasonal gift sets. Currently, imported inks generally cost around 800–1,000 RMB/L, while domestically produced inks are around 300 RMB/L, meaning the cost remains high. For ordinary card boxes, cost remains a restricting factor. Of course, gift set applications often need to integrate with flat patterns, so overly simple designs are obviously less suitable.
As shown in Figure 1, when the light-open packaging box is gently opened and settles, the built-in music box plays a melodious tune, presenting the product alongside it. A silver-white snowflake in the center immediately unfolds, and as this romantic snowflake blooms before your eyes, the central 'product lift platform' rises simultaneously. Such a magical opening and closing experience is unforgettable. On the top, many 'hollowed-out snowflake designs' are visible, complemented by digital enhancement foiling in blue-gold and laser silver on the top, giving the snowflakes a dreamy and dazzling effect. The unique metallic transparency of the digital foiling keeps the colors vivid and bright, and combined with the carved snowflakes inside, presents an eternal, unmelting winter scene that cleverly merges with the naturalist cultural background embodied by the product itself.
Figure 1: Chando Himalaya's Naturalistic Brand
This gift box has a production quantity of 3,500 units and is a typical application of exquisite gift box enhancement craftsmanship.
Applications in Alcohol Packaging
High-end alcohol packaging, from Jiannanchun and Shuijingfang to present-day Shede, has seen the use of enhancement techniques in premium categories. To meet the constantly evolving packaging demands of the market and cater to the tastes of younger consumers, packaging also requires new creative elements.
As shown in Figure 2, the Shede wine box adopts a double-door design, giving it an overall dignified and grand appearance. In Figure 3, the four characters 'Xiongzi Yingcai' are first printed with gold stamping, followed by an overlay of UV coating on the gold, enhancing the three-dimensional effect and the metallic texture of the gold stamping. The tactile three-dimensional lettering also visually attracts consumers.
Figure 2: The Shede wine box features a double-door design, giving it an overall dignified and grand appearance.
Figure 3 Shede wine box with hot-stamped gold UV shows a three-dimensional gold stamping effect.
In Figure 4, the details of the knight are particularly exquisite. The edges of the waves are highlighted with gold hot stamping, the knight's cloak and armor use digital hot stamping, and the horse's body features three-dimensional UV. The entire image is layered with great attention to detail-from the horse's mane to the knight's cloak to the texture of the waves-using digital layered hot stamping for three-dimensional effects, making the whole scene vivid and extremely refined. Of course, the precision of digital enhancement registration also ensures accurate alignment and perfect detail consistency across multiple runs. This wine box had continuous repeat orders in 2025, with a total volume reaching 200,000 pieces. At the same time, the automatic registration technology of digital enhancement ensures the stable high quality of large batches from different production runs.
Figure 4: Three-dimensional display effect of Shede liquor box digital enhancement details
Another category involves short-run or personalized products that quickly respond to market demands. For example, Luzhou Hongxu Packaging Products Co., Ltd. collaborates with Luzhou Laojiao, integrating with various cities to continuously launch city co-branded Luzhou Laojiao editions in quantities ranging from dozens to hundreds, achieving a win-win situation for both the liquor company and the packaging enterprise. Luzhou Laojiao utilizes Indigo printing, Cool Flash digital enhancement processes, and laser cutting machine forming, producing on-demand throughout the entire process. Orders are delivered in about 2 days, with digital enhancement equipment reaching nearly a million prints annually.
In Figure 5, the characters "Hunan" use digital hot stamping, while the local mountains, rivers, pavilions, and towers of Hunan are rendered with detailed layer separation, reflecting the layered sense of the landscape.
Figure 5: Luzhou Laojiao and Hunan Co-branded Edition
Figure 6: This Fangshan co-branded edition uses a laser stamping technique. The colorful laser effect combined with embossing makes the dragon and phoenix flourish magnificently on the surface.
Figure 6: Luzhou Laojiao and Fangshan Co-branded Edition
Figure 7: The three liquor boxes of Taihu Bay are ingeniously designed. When the three boxes are placed together, they depict the spring scenery of Taihu Bay. The lake, mountains, and the sailboats on the lake are all crafted using digital embossing and hot stamping techniques, resulting in a delicate illustration. Even the swallows on the right box are highlighted using digital UV techniques to enhance texture. If given as a gift, this set design undoubtedly adds an artistic touch to the visual appeal.
图7 太湖湾系列酒盒
上述三款订单根据客户需求常年翻单,每次1000～2000个盒子,快速交货能力极具竞争力.
短版和多样化对于品牌商和包装企业来说,如果追求效果靓丽,则成本高昂,制作周期长,费时费力不赚钱,数字增效设备在快速交货的同时,还能做到不同设计不同增效工艺,盒子的精美程度不打折,充分利用了数字增效无需制版,工艺精湛的特点.数字印刷在商务印刷领域最早进入,颇为成功,那么包装领域的深入开拓离不开数字增效的加持.泸州宏旭包装作为传统包装企业,他的成功无疑为数字包装开拓了新版图.
另外就是酒企周边文创,例如茅台的周边,部分包装也会指定用到数字增效工艺.我们欣喜地看到,品牌方也开始逐步熟悉和结合自己的产品特点选用数字增效方案.
烘焙食品类包装应用
高档点心,季节性礼品食品在包装上也逐步采用数字增效工艺.
层出不穷的零食不断冲击市场,一成不变的糖果包装,很难激起消费者心中的涟漪.设计师们认为是要在包装的呈现方式上做出一些改变了.图8这款荣获了iF设计奖的糖果包装盒,在视觉,结构,开盒体验上都做了一些创新设计,以提升它的趣味性,互动性,功能性……
图8 开拉糖果盒设计
糖果盒的设计师认为,没有什么能比原生态更具有辨识度,所以在结构设计上大胆采用橙子剖面图,色彩明亮,结构新颖,视觉醒目又直接,包装的打开方式也进行了趣味化处理.掰开橙子,拉出果核,放入口中,然后"吧嗒"一声关上,又还原了橙子的形态,让吃糖的过程充满了小小的仪式感.
最亮眼的是表面工艺处理上,借助视高迪3D UV技术,果肉和汁液一颗颗地滴落在包装盒表面,呈现出栩栩如生的逼真效果.仅是看看包装就垂涎欲滴,触发消费者的购买欲.糖果没有意义,糖果就只是糖果而已,用什么方式去包装它,那是包装设计师的乐趣.
动漫文创应用
这是近几年逐步火热的应用类型之一,在礼品公司,高档的卡片或者吧唧上采用增效工艺,给工艺品增加精美感,尤其用在限量版或者高端的吧唧上深受年轻潮人的喜爱,近些年出口日本的也不少.近些年近30%的平张数字增效设备也是此类印刷企业购置.
在直径为5～8cm的吧唧和卡片上呈现如此精美的烫金和UV层次,也只有数字增效才能触及.图9上的人物装饰和文字大多采用线条烫金,细小的装饰元素,例如星星,花朵,文字采用高低不同的数字UV表达细腻层次感.这种卡片通常印量在1000～20000张,交货期在2～3天左右.
图9 高端数字增效的吧唧和卡片(图片来自东莞市和煜印刷有限公司)
数字增效的高端动漫和卡片国际国内都有应用,视高迪的高端机型正是为此类应用研发的.目前国内的大型文创和卡片类印刷企业,例如浙江卡游动漫有限公司等都相继购入数字增效设备.
数字增效在此类应用上具备天然优势,技术层面上,此类卡片材质通常为金银卡和胶片,在每一次工艺走纸,例如烫金UV后,纸张都会发生微小伸缩和变形,二次工艺走纸的套准性正是数字增效工艺的强项.在如此小面积的图片设计上,精细和层次感表达需要精度高,套准度高和附着力强,同时支持多遍工艺的套准,简直非数字增效工艺莫属.同时数字增效技术无需制版,快速生产的特性满足了印量小,按需生产的要求.
装饰画应用
对于个性化装饰画的年代,增效无疑具有灵活性,个性化的特征.刚刚在美国获奖的《向日葵》当属典型装饰画案例,国内数字增效机偶尔会生产各类装饰画,例如唐卡等特殊宗教装饰画,千里马等家庭和办公装饰挂画.
图10由深圳俱进工艺研发中心打造的向日葵装饰画凭借创新的数字装饰工艺刚刚斩获2025年第32届美国FSEA金叶奖"最佳数字装饰使用"奖项并获美国印刷行业权威期刊《PostPress》封面头条专题报道.
图10 向日葵数字增效工艺装饰画
此装饰画采用视高迪Ultra 6500SHD设备与惠普Indigo 12000数字印刷机,结合3D循环打印技术和RSP™高精度算法(±100微米定位),实现复杂的纹理层次与立体装饰效果.特别选用哑光银箔卡纸,通过紫外线预估系统精准调控油墨流平与材料张力,通过烫镭射金,烫金,多次UV叠加呈现独特的金属光泽与曲面纹理,使向日葵海报复杂而令人惊叹的设计成为可能.
装饰画属于更多属于艺术领域,该项目的成功印证了数字印刷与艺术设计的完美融合趋势.
国内外的文创商务和可变数据贺卡类应用
基于成熟网络印刷的贺卡和照片印刷,一直是国外应用的主流之一,这里和国内不同的地方在于,国外的网络印刷基于自己的服务器,客户可以直接在属于自己运营的服务器下单购买.图11例中可以看到,新年贺卡类可以有三种颜色烫金的选择,如果选1张烫金卡片也可以,价格为5.01美元,充分利用了可变数据增效的优势.在北美,每年的可变数据贺卡订单多达1000万份,成为企业妥妥的摇钱树.
图11 美国Shutterfly网络订单界面和香港Eprint公司个性化红包及请柬
香港Eprint公司也在采取类似模式,用户通过网站可以下单专属自己的个性化增效利是封,台历,请柬,订单从10～1000个,均可制作.
文创产品中,用卷对卷增效制作的和纸胶带日益受到广大年轻人的喜爱,和纸面积小,各类花型复杂,产品种类繁多,在5cm宽左右的和纸上,对精细元素做复杂精准的增效是数字增效的强项.如图12所示,公主的裙摆勾边,钻石头饰和权杖的镭射烫,让画面瞬间生动唯美.
图12 深受年轻人喜爱的精美和纸(DMS供图)
软包的应用逐步拓展
这是这两年大幅增长的增效应用.软包设备供应商相较几年前大幅增加,不少国内生产宽幅数字印刷机的厂家加入卷对卷数字增效设备的行列,加上国产耗材的配套,软包增效应用逐步从沿海扩展到内地.我初步估计仅仅国内市场上卷对卷的数字增效设备有200余台,大大高于平张机的装机量,随之而来的是应用市场的蓬勃发展,例如和纸胶带,食品,卫生巾.
图13这款软包的"鎏光仙纸薄"文字和边框采用了数字增效的烫金工艺,和产品名的"鎏光"呼应.另一款"蔓越莓"则是在文字部分使用立体UV,增加产品名文字的亮度和立体感.使用数字增效技术的包装,明显增加了该产品的货架吸引力.
图13 著名卫生用品苏菲和高洁丝的增效软包应用(图片由DMS提供)
最后,我相信随着数字增效设备供应商,耗材供应商和印刷企业的不断努力,品牌商的认知度不断增加,还会有更多的新应用出现在未来市场上,让我们共同期待!