Plastic tubs and pots are a popular packaging choice for a wide variety of goods, from personal care products such as body scrubs, to bite-size bakery products such as brownies and flapjacks.
Tubs are available in a range of sizes and shapes, depending on their use and contents. However, they all require a batch and/or date code to be applied to ensure consumer safety, and to comply with track and trace initiatives.
Thermal inkjet (TIJ)
Due to advancements in ink formulations, TIJ printers can easily produce a durable, clear print onto most plastics widely used in tubs (PPE & HDPE).
If the set-up allows printing downwards onto the lid of the tub is preferable, as it provides a nice flat surface to print onto. Also, with the printhead pointing directly down onto the lid, gravity assists the cartridge, ensuring that it empties completely and that no ink is wasted.
It’s possible to print onto the curved surface of the tub, providing the length of print does not follow too far around the curvature (the ink’s throw distance is anything from 1 – 5mm). The distance around curvature will depend on the size of text and number of characters.
Printing cosmetic tubs
Tubs used for cosmetics often require a high-quality, yet discreet code that doesn’t detract from the overall aesthetics of the packaging. TIJ printers can produce excellent resolution codes, up to 900dpi. They can also print text as small as 1mm in height, while still producing clear, readable code.
Printing in white is also achievable, just a simple change in cartridge is all that is needed to produce excellent prints on darker substrates.
