Crown lasers medieval Georgian poem on Natakhtari beer cans using High-Quality Print

27 Nov 2020 --- A close collaboration between Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East, Efes Georgia and graphic artist David Matchavariani is bringing acclaimed medieval poet Shota Rustaveli’s epic 12th century poem “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” to life on a series of limited edition beverage cans for Georgian beer brand, Natakhtari.

The series contains four elaborately decorated cans depicting the poem’s main characters and key themes of wisdom, friendship, love, and gender equality.

“The Efes cans are the perfect proof of ‘technology supporting storytelling’ in action,” Veronique Curulla, marketing & business development director, Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East, tells PackagingInsights.

“Our goal at Crown is to help beverage brands continue to find exciting ways to innovate and adapt to the changing demands of consumers and retailers.”

“This particular project required our teams’ artistic skills and limitless creativity to bring to life the characters and story in the printing process. The results are striking designs that help Efes excel in a competitive marketplace.”

High-quality laser printing
Crown’s experts used state-of-the-art High-Quality Print (HQP) technology to achieve the finest line precision and tonal accuracy required to recreate Matchavariani’s illustrations and sophisticated details.

The pre-press team developed a proprietary color separation methodology and dots knock out techniques and used the full capability of high-quality laser engraved printing plates to create the images.

The cans were manufactured at Crown’s plant in Turkey, where its printing experts ensured designs were accurately registered and ink film weights precisely controlled. These steps maintained the quality of the company’s pre-press team’s work while the cans were printed at high speed.

“Working with HQP technology, which is used to print fine details and almost photographic images, requires the creation of special laser engraved plates,” explains Curulla.

“Our experienced teams have the expertise to achieve the finest gradations, a lengthier process that involves significant attention to detail compared to printing with regular plates.”Crown used state-of-the-art High-Quality Print to achieve the finest line precision and tonal accuracy required to recreate Matchavariani’s illustrations.

Black and white
Although seemingly in black and white, the printing process required each of the eight available colors to effectively transfer all the image gradations and shadows onto the 360° can surface.

The reflectivity of the aluminum substrate was leveraged with the help of transparent inks or substrate details. When combined with a matt varnish, the resulting subtle contrasts lending an elegant appearance and unique feel to the cans support the brand’s premium image.

The striking designs are already receiving recognition across Europe, having won Gold in the Beverage Two-Piece category of the Cans of the Year Awards 2020 and first place in the Best Packaging Design/Label category of the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2020.

“This [design] is a first for Crown,” notes Curulla. “Our work is usually focused on promotions and personalization, using our Accents technology as well as our extensive range of decorative finishes.”

Packaging art
When acclaimed medieval poet Shota Rustaveli penned “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” in the 12th century, he likely never imagined his work would become an irreplaceable part of Georgian history and international literature.

The poem, sometimes referred to by Georgians as a second Bible, tells the story of Queen Tinatin, who orders her beloved Spaspet Avtandil to help a knight, Tariel, found weeping and wearing a black panther's skin, to retrieve his beloved Nestan-Darejan from captivity and his kingdom from usurpers.

These idealized heroes and devoted friends are united by courtly love, generosity, sincerity and dedication, and proclaim equality between men and women, a recurring theme throughout the poet’s work.

The series’ entire design process was carried out with a focus on remaining true to the essence of the story, combining a remarkable piece of storytelling, a talented artist, and a specialist in metal packaging.

From Tinatin’s accession to the throne to Avtandil’s expression of the power of true friendship and unity against any trouble, the collaboration has taken the works of art from both Rustaveli and Matchavariani and turned them into works of art in metal packaging.

By Joshua Poole