Mondi brings vibrant digital printing to brown paper packaging

Mondi has developed a digital print packaging solution for brown paper packaging. The offering uses multi-color digital printing technology, which results in defined colors and contrast on brown substrate, according to the company. Applying a white underprint is also possible, the paper packaging provider highlights. 

The printing and packaging solution supports the market launch of a Kärcher push sweeper for pavements and roads. Mondi says it designed the brown paper packaging to help communicate the product’s recycling content inclusion and to meet the brand’s requirements for packaging impact and print quality. 

“As a long-standing partner, we value Mondi’s ability to translate our requirements for brand impact and sustainability into packaging solutions that work in practice,” says Janis Walker, lead buyer for packaging at Kärcher. 

“For the launch of our push sweeper, Mondi helped make the sustainability concept of our product visible on the packaging without compromising color reproduction, design quality, or brand presence.” 

Bringing color to brown paper 

Printing vibrant colors on brown paper can be a technical challenge, especially for the high-quality colors brands tend to expect. 

Mondi explains that it responds to this technical bottleneck by applying multi-color digital printing that offers a white underprint option. It says this allows it to achieve defined color quality and contrast on brown substrate, and in turn, the reproduction of Kärcher’s signature yellow color on brown paper. 

For the printing of line details such as small text, delicate design elements, as well as the European Article Number barcodes, Monti details that it used sharp contours to support clear readability at the point of sale. 

For this packaging offering, Mondi also utilized digital computer-to-print technology to eliminate the need for printing plates. The company underscores that computer-to-print simplifies demand-based production, thus lowering surplus. 

Mondi notes that it used water-based inks on the packaging for Kärcher. The inks are approved for primary packaging by Swiss Quality Testing Services, an independent, accredited testing institute for quality and product safety, and are used in the process, according to the packaging company. 

In recent digital printing innovation news, Siegwerk developed a cloud‑based color management solution in collaboration with X-Rite Pantone, while Epson partnered with Engineered Printing Solutions to bring its ContourJet direct-to-object digital printing platform to North America. 

However, as digital printing becomes increasingly mainstream in packaging, concerns are emerging around unauthorized system access, data protection, and operational quality. Packaging Insights previously spoke with Bobst, Mondi, Flint Group Digital Xeikon, and Xaar about the measures they have in place to mitigate risks associated with digital printing.