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Companies in the graphics industry are not particularly keen on certifications, generally citing cost and hassle as reasons not to bother. This is short sighted because certifications provide various assurances, not least for safety and process reliability and quality assurance. We are seeing a rising number of certifications in the business, particularly as packaging innovations grow. These are for digital printing systems using ISO 12647-2 (Process control for offset printing) as well as for materials and consumables such as inks.

Here’s a clever idea: watermark packaging so that a sorting system can be more accurate and recycling processes more efficient.That’s what AIM, the European Brands Association, is encouraging companies to do. AIM represents manufacturers of branded consumer goods in Europe, and is particularly concerned with matters relating to their ability to design, distribute and market their brands. Directly or indirectly through its corporate and national association members, the group represents 2500 businesses ranging from small to medium sized enterprises through to multinationals. The group has set up a project called Holy Grail 2.0, which sounds like it might well be a joke. Joke or not, over 85 companies have signed up to Holy Grail 2.0, most recently Sun Chemical, a leading maker of printing inks, coatings, pigments, polymers, liquid and, solid compounds, and application materials.