TECHNOLOGY

ECOLEAF technology is a sustainable alternative to creating decorative metallic embellishments on labels and folding cartons with conventional foiling. Integrated inline into analog presses, digital printing presses or finishing equipment, or retrofitted to existing equipment, ECOLEAF technology consists of a printed trigger image and a metallization unit that applies a very thin layer of metal pigments onto a donor roller that is transferred onto the trigger image.

By creating the trigger image with different printing methods, you can generate a wide range of metallic effects:

• Screen technology allows tactile metallic effects even on filmic substrates and eliminates the need for embossing
• Flexo provides very fine metallization at the highest resolution
• Inkjet enables seamless and variable metallization

The conventionally applied trigger image can be colorized, leading to endless possibilities of decorative metallic effects that were previously impossible to create.

ECOLEAF uses only the precise amount of metal required to create the metallic image, eliminating the need for foil and its associated piles of waste, and improves the recyclability of the printed products. ECOLEAF printed images are non-conductive and suitable for metalized microwaveable packaging. The technology is currently being tested on a wide range of substrates, including standard label stock and absorbent, rough paper.