Attractive packaging is essential to being competitive in a crowded market. With high quality printing, you can grab customer attention and build awareness of your brand. But, many materials used for product packaging, such as plastic, don’t take to inks and prints. Without proper treatment, your packaging will be left with low-quality printing that easily wipes off or quickly fades. And when customers see low-quality packaging and printing, it tells them they should pass you over for another product.
This is where corona treatment comes in. Prior to the printing process, corona treatment is applied to the surface of the substrate before printing. The process involves exposing the surface of the material to a high voltage electrical discharge, which ionizes the air around the surface and creates what’s known as a “corona discharge.” This modifies the surface energy of the substrate, creating a highly reactive surface that is more receptive to the adhesion of ink or other coatings.
By improving the ink's ability to wet the surface and adhere to it, corona treatment provides massively improved print quality, color, and durability. It also allows ink to spread more evenly over the surface, reducing the formation of ink droplets and other defects. The process reduces the risk of contamination and other issues that can impact print quality as well.
Besides helping you create vibrant, detailed packaging, corona treatment can also help you comply with legal labeling requirements. It’s essential for required labels to be visible and not degrade. With corona treatment, you can ensure all labeling is well-printed and resistant to fading.
Corona treatment is an essential step in the printing process, particularly for plastics and other non-porous substrates. Without corona treatment, high-quality durable prints are near impossible. Examples of printing processes and inks which can benefit from corona treatment include: