Plug into print: 7 November 2011

This week’s tek news around the globe finds a flexible concept e-reader making waves in Asia, plus bottle label marketing lights up with interactive printed electronic packaging.


Flashing lights to transform happy hour

Visual appeal of beverage bottles takes a giant leap with interactive printed electronic labels, as Innovia Films and PragmatIC Printing team up to change the face of marketing.

According to Steve Langstaff, OPP Product Manager at Innovia Films, the successful integration of technology is a highly significant step for Biaxially Orientated Polypropylene (BOPP) label substrates.

“Innovia Films is well known within the packaging and labels arena as a proactive developer of specialist surfaces on BOPP films,” he says.

The prototype was recently exhibited at the Packaging Innovations show held at the Business Design Centre in London. The interactive bottle labels are activated when held to produce a sequence of flashing lights.

Scott White, CEO of PragmatIC Printing, says the collaboration between the two companies demonstrates how its imprinted electronics can be integrated within packaging films.

“We now aim to progress these concepts together towards volume production and commercial deployment. This exciting development is only a small part of a larger project getting printable electronics into volume packaging markets,” he says.



Unplugged flexible e-paper display

Paper is making a comeback to challenge e-readers, but not in the form you would expect.

This six-inch concept e-reader was the top attraction at last month’s FPD International in Japan, as it does not require an external power supply to produce its 800 by 600-pixel resolution.

Made by Taiwan-based AU Optronics, this new piece of tek is a combination of Rollable Organic TFT (thin film transistor) E-paper with an attached flexible photovoltaic battery.

During the day the device can draw all the power it needs from the sun, yet requires an external rechargeable battery for indoor use.