Printing

 
Maximize your label’s impact with Tango’s state-of-the-art full-color printing options.

Printing Backwards: A Unique Process for Shrink Sleeves

One of unique benefits of shrink sleeve labels is their smooth, abrasion-resistant finish. This flawless finish is the result of a reverse printing process; with rare exceptions, shrink sleeves are printed on the inside of the material, starting with the details and ending with the background. Tango Packaging offers two types of shrink sleeve printing: HD Flexographic Printing and Custom Digital Printing. Each printing method has benefits and drawbacks; the Tango team can help you determine which option is the best fit for your project.

HD Flexographic Printing

For precise color-matching and fine detail on larger runs, we offer HD flexographic printing. HD Flexographic printing uses custom-engraved flexible plates that are wrapped around cylinders to apply the ink.

ADVANTAGES:

Exact color-matching and expanded color options: Inks can be custom-mixed to match any Pantone® color. Fluorescent and metallic inks are also available. 

  • Precise ink application: Imprints are tightly controlled, so details remain sharp and text (even small print) remains easily readable. 

  • Improvement over traditional flexographic printing: With a 4000 DPI resolution, HD Flexographic is capable of better gradients and shading than traditional flexographic printing (which is 2540 DPI). 

  • Cost-effectiveness: For large print runs, HD flexographic printing is an affordable choice.

Disadvantages: 

  • Expensive changes: Because each plate must be cut individually, any changes to the label (flavor variations, differing SKUs, etc.) mean starting from scratch. As a result, there are larger minimum quantities.

Custom Digital Printing

For cost-effective printing on shorter runs, we offer plate-free digital printing. This method works like the inkjet printer you may have sitting on your desk right now; instead of plates, the digital printer applies inks in a fine dot pattern, mixing them directly on the substrate to create the desired colors.

ADVANTAGES:

  • Cost-effectiveness with lower minimum quantities: Without plates, we can change things like the SKU or the label copy with minimal cost and set up time. This even allows you to create intentional variations for creative marketing opportunities without prohibitive plate setup costs. 

  • Sustainability: Digital printing has less impact on the environment than other printing options.

  • Vivid color: Rather than traditional four-color CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) printing, we use CMYKOV (+ orange and violet) for improved color matching and vibrant images.

Disadvantages: 

  • Exact Pantone® color-matching is not available.

  • Lower resolution than Flexographic: Dot-based digital printing may limit the readability of very fine print, so some designs may need to be adjusted to suit the printing method.