Diagraph's Blog | Product Coding
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Diagraphs Blog covers the latest in coding and labeling products


Laser marking on nutraceutical products provide robust traceability
Nutraceuticals are a rapidly expanding market in the United States and the market is expected to continue its growth by more than 8% over the next six years*. Laser coders are an ideal solution for the nutraceuticals market as they provide robust traceability to meet every budget, line speed and substrate material need.
Increase contract packaging productivity by minimizing equipment interventions
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Marking and coding equipment should help contract packagers improve productivity. Diagraph accomplishes this by keeping equipment intervention requirements for our product identification equipment to a minimum.
Simplify use with one touch product coding solutions
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Many quality equipment manufacturers strive for an easy to use designation. When comparing the ease of use of products, nothing is simpler than distilling a process down to a single step.
Food, glorious food - the benefits of using Continuous Ink Jet
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2020 will go down in history as a challenging time for food producers. While it is vital that food supplies to supermarkets are uninterrupted and rigorous hygiene is maintained, we should not forget the importance of the printed information that is provided to the consumer when it is on the shelf. There are heavy fines for batch and date codes that do not meet required legislation, and the printed codes must meet stringent traceability requirements should any recall be needed.
You need to think about your ink
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We’ve all been there. Starving at the end of the day and rushing into a supermarket to pick up something to eat. Consumers may give a cursory glance at the best before date on the package to confirm that the item is safe to eat. They give no thought (and why should they) to how much research and development has gone into the ink displaying the information on the package. Not so for those responsible for coding and marking in the food industry.
PERSONAL CARE MANUFACTURER REDUCES TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP BY TRADING OUT AGING EQUIPMENT
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Read how a personal care manufacturer realized major savings on service and fluids when upgrading aging Linx equipment to the latest Linx inkjet system.
Demand for Flexible Packaging Expected to Grow
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The US food industry is the leader for flexible packaging with the market continuing to grow with an expected 3.9% CAGR and valuation of $392 billion by 2023. Flexible packaging currently accounts for 19% of the packaging market – second only to corrugated paper. Advancements in slider closures, fitments, and improved barrier properties are driving preferences amongst both manufacturers and consumers.
Standardizing Food Date Labels in the United States
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U.S. regulatory agencies recently announced a new preference to standardize on the use of the quality-based date label of "Best If Used By" on packaged foods. This recommendation is voluntary and based on research-based industry best practices. 
Creating a Supply Strategy Based on Production Run Rates
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Diagraph Marking & Coding focuses on partnering with customers in every aspect of their coding and labeling operations, including working closely to develop a unique supply strategy that ensures our customers have the appropriate coding and labeling supplies on hand for when they need them.
Inkjet Printhead Durability Drives Ease of Use
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Not all inkjet printheads are created equal. Some printheads are designed to offer superior uptime performance, making them easier to operate and use when coding product. Look for the following features when choosing an inkjet coder, whether it is a small character inkjet coder for printing on primary product packaging or a high resolution large character inkjet coder for printing on cases:
How to Reduce Marking Mistakes and Ensure Proper Code Adhesion
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What does your company do when products are marked with the wrong product identification codes? Scrap? Rework? Mismarked and mislabeled products can create big hits to the bottom line. When encountering marking mistakes with regularity, companies can find it difficult to keep profit margins under control. What’s worse is if mismarked or mislabeled products make it out to market, manufacturers can face penalties from retailers and the risk of product recalls.
Are You Ready to Automate Date Coding on Your Ready-to-Eat Products?
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Fast-paced lifestyles of the working class and a growing number of Millennials demanding on-the-go options are two contributing factors to the rise in the ready-to-eat (RTE) prepared foods market with a projected CAGR of 7.2% between 2016-2026 With the versatility of the packaging substrates and forms for RTE products, we are outlining some key considerations to keep in mind for date coding to still achieve demanding throughput goals.
Color Contrasting Inkjet Coder Runs Cleaner for Longer
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Diagraph is pleased to announce the launch of the Linx 8900 Plus Series – an advanced range of color contrasting inkjet technology that provides the highest levels of printer reliability and ease of use. Enhancements in printhead design and pigment particle dispersion in the Linx 8900 Series prevent common clogging issues associated with inkjet systems when using color soft pigment-based inks.
Sneak Peek at Diagraph's PACK EXPO Las Vegas Show Specials
Diagraph is offering exclusive show specials for PACK EXPO Vegas attendees who have their badges scanned at Booth C-4010.
Choosing Stick Pack or Sachet Equipment to Integrate with Your Multi-Lane Printer
Once your packet is coded, sachet or stick pack packaging requires a specialized system to form the packaging receptacle, fill the product into the packet, and seal the ends to secure the product for transport. These systems are known as FFS - form, fill, and seal machines - and they come in two different varieties: (1) Vertical (VFFS) and (2) Horizontal (HFFS).
These Common CIJ Maintenance Issues Could Be Affecting Your Uptime
Companies using non-contact high speed Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) technology to mark information (including expiration dates) on their product may not be aware that a key component of their marking system – the fluids – also have expiration dates.
GMO labeling crisis? Here's what you should know and what you should do
Did you know there were 80 GMO labeling bills introduced in 20 states in 2015? On July 1, 2016 the first GMO labeling law will go into effect in Vermont. The Vermont law requires raw agricultural commodity and processed food producers who sell food products in or into the state of Vermont to mark the lowest saleable unit of food packaging with a disclaimer that clearly and conspicuously reads “produced with genetic engineering.”
New Non-Porous Ink Offers Darker Print and Longer Decap Times
Diagraph is now offering a newly formulated non-porous ink in an improved 45Si cartridge that will offer Thermal Jet Series technology users greater print quality on some of the most challenging non-porous substrates.
And our message to our Beer customers this week is… Wait, What?
Coding on cans is a necessary part of the distribution process and Continuous Inkjet Printing (CIJ) is the best fit technology for this coding requirement.
Comparing Pneumatic and Electric Label Printer Applicators
Diagraph’s E-Series labelers are considered the simplest, most reliable all-electric labeling solutions in the industry today thanks to years of continuous improvement and innovation. Our entire line up of Diagraph E-Series print and apply and automated label applicator systems build upon the durability of the proven Diagraph Platinum Series design, yet incorporate key electronic enhancements that allow it to perform more consistently and reliably over time.
Variable Coding Ready to Eat Meals with Inkjet
Although laws vary by state and only baby formula has a federal regulation on “Use By”, “Sell By” or “Best Before” date coding, consumers look for this information before making a purchase. Continuous Inkjet Printing (CIJ) is often the preferred method to achieve date coding. Continuous Inkjet offers high-speed, non-contact marking using solvent based inks to print variable information on a wide variety of substrates.
A Look at Laser Coder Power Ratings
Here are some straight forward concepts to keep in mind with laser coding and power ratings.
Reason Manufacturers Moving From Automated Air Labelers
Plant managers and maintenance managers alike are deserting pneumatically driven label applicators in favor of all-electric label applicators for one BIG reason.
Analog Hot Stamp Printing vs. Digital Thermal Transfer Printing
Many marking and coding equipment sellers espouse the virtues of thermal transfer overprinters (TTO) over the capabilities of hot stamp coders. As a manufacturer of both thermal transfer and hot stamp technologies, we are here to tell you that there is room for both. The truth is that each technology excels for very different reasons.
5 Things to Consider When Choosing Ink Jet Inks
Ink Jet printing enables variable information to be printed on multiple substrates including uncoated and coated corrugated cartons, gypsum, PVC piping, lumber and other materials. When choosing the ink to jet from your ink jet five criteria should be considered:
Improve Efficiency with the Linx 8900
The all new Linx 8900 was a hit during its debut at Pack Expo Las Vegas! Visitors loved the simple one-touch fluid refill design, the enhanced user interface paired with the large touch screen, the engineer-free self service module, and, of course, the industry leading reliability that comes with the Linx printhead.
How to Increase CIJ Coder Reliability and Uptime
Do your inkjet printheads need to be cleaned more than once a month? How often do you find yourself waiting on a service visit for routine maintenance? Do you throw away partially full fluid containers, or worse yet, do empty ink cartridges interrupt your production? These are all common issues that eat away at your production time and your bottom line.
What is a hot stamp machine?
Hot stamp machines utilize simple and reliable mechanical technology. Hot stamp printing is a process in which heated type is pressed firmly against the item you are printing with a ribbon/foil between.
Making the Perfect Mark with a Laser
To avoid smeared, smudged and illegible date and lot codes, turn to the high print quality made possible from today’s scribing lasers.
Choosing the Right Label Adhesive -- A Comparison
How to choose the right adhesive for primary product and case coding labels. A comprehensive look at 7 adhesives and their purposes.
Meeting 24/7 Production Line Requirements
How to cut costs, keep your line moving and get coding you can count on for round the clock production
Product Coding in the Presence of Chemicals
A common challenge when coding in the presence of chemicals is the reaction of coding ink to the product, process or environment. Marks can smear, bleed or disappear entirely.
Seasonal Coding Tips for Confectioners
Many manufacturers in food processing and consumer goods experience seasonal fluctuations in demand. As a result, their production must ramp up and down throughout the course of the year. Should their product require variable coding such as batch codes and date codes, these companies often make use of Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) coding technology.
Analogue Vs. Digital Product Coding
A review of analogue and digital product coding in the meat packing industry. Do hot stamp users really need to make the switch to a digital coding solution? The answer may surprise you.
Reliable Coding in Refrigerated Meat Plants
As in many industries, traceability and expiration dates are required for their products, but successfully executing this coding is a challenge because many meat packing plants run 24/7 in an extremely cold, damp and humid environment. This combination of environmental factors is hard on all marking and coding equipment.
Perfect Codes for Personal Care Products
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Image is everything in the Personal Care industry and the companies producing cosmetics, toiletries, home fragrance and the like will spend a lot of time, energy and money in making sure their products look good. But regulations often require variable information such as expiration dates and batch codes to be added to the packaging. The required codes are usually designed to be discrete to help maintain a quality product image, but must be indelible, easily legible and visible. As a result, coding is an essential element in creating perfect packaging for personal care products.

Featured Posts

  • Overcoming the daily challenges of pigmented ink printing Posted 5 months ago
    Using pigmented ink in printers, especially ‘white ink’, often presents daily challenges compared to standard dye-based ink printers that result in more downtime. These challenges often include more frequent servicing and daily cleaning.
  • Avoid Labeling Mistakes by Removing Plant Air Posted last year
    All-electric label applicators revolutionize the packaging industry by eliminating the reliance on plant air, providing precise applicator control for consistent and accurate label placement and ensuring secure label control for various label sizes.
  • Is training production line workers creating a challenge? No problem!  Posted 7 years ago
    Companies rely on engineers or technicians to keep production lines up and running. These job functions are essential to hitting production targets, so it is key that their skill level on equipment is proficient. When making the decision to replace this equipment, the amount of time and money that will have to be invested in training your labor is a major deciding factor.
  • Don’t let fast drying ink slow down your CIJ coding process Posted last year
    Continuous inkjet printers (CIJ) use super-fast drying solvent-based inks. One of the technology challenges presented by these inks is that they aren’t too particular wherethey dry. With CIJ technology, the formation of drops from an inkjet stream creates a mist (or satellite drops) which builds up a layer of ink over time on the components inside the CIJ print head, causing print failure. Routine cleaning of ink with solvent from the components in a print head is required to maintain best print quality and uptime.
  • How do I get labels to stick in hot and humid environments? Posted 4 years ago
    Something to be aware of when considering using labeling for product identification in a hot or humid environment is that labels are sensitive to temperature, making facility environment temperature a determining factor in choosing what label material to use on a product.  
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