Incarta is a printing company based in the Lot-et-Garonne region of France, with annual sales of €5 million. This 32-employee SME was able to convince a partner of choice, none other than infant food giant Blédina.
This prestigious partnership for the printer was made possible thanks to the ALL4PACK trade fair, which we reported on a short while ago. The printer’s mission will be to produce personalised packaging using variable data printing.

Incarta and packaging: a long-standing relationship

Incarta was founded in 1987 in Bon-Encontre, near Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne department. The printer has made packaging its speciality, printing small and medium runs as well as large ones. To achieve this, Incarta masters the two technologies of traditional offset printing and digital offset printing.

With a turnover of €5 million in 2016, the company has diversified by integrating various business sectors. These include packaging design for the pharmaceutical, tobacco, food, cosmetics and communications industries. In 30 years, this packaging specialist has produced more than 7.8 billion prints, from prototypes to finished cartons.

Digital printing, the keystone of the meeting

Curious aboutdigital printing and product personalisation, Danone wanted to find out more about this technology. Particularly after the campaigns launched by Coca-Cola and Nutella in the field of variable data printing.

This was followed by contacts with Blédina, during which the printer was able to carry out several demonstrations. Using packaging files from the food brand to showcase their expertise.

Although the returns were not immediate, the prototypes supplied by Incarta continued to circulate at Blédina. It was only once the food specialist was sure of its plans, using variable data printing, that it would return to Incarta.

A carton packaging project using variable data printing

The collaboration began with a project to launch a new recipe at Blédina. The idea was to organise a competition around “Douceur de butternut”, Blédina’s new recipe. The idea was to print on the packaging of the products sold, the positive feedback from mothers after they had adopted the new recipe.

Incarta’s mission was to print 92,000 packs on cardboard packaging, incorporating around a hundred reviews left by mothers. As a bonus, the towns, first names and regions on the map of France were also printed. The competition was a resounding success, with over 3,000 mums taking part. With a dedicated hashtag (#LEGRANDVOTE2018) on the social networks.

ALL4PACK’s role in the event and its advantages

According to Matthieu Gardère, Prepress Manager at Incarta, ALL4PACK was truly the key player in this event. He also points out that it was this exhibition that enabled the printer to position itself in thedigital offset printing sector. For 30 years, the company had only been involved in traditional offset printing.

The show enabled Incarta to reach markets it would never have entered before. A godsend when you consider that the company only joined the show a month after acquiring its first digital press.

Please note that the next ALL4PACK packaging show will be held from 26 to 29 November 2018 at the Parc des Expositions Paris-Nord Villepinte. Graphic arts and press enthusiasts take note.

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