Label for EL DRAGO luxury drink packaging

To accompany the folding cartons for EL DRAGO luxury drinks, we also produced matching labels with an identical look and feel.

What was important in developing the labels was not only to adopt the same design and coloring as the carton, but also to achieve an identical visual and haptic experience.

The purpose of this project was to demonstrate that the look, haptics and overall impression of related print products can be coordinated across various substrates and production systems.

Individual effects can still be varied in this context, without the consumer perceiving them as an abrupt change in design.

Only an approach of this kind ensures a coherent and consistent image that sticks in the minds of customers and contributes to branding.

 Go to the folding cartons

From folding carton to label

The first important step is to adapt the graphics to the significantly smaller label format.
Selecting the right graphic elements, which most strongly represent the EL DRAGO brand, is critical.

Next, the technical methods for achieving the targeted visual and haptic effects must be chosen. The most striking features in this case are the leather-like texture and the embossed logos and dragon. They present a special challenge, because the embossing and debossing techniques used on the folding cartons cannot be used on the label substrate.

These effects are achieved instead by cleverly combining cold foil, inks, pigments and various lacquers.

The EL DRAGO ROJO label additionally incorporates the new metallic doming technique, which pairs screen printing with metallic foil application for an effect virtually identical to embossing.

The labels were produced on two different substrates to demonstrate different effects on the bottle:

  • Bright white, self-adhesive paper substrate for EL DRAGO Verde
  • Transparent, self-adhesive PET substrate for EL DRAGO Rojo

Cost-efficient inline production

Another critical step involves the precision adaptation of the materials and components to the production system. The flexibility of the chosen system allows rapid changes in the printing and finishing steps. The order of ink and lacquer application ultimately determines the appearance of the targeted effects.

This phase naturally requires close collaboration between agencies, designers, brand owners, printers, finishers and suppliers.

The labels were produced inline on two different Gallus systems, each in a single pass:

  • EL DRAGO Verde: Gallus ECS 340
  • EL DRAGO Rojo:   Gallus RCS 430 on the premises of our partner GEWA

EL DRAGO Rojo: Configuration and materials

Methods used:

  • Metallic Doming
  • Flexo and screen printing
  • Lacquer and pigment effects
  • Die-cutting

EL DRAGO Verde: Configuration and materials

The standard configuration used here already incorporates all the printing and finishing techniques required for the EL DRAGO VERDE label.

Methods used:

  • Flexo and screen printing
  • Lacquer and pigment effects
  • Cold foil and die-cutting

Go back