Visitors attending the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America at the Music City Center in Nashville, May 1-3 will have plenty of choices to select from. That includes INX International Ink Co.’s (booth 1363) 2-Piece Metal Color Catalog, the industry’s first true and foremost color standard for beverage can design, available from the industry leader in metal decorating ink technology.

Brand owners, designers and metal decorators who attended the CBC a year ago had the chance to preview the INX Color Catalog. This year, they can learn about or purchase the more than 600 removable color swatches that are printed on metal, not paper, to help accurately specify and achieve reproducible and consistent color.

“The 2017 CBC was a huge success for INX. We were impressed with the turnout and were able to connect with craft brewers and their designers who are looking to get their products into aluminum,” reflected Sarah Jacks, an INX International Project Specialist. “This event allowed us to have further reach with our craft brew audience and help educate them to all that is involved in the aluminum can market.”

Overall beer volume sales in the U.S. were flat in 2016, but craft brewer sales increased 6.2 percent. The year before, the craft brew market grew by 15 percent. With the market becoming more competitive and demanding, Jacks indicated the INX Color Catalog can help reduce lead times getting to market quicker.

“We know craft brewers want their products to reach the shelves first and catch the eyes of consumers. There is no time to be lost waiting for graphics approval or color selection. With INX Color Perfection®, the guesswork behind designing and selecting the color for beverage cans is removed. That makes reducing lead times in all aspects of prep work and throughout the process absolutely critical.”

Jacks remarked how the INX Color Perfection program is just one advantage of working with a company that offers an exclusive global network dedicated to metal decorating.

“Using the INX Color Perfection tool, the craft market can efficiently select, communicate and approve color. Incorporating colors specifically suitable to metal decoration, users can save a valuable amount of time. They can achieve this either in the design files prior to the pilot, or in the production stages using the INX Color Catalog and the corresponding Digitized Color Library. Doing so also allows for improved communication channels throughout the entire marketplace.

“By referencing these unique INX numbers,” continued Jacks, “users also are able to communicate within a network of colors specifically suited for 2-piece beverage cans. This helps everyone in the supply chain better understand what customers are looking for, compared to using colors or nomenclature used for other substrates.”