Flint Group Packaging Solutions details industry trends ahead of LOUPE Americas

The label and package printing industry will head to Rosemont, IL, USA, for the inaugural LOUPE Americas, from September 15-17, 2026. Attendees heading to the premier industry trade show will get the opportunity to explore the latest industry trends, including UV LED solutions.

To learn more about some of the most pressing industry topics, L&NW sits down with Kenneth Keathley, director, Narrow Web, NA, Flint Group Packaging Solutions.

L&NW: What ink trends is Flint Group Packaging Solutions seeing in the North American market?

KK: The use of UV LED continues to gain ground across labels and narrow web package print applications, driven by a practical set of pressures. Converters want faster curing, higher efficiency, and lower energy use, while maintaining consistent output and keeping costs under control.

Sustainability and regulatory compliance remain key drivers in the market. At the same time, there is a clear need for inks that perform across multiple substrates and applications without adding complexity for the converter. We are also seeing more interest in solutions that help reduce operating costs without compromising output. This includes solutions that support shorter start-up times, cleaner running, and fewer interruptions on-press.

North American customers are looking for ink systems that help them run cleaner, faster, and more flexibly. This is the direction we foresee for the market, which is why UV LED keeps coming up in discussions.

L&NW: What are the advantages to using UV LED solutions in labels and packaging?

KK: UV LED gives converters greater control over energy use and heat on press. UV LED cures instantly, which helps reduce start-up waste, cuts downtime, and keeps production moving, all while using less energy than conventional UV systems.

It also offers more substrate options because the lower heat output makes it easier to print on thinner and heat-sensitive materials. This matters for labels and packaging, where converters often work across a wider range of applications.

In addition, there are practical maintenance benefits to consider. Longer lamp life and fewer replacements mean less disruption, lower consumables costs, and more predictable uptime. For many converters, the combination of productivity, reliability, and lower energy use makes UV LED worth adopting.

L&NW: What are the benefits of utilising Flint Group Packaging Solutions’ dual-cure technology?

KK: Many converters are running a mix of Hg UV and UV LED across different presses, or are in the middle of transitioning and cannot afford disruption during that process. Managing separate ink systems for each setup adds complexity, increases held inventory, and causes downtime during press changeovers. Dual-cure technology is designed to remove that friction. Inks like EkoCure® Dual Cure can run on both conventional UV and UV LED systems, providing flexibility across different press configurations without splitting workflows. It also makes it easier to phase in UV LED over time rather than committing to a full switch in one step.

In practice, this technology means converters have fewer ink variants to manage and can achieve more consistent performance across platforms, with less time spent adjusting between jobs. It also helps protect existing equipment investments and gives converters a clear path to more energy-efficient curing where it makes sense for their operations.

L&NW: What key factors should converters consider to achieve optimal print performance with UV inks?

KK: Most issues with UV inks boil down to how well the ink, the curing system, and the substrate are matched. Even minor differences in any of those areas can have ramifications on press, including incomplete curing and adhesion, or simply general inconsistency across a run.

Getting the curing setup right is essential to achieving optimal performance. In practice, this involves monitoring lamp output and curing speed to ensure energy is delivered consistently across the web. The substrate also plays a crucial role, particularly in terms of surface tension and its receptiveness to the ink system being used.

Beyond that, performance ultimately comes down to control and consistency. Regular testing and quality control procedures help avoid variation over time, and we see the most reliable results where there is ongoing dialogue between converter and supplier, allowing adjustments to be made proactively rather than after issues arise in production.

L&NW: How does Flint Group Packaging Solutions ensure that customers get the right solution for their unique application?

KK: Our support is an ongoing process rather than a one-off decision. We recognise that most converters handle a mix of jobs that may not behave the same way on press. A standard approach to support is rarely optimal, so we typically start with the application itself and work through the details with the customer, including press setup, end-use requirements, and any compliance considerations. This process helps us determine which part of our portfolio is best suited to them, so we can match our products to their needs.

From there, the key is to validate the portfolio under real-world conditions, including application testing and press trials as needed, to ensure the system runs consistently at speed. Our technical teams remain involved beyond the initial setup to support troubleshooting and provide adjustments as jobs or requirements change.

L&NW: Where does Flint Group Packaging Solutions see demand for sustainability and how are you expertly suited to navigate these challenges?

KK: The primary demands we hear from our customers are to reduce energy use, document compliance more clearly, and cut waste while maintaining consistent print performance across a wider range of substrates. Those pressures tend to land quickly on inks and coatings, whether in the form of curing efficiency or overall environmental impact on press.

We are also seeing steady demand for solutions that help printers reduce their operational footprint without introducing variability into production. UV LED continues to gain ground for its established energy savings during the curing stage and its support for generally more stable processes, especially with temperature-sensitive materials. At the same time, there is a growing focus on migration-optimised systems for food and other sensitive applications, meaning that compliance increasingly needs to be built directly into ink formulations rather than managed as a separate step.

From our perspective, much of the work focuses on ensuring that ink systems consistently perform under real production conditions. This includes ongoing development across UV LED, water-based technologies, and coatings that simplify sustainability for our customers. We also provide regulatory support to help converters and brand owners manage evolving requirements. The aim is to give converters materials that meet sustainability targets while still delivering the performance they expect on-press.

L&NW: What are some other products attendees can expect to learn more about at LOUPE Americas?

KK: At LOUPE Americas, we will showcase a complete portfolio of inks, coatings, and digital print technologies to help visitors stay on top of evolving quality and compliance challenges. Alongside the latest innovations in our EkoCure® UV LED portfolio, we will demonstrate our Hydrokett and Hydrofilm water-based ink systems, offering clear examples of the tools we provide to support energy efficiency and low environmental impact in label and narrow web printing. We will also showcase a range of coatings designed to enhance and protect packaging.

We will also highlight our VIVO Colour Solutions service, a cutting-edge, end-to-end digital colour management offering designed to help printers achieve fast, accurate colour matching across the pressroom. By enabling precise brand colour reproduction and incorporating press return functionality to simplify ink reuse, VIVO supports smarter workflows, improves operational efficiency, and helps reduce ink inventory costs.

In addition, we will be on hand to discuss Flexocure® LEAP, our latest UV-curable innovation. Built on an entirely new, revolutionary resin system, Flexocure LEAP significantly reduces the risk of photoinitiator migration by stabilising PI compounds. This advanced containment approach protects packaging integrity and future-proofs the ink against potential regulatory changes.

Finally, we are excited to show LOUPE Americas attendees how our FlintLink digital B2B platform can benefit their operations. FlintLink streamlines the busywork around print, so businesses can get on with the work that matters most to them. It provides easy access to everything from technical documentation and SDS to order details, and connects customers with technical support and troubleshooting tools that improve efficiency, connectivity, and collaboration.

Flint Group Digital Xeikon will also be available at our booth, where they will run demonstrations of three digital print engines. Visitors to Booth 5821 can see the TX500, PX3300HD, and Ecolyne presses operating live and learn more about Xeikon’s TITON toner technology.