Beverage can painting has been around since the 1930s but due to the intensive offset lithography process, a common method for printing on aluminium packaging, microbrewers have had to sell massive quantities of cans to justify the cost.

Historically, the process has involved prepress preparation of the artwork, followed by the creation of separate printing plates for each colour used in the design.  Ink is applied to the plates, transferred to rubber blanket cylinders, and then onto the aluminium cans as they pass through the printing press.  Each colour is applied in separate passes, and quality control measures ensure the final product meets standards.  After printing, the ink is dried and cured to prevent smudging.

But what if there was a way for breweries to utilise the entire can for their artwork without the massive cost or minimum order quantities?  Recently, Oasthouse Engineering - a manufacturer and supplier of cans and machinery in Rotherham, UK, invested in a state-of-the-art digital printer that allows breweries of all shapes and sizes to print their artwork directly onto cans, changing the way that brewers present their beers.

As a design and marketing agency, we're heavily invested in making sure our client's beers are presented in the best possible light.  Therefore, we partnered with Oasthouse Engineering for this special episode of the Hop Forward Podcast to discuss all things digital print and cans, before taking a look at the machine and having a few Greg Wallace moments along the way.

Many of the leading craft brewers in the UK have already started using Oasthouse Engineering to print their cans, so we ask Sam Morris of the business to talk us through the process and discuss any requirements your own designers may need to be aware of when it comes to setting up designs for print.

Moreso, Sam is passionate about sustainability and discusses how on-can digital printing is also beneficial to the recycling chain.

To find out more visit https://oasthouse-engineering.com/digitally-printed-cans and visit the Hop Forward Instagram account to see the machine in action.

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY OASTHOUSE ENGINEERING
This week's episode of the Hop Forward Podcast is brought to you by Oasthouse Engineering.  For over 20 years Oasthouse Engineering has been servicing the food, beverage and drinks dispensing industries. 

They have worked to secure partnerships with some of the best manufacturers of packaging equipment, as well as significantly investing in their own originally engineered machinery. 

Whether it be bright, labelled, sleeved or digitally printed cans, Oasthouse Engineering has you covered with low MOQs, excellent customer service and high-quality print and package.

Visit oasthouse-engineering.com for more info.

Stay tuned to hear more about their state of the art digital printing as we hop into this week’s episode of the Hop Forward Podcast.