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Direct Digital Print Brings AR Experience to Beverage Cans

By printing a QR code on the side of aluminum beverage cans, this Canadian firm and three partnering beverage producers are lifting spirits in this time of pandemic.

Direct digital printing on aluminum cans is what made this slogan-and-rainbow campaign possible.
Direct digital printing on aluminum cans is what made this slogan-and-rainbow campaign possible.

Quebec startup SoluCan is the first company in the world to install a Tonejet Cyclone direct-to-pack digital beverage can printer. Go here for a detailed look at the innovative Tonejet technology being deployed by SoluCan. 

Lately SoluCan has teamed up with three of its customers to use Augmented Reality technology from Zappar on an AR project that builds upon the "ça va bien aller" slogan-and-rainbow campaign that has become enormously popular in Quebec ever since the coronavirus pandemic struck. The English translation of the slogan is “things will get better.” Countless homes, schools, and businesses across Quebec have been displaying the slogan and rainbow in their windows as a sign of solidarity and a message of hope in the face of Covid-19.

Customers partnering with SoluCan on the slogan-and-rainbow campaign are two craft brewers, Ô Quai des Brasseurs and le Temps d’une Pinte, plus a maker of kombucha called Kombuchanv. Printed on the aluminum cans containing their products is the "ça va bien aller" rainbow logo plus a QR code that, when scanned by an enabled mobile device, takes one to an interactive WebAR experience. WebAR is a new way to access AR content through a web browser rather than an app, and Zappar is a leader in its development. It means all you need to have an AR experience is your smartphone or tablet and an internet connection. There’s no need to download an app directly onto your mobile device. You open your camera, scan the code, and a Web page opens up that acts as the gateway into the AR experience.

Pharmaceutical Innovations Report
Discover the latest breakthrough packaging technologies shaping the pharmaceutical sector. This report dives into cutting-edge innovations, from smart containers that enhance patient safety to eco-friendly materials poised to transform the industry’s sustainability practices. All from PACK EXPO. Learn how forward-thinking strategies are driving efficiency and redefining what’s possible in pharma packaging.
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Editors report on distinguishing characteristics that define each new product and collected video demonstrating the equipment or materials as displayed at the show. This topical report, winnowed from nearly 300 PACK EXPO collective booth visits, represents a categorized, organized account of individual items that were selected based on whether they were deemed to be both new, and truly innovative, based on decades of combined editorial experience in experiencing and evaluating PACK EXPO products.
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