Tap into a Growing Sector

To be considered a craft brew producer, a company must manufacture less than 6 million barrels of beer annually. There are 4 types of brewers that fall under this umbrella: microbreweries, brewpubs, contract brewing companies and regional craft beer producers.

About the Market

One of the biggest challenges faced by craft brewers is the intense competition in such a saturated market. To maintain relevance, brands build awareness by experimenting with themed packaging and seasonally-inspired flavors, both of which require labels and packaging that are short run in nature.

Breweries have gotten creative with their graphics, some sticking to a clean and contemporary look while others utilize three to four specialty applications. We commonly see jobs in this market incorporating:

  • Varnish and Laminates
  • Versioned Graphics and Variable Data
  • Non-Traditional Substrates and Foils
  • Augmented Reality

While beer packaging has historically consisted of glue-applied paper labels on bottles, trends are shifting to include pressure sensitive materials, such as BOPP, shrink and estate stocks. BOPP is currently the most popular, flooded with either matte or gloss varnish. Craft cans are also increasing in popularity thanks to portability, sustainability and cost, causing a rise in the use of pressure sensitive wraps and shrink sleeves for beer labeling.