Coty Inc., one of the world's largest and most successful beauty companies, recently introduced McGraw Silver, a fresh, clean fragrance that captures the country music star's core: gallant yet sensual, clean yet rugged. Diamond Packaging worked closely with the Coty design team from the onset to ensure that the packaging reflected the essence of the artist and the excitement of city life.

The desired appearance of the finished product was to achieve a rugged feel without giving a distressed look. Diamond collaborated with Coty to ensure that the denim pattern matched Coty's and Tim McGraw's preference. “In fact, we matched both the color and texture to a pair of jeans supplied by Tim McGraw,” stated Dennis Bacchetta, director of marketing at Diamond Packaging. “We tested several custom denim embossing patterns and submitted them to the customer for approval.”

The cartons were offset printed on 28" x 40" .018 bright silver foilboard from Hampden Papers. The cartons were printed with opaque white, black, and three PMS colors in-line with UV gloss spot coating (silver areas) and a UV dull stampable varnish on a Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102 press. Next, the cartons were register embossed on a Bobst BMA and die cut on a Bobst 102 CER. The multi-level embossing dies and counters were supplied by Metal Magic. All carton components were manufactured using 100-percent renewable wind energy.

“The overall presentation imparts unusual depth and distinction through innovative design, material selection, UV gloss spot coating, foilboard and embossing,” said Bacchetta. For this application, bright silver foilboard was chosen for its upscale appearance and because it was more cost effective to utilize foilboard than to foil stamp such a large area. “The combination of a metallic effect with embossing augments the graphic design and creates a unique visual and tactile presentation,” said Bacchetta. “The carton was embossed with a denim pattern, lending a distinctive look and texture to the product. Finally, subtle accents, including an embossed logo on the front panel and custom-designed silver embossed guitar pick on the top panel, tie the brand to the iconic star.”

To date, a total of 257,000 cartons have been produced. Bacchetta concluded, “The response to the new packaging has been extremely favorable, as evidenced by both customer reaction and product sales.”

As the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) continues to make its way through various legislative hurdles, questions continue to arise regarding lead and phthalate testing and its applicability to finishing operations. Not all finishers are clear as to the testing requirements and the manner in which the requirements will affect their business. In part one of this two-part series we examined what CPSIA is and what kind of testing is required for compliance. Below is part two of the article.

How Does CPSIA Affect Children's Books?

In the Frequently Asked Question section of the CPSC website, the following question was posed:

Does the new requirement for total lead on children's products apply to children's books, cassettes and CD's, printed game boards, posters and other printed goods used for children's education?

In general, yes. CPSIA defines children's products as those products intended primarily for use by children 12 and under. Accordingly, these products would be subject to the lead limit for paint and surface coatings at 16 CFR part 1303 (and the 90 ppm lead paint limit effective August 14, 2009) as well as the new lead limits for children's products containing lead (600 ppm lead limit effective February 10, 2009, and 300 ppm lead limit effective August 14, 2009). If the children's products use printing inks or materials which actually become a part of the substrate, such as the pigment in a plastic article, or those materials which are actually bonded to the substrate, such as by electroplating or ceramic glazing, they would be excluded from the lead paint limit. However, these products are still considered to be lead containing products irrespective of whether such products are excluded from the lead paint limit and are subject to the lead limits for children's products containing lead. For lead containing children's products, CPSIA specifically provides that paint, coatings, or electroplating may not be considered a barrier that would render lead in the substrate inaccessible to a child.

How Do CPSIA Standards Affect the Use of Hot Stamping Foils?

Since hot stamping foils can be used to produce children's books and other printed matter for children, they are required to meet the limits for lead and if, incorporated into a children's product that has play value, the phthalate limits. The CPCS was requested to exempt hot stamping foil and other components (such as laminates, paper and ink) and CPSC's initial response from August 26, 2009 was to deny the request. The CPSC was concerned that Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) and the aluminum used in the manufacturing of the foil could contain lead as a contaminant above the threshold of 100 parts per million. Lead can be used as a stabilizer for certain forms of PVC, especially if it is to be extruded under high temperatures.

The position taken by the CPSC clearly showed that additional technical information about foil construction would be required to obtain an exemption from the testing and certification requirements. The Foil & Specialty Effects Association contacted several of its key members and it was agreed that ITW Foils would be the source for the information. ITW provided detailed information about foil construction, purity of the aluminum and why lead or PVC stabilized with lead would cause significant product problems with the manufacturing and application of foils. This information will be included in a submission to the CPSC requesting exemptions for the component materials that were not exempt in August 2009.

For links to additional CPSIA information, including the Printing Industries of America's CPSIA Resource page, visit www.fsea.com.