Pharmaceutical Packaging: Marking and Coding for Safe, Traceable Packaging

Pharmaceutical packaging plays a fundamental role in product identification, information management, and traceability throughout the supply chain. In addition to protecting the contents, packaging must display the information required for the specific product, according to its characteristics and applicable requirements.

In this context, industrial marking contributes to the correct identification of packages by printing variable data, such as batch numbers, expiry dates, and identification codes. The choice of printing technology must take into account the materials used, production requirements, and the quality control procedures established by the company.

What Is Pharmaceutical Packaging and What Information Must It Display?

Pharmaceutical packaging includes the solutions used to contain, protect, and identify medicines and other products in the healthcare sector. Cartons, cardboard boxes, and labels can carry essential information for identifying products and managing their distribution correctly.

Depending on the product type and packaging, the information to be printed may include:

• Batch number, used to identify a specific production batch.
• Expiry date, where required for the product and its packaging.
• Barcodes for identification and logistics management.
• Two-dimensional codes, such as DataMatrix, where required by the application.
• Other variable data necessary for product identification.

Accurate pharmaceutical coding requires attention to character legibility, code quality, and the consistency of the information entered into the production process. Printing is one stage of the identification process, but it does not replace the company's verification and quality control procedures.

TIJ Technology for Pharmaceutical Packaging Marking

Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) technology uses ink cartridges and thermal pulses to generate and deposit droplets onto the surface to be printed. Printing takes place without direct contact between the printhead and the package, making this technology suitable for a range of industrial marking applications.

A TIJ printer can print text, numbers, and codes supported by the system, including variable data such as batch numbers and expiry dates. Depending on the configuration, it can be integrated into specific packaging lines to print information during production.

Printing on pharmaceutical packaging may involve cartons and cardboard surfaces that are compatible with the selected ink. Print quality and legibility depend on several factors, including the material, contrast, printing distance, and production line speed.

For this reason, selecting an inkjet printer for packaging requires an assessment of application compatibility. Print tests help evaluate the actual results before the solution is integrated into production.

How to Choose a Marking Solution for Pharmaceutical Packaging

To identify the most suitable technology, it is important to analyse actual operating conditions. The choice depends not only on the type of printer but also on the interaction between the packaging material, ink, and production process.

The main factors to consider are:

• Packaging material: cardboard type, coatings, and surface characteristics.
• Information to be printed: content, character dimensions, and required code types.
• Production speed: compatibility between printing performance and line speed.
• Printing position: available space and accessibility of the target area.
• Print quality: contrast, legibility, and print durability under the intended operating conditions.
• Integration and controls: connection with the production process and company verification procedures.

This assessment helps determine whether Thermal Inkjet technology is suitable for the application and which configurations may meet packaging requirements.

Why Choose Fam Printing?

Fam Printing supports companies in evaluating industrial marking and coding solutions, providing technical expertise to identify configurations that meet their production requirements.

Support may include application assessment, printing technology selection, material compatibility testing, installation and system configuration where applicable, as well as technical assistance and after-sales support.

Companies looking to improve batch number and expiry date printing or code printing on cartons can also evaluate TIJ solutions from the Famjet product range, verifying their compatibility with the packaging material and operating conditions.

Pharmaceutical Packaging: Choosing the Right Marking Solution

Effective pharmaceutical packaging requires legible information, consistent data, and printing processes suited to the characteristics of each package. TIJ technology can be a suitable solution for specific applications, provided it is selected on the basis of practical technical assessments.

Contact Fam Printing to discuss your packaging requirements and evaluate a TIJ solution suited to printing variable data and codes on pharmaceutical packaging.