Bold Inkjet Date Coding for HDPE Milk Bottles

A South African dairy company wanted the date codes on its 2 L milk bottles to be larger, bolder and easier for customers to find and read in store. Seagle Coding supplied a Hitachi UX-B continuous inkjet printer and completed an application-specific setup that combines large and small characters within the same printed message.

The challenge

The dairy company needed its date information to be more prominent on the bottle. Customers had to be able to locate and read the date easily while the product was displayed in a refrigerated grocery store.

The message also needed to contain smaller supporting information without reducing the visibility of the main date. Because the code is printed directly onto HDPE bottles, the selected ink and printer setup had to produce a clear result that remained adhered and legible through handling, freight and the refrigerated cold chain.

The Seagle Coding solution

Seagle Coding supplied a Hitachi UX-B continuous inkjet printer for the milk-bottle production line. Seagle technician Burger then completed an individual, application-specific setup to meet the customer’s presentation and legibility requirements.

The final message uses different character sizes in a single print:

• A large, bold date that is immediately visible
• Smaller characters for the USE BY wording, time and supporting code information

This configuration makes the most important information stand out while retaining the full message required by the customer. The non-contact continuous inkjet process applies the code directly to the shaped HDPE bottle surface.

The result

The finished codes are clear, precisely positioned and easy to read. The larger date is prominent at a glance, while the smaller supporting information remains sharp and legible within the same message.

The bottles were photographed in refrigerated displays at a grocery store. At that stage, the print remained well adhered and clearly readable after handling, freight and cold-chain conditions. The in-store photographs provide a practical view of the final result in the environment where customers encounter the product.

The application demonstrates both the capability of the Hitachi UX-B and the value of knowledgeable technical support. By configuring the message around the customer’s specific needs, Seagle Coding delivered a practical coding result rather than a standard printer installation alone.