Michelman to showcase digital printing and packaging tech at LOUPE Americas 2026

Michelman will highlight new water-based primers, barrier coatings and HP Industrial Print collaboration at LOUPE Americas 2026 in Chicago from Sept. 15-17. The company is using the show to pitch more recyclable, compostable and sustainable packaging options for labels, flexible packaging and retail food applications.

Why it matters: - Michelman is targeting converters and brands that want more sustainable packaging without giving up print performance. - The company’s lineup ties digital printing to recyclable, compostable and mono-material packaging structures. - New barrier coatings are being positioned to help packaging align with major EPR and plastics rules in the U.S. and EU.

What happened: - Michelman will present its latest water-based primers and barrier coatings at LOUPE Americas 2026, formerly Labelexpo. - The show runs Sept. 15-17 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. - Michelman will exhibit in Hall D, Booth 3133. - Jan Denies, Global Account Manager for Digital Printing, will present “Unleashing the Full Potential of Digital Print” on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. on the Spotlight Stage.

The details: - Michelman is featuring its DigiPrime® portfolio of print-receptive primers for HP Indigo Digital Presses. - The newest product in the line is DigiPrime® Vision 9200, an in-line primer for high-performance labels used with HP Indigo 6K+ and 8K Digital Presses. - Michelman says DigiPrime® Vision 9200 delivers higher water and chemical resistance, along with performance gains in media gamut and maintenance. - The company is also showing prototypes of digitally printed flexible packaging structures aimed at recyclability and compostability. - Those structures are designed with barrier performance for dry food applications. - Michelman will also display Nuvita® Life 4002 and Nuvita® Life 4605, two bio-based, plastic-free barrier coatings for retail food packaging. - Nuvita® Life 4002 is a heat seal coating, and Nuvita® Life 4605 is a topcoat. - Michelman says the coatings are designed to support Extended Producer Responsibility programs in the Americas, including California SB 54, and European rules including the Single-Use Plastics Directive and Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation. - Jan Denies’ session will cover sustainability pressures in packaging and how aqueous coatings can help converters and brands move more packaging into paper and mono-material film structures. - Denies will also discuss a two-decade collaboration between Michelman and HP Industrial Print that has expanded digital printing across more substrates and applications.

Between the lines: - Michelman is pairing equipment partnerships with materials innovation to make digital packaging feel more production-ready. - The company is signaling that sustainability is now a performance issue, not just a materials choice. - By emphasizing regulatory alignment, Michelman is aiming at buyers who need packaging decisions that work across multiple markets.

What's next: - Showgoers can attend Denies’ presentation and visit Michelman’s booth during the Sept. 15-17 event. - Michelman is expected to continue developing digitally printed flexible packaging structures with recycling and compostability goals. - The company will use the Chicago show to demonstrate how its primers and barrier coatings can support new applications.

The bottom line: - Michelman is using LOUPE Americas 2026 to show how digital print, barrier coatings and sustainability requirements can fit into one packaging strategy. - More information