Liquor & Wine Packaging Security Ink

What is liquor and wine packaging security ink

Liquor and wine packaging security ink is printing ink for the closures, labels, cartons, gift boxes and carrier bags of baijiu, wine and beer products. It builds identifiable features into the pack itself — OVI colour-shift, UV fluorescence, thermochromic, daylight-change and IR excitation — so a bottle becomes verifiable without changing its existing artwork, while also giving channel and diversion control a verifiable regional mark.

Shenzhen Sojhonink Co., Ltd. was founded in 2002 and produces nearly 1,000 tons of ink a year. We have supplied security and specialty inks to liquor-packaging and label printers as a long-term partner, working across offset, flexo, screen and gravure, adjusting formulation to the substrate, post-press and artwork, and providing free printed proofs for colour selection and press trials.

How baijiu, wine and beer differ in security focus

All three sit in one industry, but their counterfeiting routes and verification scenes differ — so the choice of features should shift with them:

Category	Main risk	Verification scene	Preferred features
Baijiu	Whole-bottle counterfeiting, refilling of recovered bottles	Consumer verifies on opening; specialist stores verify	OVI (visible to the eye) + covert UV (channel verification) + thermochromic (pre-opening interaction)
Wine	Forged labels, passing off ordinary wine as fine wine	Terminal label checking, importer verification	Covert UV (label mark) + IR excitation (high-security mark) + daylight-change (visual cue)
Beer	Regional diversion, channel leakage	Fast scanning at warehouse and terminal	Covert UV (region code) + thermochromic (low-temperature indication)

Note that OVI and thermochromic ink need no tool — they suit the positions a consumer sees first. Covert UV and IR excitation do need a tool; their value is fast verification on the inspection and channel side without disturbing the packaging design.

Combining security with channel diversion control

Beyond counterfeiting, liquor producers have a high-frequency need: channel diversion control — the same product shipped to different regions must be quickly checkable for out-of-region sales. The ink approach is a “region code + covert ink” pair:

Visible region code — a manifest code representing the region, printed on the carton or label for quick human reading.
Covert region code — the same information overprinted in UV fluorescent or IR excitation ink, visible only under the specified light source, so a diverter cannot simply alter the visible code.
Cross-checking the two — visible and covert codes correspond to the same batch and region; comparing them during inspection reveals tampering. Keep the covert code near but not overlapping the visible one, so post-press steps such as lamination or varnish do not mask it.

Where a variable QR code delivers item-level coding, the covert ink mark acts as a second line of defence against a copied code — the code verifies authenticity, the light source verifies region.

Five security inks commonly used in liquor packaging

Ink type	Detection	Barrier to check	Printing process	Typical location
OVI optically variable ink	Two or more colours as viewing angle changes	Very low (naked eye)	Screen, offset, gravure	Label key visual, gift box, seal
UV invisible (fluorescent) ink	Blue, yellow, red or green fluorescence under a 365 nm UV lamp	Low (banknote lamp)	UV offset, UV flexo	Carton covert mark, label, regional covert code
Thermochromic (heat-sensitive) ink	Colour change from body heat or warming; trigger temperature customisable (28℃ / 31℃ / 45℃ etc.)	Low	Water-based screen	Closure, carton interactive area, low-temperature indication
Daylight-change (photochromic) ink	Develops colour in sunlight or UV, reverts when the light is removed	Low (daylight)	Screen, offset	Gift box, carrier bag, visual cue area
IR excitation ink	Excited by 980 nm IR (green / red / blue); 850 / 940 nm absorbing codes on request	High (dedicated device)	Offset, screen, flexo, gravure	High-security mark, fine-wine protection

For a wider cross-comparison, see the Ink Selection Guide; definitions and aliases are collected in the Security Ink Glossary. Further technical reading includes combining OVI and thermochromic ink in liquor packaging and OVI ink for tobacco and alcohol packaging in Southeast Asia.

Choosing by carrier

Liquor security is assigned by carrier: the aesthetic demand, post-press step and area differ greatly from one position to another, so the suitable ink differs too.

Carrier	Recommended combination	Notes
Closure	Thermochromic + covert UV	Closures are usually metal or plastic, screen or pad printed; thermochromic allows a “cup it and it changes” interactive check
Bottle label (self-adhesive)	Covert UV + IR excitation	Small area, high print precision — concentrate high-security marks here
Carton	OVI + covert UV	Mainly offset on carton board; OVI carries first-glance recognition, UV adds inspection verification
Gift box	OVI + daylight-change + covert UV	High value, large area — can layer “visible + invisible”
Carrier bag	Daylight-change (thermochromic optional)	Mainly visual — daylight-change reinforces brand recognition

Note: closures and plastic/metal substrates are non-absorbent surfaces where adhesion is critical — see packaging ink for plastic substrates. For paper-based substrates such as cartons and labels, see packaging ink for paper and fabric.

Three recommended combinations by security level

In practice, ink combinations are tiered by security level and budget. The three tiers below are the starting points we usually propose on liquor projects:

Tier	Combination	Suited to	Verification
Entry	Covert UV (single layer)	Mid- and lower-tier specifications, verification mainly on the channel and inspection side	365 nm UV lamp
Standard	OVI + covert UV	Mainstream specifications, covering both consumer self-check and channel verification	Naked-eye tilt + UV lamp
High security	OVI + covert UV + IR excitation	Premium and fine wines requiring dedicated equipment	Naked eye + UV lamp + 980 nm IR source

Thermochromic and daylight-change inks are normally added on top of any tier — thermochromic leans towards interaction and indication, daylight-change towards visual and novelty. Neither is usually treated as a primary security layer. We suggest discussing tiering and cost trade-offs together once artwork details are available.

Press and process notes

The result depends as much on the press as on the formulation. The three common routes in liquor packaging each have their own points of attention:

Carton offset

For UV invisible ink we recommend a UV-curing system, which matches the UV offset process common on liquor cartons and avoids re-wetting conflicts with underlying layers.
The layering order affects final fluorescence intensity — confirm it on the actual press before going to volume.

Label flexo

Self-adhesive label flexo is usually UV flexo; both invisible and colour-shift inks work. Face-stock ink absorption affects colour density — adjust by trial.
Labels often receive lamination or varnish downstream; place covert features outside covered areas, or confirm the transmission of the covering material at the design stage.

Closure screen

Metal / plastic closures are non-absorbent — run an adhesion test before production, with surface treatment if needed to improve fastness.
Mesh count, squeegee hardness, dilution ratio and drying conditions must be determined by trial on the actual substrate and press.

Note: the processes above are each ink’s compatible range. Specific mesh, squeegee, dilution and drying parameters depend on substrate and equipment — we recommend confirming by proof before volume production.

Sourcing, proofs and compliance

Packaging — 1 kg cans and 5 kg drums; minimum order quantity is flexible and can be discussed per project.
Proofs — printed proofs are provided free of charge for colour selection, fluorescence strength and general appearance. Ink samples are priced by weight.
Quotation — prices cover the ink itself only and exclude freight and taxes. Delivery is to a customer-designated location within mainland China.
Compliance — the UV invisible, OVI, IR excitation and thermochromic series can be supplied against standards including EN71.3 and REACH. Compliance documents required for a specific project can be provided on request.
What we need before proofing — substrate type (paper / plastic / metal / self-adhesive face stock), printing process and press, post-press steps (foiling / lamination / varnish / die-cutting), and the intended artwork and security mark positions.

To discuss a combination for a specific liquor project, send your artwork and process details through Contact and we will propose an ink combination and arrange proofing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Selection, detection, printing and ordering — answered.

Which security inks are typically used in liquor packaging, and how are they combined?

The usual approach is to combine by verification scene: a consumer layer using OVI or thermochromic ink (no tool needed — tilt or use body heat); a channel and inspection layer using UV fluorescent ink (a 365 nm banknote lamp is enough); and a high-security layer using IR excitation ink (needs a 980 nm source). A typical division is OVI on the label key visual, covert UV on the carton, and daylight-change on the gift box for visual reinforcement.

How is ink used for channel diversion (region-code) control?

The method is a region code plus covert ink: first print a visible code representing the region for human reading, then overprint a covert code in UV fluorescent or IR excitation ink in the same area, visible only under the specified light. Both correspond to the same batch and region; comparing them during inspection reveals whether the visible code has been altered.

Is thermochromic ink reliable on a bottle closure or carton, or can it be triggered accidentally?

Thermochromic ink is reversible, so normal temperature fluctuation in transit returns to the original colour. To limit accidental triggering, choose a trigger temperature matched to actual use (28℃ / 31℃ / 45℃ are common) and check the tolerance limit of high-temperature drying steps. We recommend customising the trigger temperature per project and confirming by proof.

Closures are metal or plastic — will the security ink adhere well?

Metal and plastic closures are non-absorbent surfaces where adhesion is critical. Run an adhesion test before production, with surface treatment (corona, flame or primer) if needed to improve fastness. SJH Ink supplies packaging ink for plastic substrates and recommends confirming by proof before volume.

Will lamination or varnish on the label mask the covert feature?

It can. Keep covert UV or IR excitation features outside laminated or varnished areas. If they must sit within a covered area, confirm the transmission of the covering material at the design stage and verify colour development by proof, rather than adjusting after volume production.

How do minimum order quantity, proofs and quotation work?

Packaging is 1 kg cans and 5 kg drums; minimum order quantity is flexible and can be discussed per project. Printed proofs are provided free of charge for confirming colour, fluorescence strength and appearance; ink samples are priced by weight. Quotations cover the ink itself only, excluding freight and taxes, with delivery to a customer-designated location within mainland China.

Still deciding? See the full 12-ink selection comparison table →