Expiry date printers for best-before and use-by marking
Print best-before, use-by, expiry and production dates clearly on packaging materials and automated packing lines.
Application guidance for expiry date coding uk.
How to specify this coding application
Expiry date printing is common across food, drink, cosmetics, chemical, household and laboratory packaging. The printer must be selected around the pack material and the amount of data needed. A simple date mark may only need a compact hot foil coder, while a line with date, batch, barcode and QR data is usually better suited to thermal inkjet or thermal transfer printing.
- Date wording and format
- Pack material and whether it is porous or non-porous
- Available coding window on the pack
- Speed in packs per minute or metres per minute
- Cleaning, washdown or environmental constraints
- Need for product changeovers and stored messages
Recommended coding routes
Use these routes as a starting point before confirming samples, speed, substrate and integration details.
Low-cost date marks
Hot foil coders suit basic date code printing where speed, message length and character changes are within range.
Best-before plus batch data
Thermal inkjet can handle date, time, batch number, serial data, barcode, QR code and logos.
Printed flexible packaging
Thermal transfer overprinting is suited to flexible film where print quality and registration are important.
Related coding machinery pages
These internal resources help buyers move from the application to the correct machine technology.
Bottle coding machines
Continue to this related coding machinery page for deeper specification guidance.
Date coding machines
Continue to this related coding machinery page for deeper specification guidance.
Thermal inkjet coders
Continue to this related coding machinery page for deeper specification guidance.
Expiry date coding UK FAQs
What is the difference between date coding and expiry date printing?
Date coding is the broader term. Expiry date printing is one type of date coding used for best-before, use-by or expiry information.
Can the printer add both expiry date and batch code?
Yes. Thermal inkjet and TTO systems can print multiple data fields if the print area and line speed allow it.
Do expiry date printers work on bottles?
They can, but the best technology depends on the bottle material, shape, surface finish and required print position.
Need help with expiry date coding uk?
Send your material, speed, code size and example data so Lancing can recommend the right coding route.