Lier - Antilope Cardboard, a division of the Antilope graphical media group, based in Lier, Belgium, has had its name put forward for the ECMA Carton Award 2013 in the Beauty & Cosmetics category. 49 cardboard companies from 11 countries have submitted over 100 carton concepts. Antilope Cardboard has managed to impress the panel of judges with its packaging for Mylène Cosmetics ‘Femme fatale' perfume. For the packing the designers benefitted the extra opportunities offered by Antilope Cardboard's brand-new Highcon Euclid digital creasing and cutting machine.

Antilope Cardboard has been designing and manufacturing cosmetic boxes for the Belgian family-run business Mylène Cosmetics for a long time now.

"Mylène wanted the current Femme fatale packaging to be upgraded. For a state-of-the-art company such as Mylène it is vital for its cosmetic products to stand out from all the rest. Hence the crucial need for ‘out of the box' thinking", says Linda Corremans, Antilope Cardboard's Manager.

The request was made just as Antilope was premiering the Highcon Euclid digital creasing and cutting machine. The machine is used for micro cutting, slitting and milling, thus opening up completely new opportunities for designers. Antilope therefore immediately rolled out the new technology for the 'Femme fatale' packaging.

An important consideration is the huge time and money-saving opportunities the Highcon Euclid offers. Thank to this machine Mylène no longer requires a regular cutting die. The Highcon Euclid deploys high-speed laser optics systems for the cutting, slitting and milling process. The lower initial costs (no regular cutting die) allow orders for small volume jobs to be placed, thus producing less waste and ensuring a much smaller carbon footprint for the production activities.

The design teams in both companies succeeded in building a successful relationship. In the end, they opted for the micro cutting of a flower. The outcome proved the extent to which technological innovation can help create packaging with the right impact.