We’re proud to announce that Fast Printed Packaging has officially been named a finalist at the PrintWeek Awards 2026, for Innovation of the Year - Business Strategy. Our entry is centred on the development of our next-day printed, water-activated packaging tape. Click here to buy your water-activated packaging tape today.
The Printweek Awards celebrate the very best in the UK print industry, recognising businesses that are pushing boundaries, solving real challenges and shaping the future of print. Being part of this is an exciting milestone for our team.
Identifying a gap in the packaging market
Our entry is rooted in a simple but persistent problem we saw across the packaging market. While branded boxes, bags and mailers have become standard for many businesses, packaging tape has long been treated as an afterthought. Customers looking for printed tape are typically met with high minimum order quantities, long lead times and limited flexibility. For small and growing brands, or for businesses looking for fast turnaround, this has made printed tape largely inaccessible.
As expectations around speed, sustainability and branding have evolved, the tape market has struggled to keep pace. We saw a clear gap between what customers wanted and what the market was offering.
A strategic shift, not just a new product
Rather than just adding another product to our range, we made a deliberate strategic decision to rethink how tape could fit into our fast-turnaround model.
By investing in and modifying specialist water-activated tape machinery, we aligned tape printing with our existing rapid print workflows. This allowed us to develop a genuinely differentiated service: printed, water-activated tape available in low minimum order quantities and delivered as quickly as the next working day.
Turning tape into a brand asset
The result is a new USP that fundamentally changes how customers use tape. Businesses can access branded tape on demand, in smaller quantities, without committing to long lead times or bulk volumes. For many, this will remove a key barrier to adopting water-activated tape, allowing them to improve security, sustainability and brand consistency without operational compromise.
From a sustainability and efficiency perspective, the benefits are clear. Water-activated tape creates a strong, tamper-evident seal, is fully recyclable with cardboard, reduces plastic usage and can improve packing speed. From a business strategy standpoint, it has unlocked valuable cross-sell opportunities, increased average order value potential and strengthened our position as a true one-stop packaging partner. Click here to buy your water-activated packaging tape today.
Looking ahead to the Printweek Awards 2026
The Printweek Awards 2026 ceremony will bring together leading print businesses from across the UK to celebrate innovation, excellence and progress within the industry. We’re proud to put forward a strategy that reflects how we think about growth, customer experience and the future of printed packaging.
We look forward to the ceremony in March and will be sharing more updates as it approaches.
