CPE Package Printing, Labeling & Identification 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'registration' in the context of multi-color package printing?
- Ink viscosity measurement process
- Legal trademark registration of printed designs
- Precise alignment of multiple color layers relative to each other (Correct answer)
- Color matching to Pantone standards
Correct answer: Precise alignment of multiple color layers relative to each other
Registration refers to the precise alignment of different color separations so each color prints exactly in its intended position relative to all other colors on the package.
Question 2: Which label adhesive type is specifically formulated to allow clean removal without leaving residue on the surface?
- Freezer-grade adhesive
- Removable adhesive (Correct answer)
- Permanent adhesive
- High-tack adhesive
Correct answer: Removable adhesive
Removable adhesives are formulated with lower peel strength to allow labels to be cleanly removed without leaving adhesive residue, ideal for temporary or promotional labeling.
Question 3: In the GS1 system, what does a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) uniquely identify?
- Country of product origin
- An individual serialized unit
- A trade item at any level of packaging (Correct answer)
- Shipping container contents only
Correct answer: A trade item at any level of packaging
A GTIN uniquely identifies a trade item at any packaging level—consumer unit, inner pack, case, or pallet—and is encoded in retail barcodes such as UPC-A and EAN-13.
Question 4: What printing technique reproduces continuous-tone images by converting them into patterns of varying-sized or spaced dots?
- Flood coating
- Solid printing
- Spot color printing
- Halftone printing (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Halftone printing
Halftone printing reproduces continuous-tone images by converting them into patterns of dots of varying size (amplitude modulation) or frequency (FM screening) to simulate tonal gradations.
Question 5: What is the purpose of 'trapping' in package printing prepress?
- Control ink drying time on the press
- Reduce overall ink consumption
- Slightly overlap adjacent colors to prevent visible gaps from misregistration (Correct answer)
- Align the printing plate to the cylinder
Correct answer: Slightly overlap adjacent colors to prevent visible gaps from misregistration
Trapping involves slightly overlapping adjacent color areas so that minor press misregistration does not result in visible white gaps between color elements on the finished package.
Question 6: Which US federal regulation requires the 'Nutrition Facts' panel on most packaged food products?
- CPSC Act Section 7
- 40 CFR Part 156
- FSMA 2011 Section 103
- 21 CFR Part 101 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 21 CFR Part 101
21 CFR Part 101 (Food Labeling) mandates Nutrition Facts panels, ingredient declarations, and other required labeling elements on most packaged food products sold in the United States.
Question 7: Which barcode type is a two-dimensional matrix symbol widely used for serialization on pharmaceutical packaging?
- EAN-13
- Data Matrix (Correct answer)
- UPC-A
- Interleaved 2 of 5
Correct answer: Data Matrix
Data Matrix is a 2D matrix barcode capable of encoding large amounts of alphanumeric data in a compact symbol, mandated by the FDA for pharmaceutical serialization and unit-dose labeling.
CPE Package Printing, Labeling & Identification 2
What is 'registration' in the context of multi-color package printing?