A corrugated cake box produced by Adara Pakkaus for Boulangerie Marco has received top honours in two major international flexographic printing competitions. Printed on MetsäBoard Pro WKL, the exceptionally detailed packaging demonstrates what can be achieved when ambitious design, advanced printing expertise and a high-quality coated white kraftliner come together to create strong brand impact.
The Boulangerie Marco cake box won both its category, Corrugated post-print (E and F Flute), and the overall Supreme Award at the FlexoTech International Print & Innovations Awards in London in October 2026. Earlier in the year, the same packaging received a Gold Award and Best of Show recognition in the corrugated category at the 2026 FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards in Milwaukee, US.
MetsäBoard Pro WKL 160 gsm, produced at Metsä Board’s Kemi mill in Finland, was used as the top liner of the corrugated board.
“Our Kemi mill has a strong reputation for producing high-quality white kraftliners for demanding corrugated packaging applications. MetsäBoard Pro WKL’s smooth, double-coated surface supports the accurate reproduction of detailed images and brand colours, while its strength contributes to the performance of the finished package. This award-winning cake box is an excellent demonstration of what the material can achieve in high-quality flexographic printing,” says Aaro Åivo, Account Manager, Specialty Packaging, Metsä Board.
The cake box was manufactured and printed by Adara Pakkaus. Its structure was designed by Kaisa Pietilä of Adara, while the artwork and prepress work were developed in collaboration between Boulangerie Marco, Adara and Marvaco. Siegwerk supplied the printing inks.
Lari Seppälä, Head of Printing, Adara Pakkaus, said, “The Boulangerie Marco cake box is an excellent example of what can be achieved with flexographic printing on corrugated board. At Adara, we have worked consistently over the years to develop our printing quality and production processes together with our partners Marvaco and Siegwerk.”
Close cooperation between the customer, packaging design, prepress and printing teams began at an early stage of the project. This allowed the demanding visual design and the technical solutions needed to produce it to be considered together from the outset. “The cooperation across the production chain was one of the prerequisites for success. It allowed us to find the best technical solutions for producing such a demanding design efficiently, consistently and to a high standard,” Seppälä continues.
The award-winning cake box was printed at an exceptionally high screen ruling of 62 lines per cm, placing particular demands on the properties of the printing surface. “Such a high screen ruling requires exceptional properties from the printing material, starting with the smoothness of the surface. That is why we used Metsä Board’s double-coated MetsäBoard Pro WKL for this demanding print job. Overall, I would say this is one of the most demanding print jobs ever produced on corrugated board,” Seppälä says.
“For us as a material supplier, it is particularly rewarding to see how our customers turn the potential of our paperboards into outstanding packaging. This achievement is a great example of how close cooperation across the value chain can push the boundaries of corrugated packaging,” says Aaro Åivo, Account Manager, Specialty Packaging at Metsä Board.
