DataLase Ltd, is a leading global Photonic Printing solutions company. Headquartered in the UK, DataLase delivers revolutionary pigments and coatings – inkless printing solutions for products and packaging based on its patented laser-reactive colour change technology.
The innovator of ‘Photonic Printing’ in its original form – laser-reactive colour change pigment technology – was Sherwood Technology, a business that initially began trading in the late 1980’s from offices on the Nottingham Science & Technology Park, located opposite the University of Nottingham’s campus – the company called its colour change technology ‘DataLase’.
In 2006, having successfully generated a series of patents around laser-reactive colour change pigment technology, Sherwood Technology changed its name to DataLase, the move reflecting increased development of their portfolio of packaging and product identification applications. Interest in DataLase’s laser-based printing solutions grew, with further impetus being created via private investment. At the same time, the DataLase team had been investigating new laser hardware technology that could deliver much higher colour-change speeds to open up new market opportunities.
In the interim, digital printing was a rapidly growing industry and was seen as a way to address supply chain challenges of waste, whilst at the same time delivering mass-customisation and personalisation of packaging. The vast majority of digital printing solutions were all inkjet based, and were reserved for installation at the traditional printer/converter aspect of the supply chain.
