Send samples.
Get clarity.
I help brand owners when there is a technical problem with flexible packaging. A complaint, a color that does not match, a print that looks wrong or a discussion with the converter where both sides have a different view. I look at the samples, the data and the production background and give you my technical opinion.
When there is a packaging problem and nobody agrees why.
A rejected complaint can become expensive very quickly. The same is true when a brand color changes or the same problem comes back again and again. Procurement, QA and the converter then need facts, not another long discussion.
Your supplier rejects the complaint.
The converter says the delivery is within specification. Your team says it is not acceptable. I compare the complaint samples with the reference and look at the available production information. Then I tell you what I see and what, in my view, is technically relevant.
Your brand color is inconsistent.
The same red, blue or orange suddenly looks different from another supplier or another print run. I look at the color data, substrate, ink and printing process and help you understand where the difference comes from.
The print is visually wrong, but the numbers look acceptable.
A ΔE value alone does not always explain why a pack looks wrong. I compare the measurement with what is actually visible and with what happened in production.
You need a second opinion before escalation.
Before you reject material, start a larger claim or travel to the plant, it can make sense to have a second technical opinion. Sometimes the case is clear. Sometimes important information is still missing.
Technical support for real packaging problems.
I do not try to cover every packaging topic. I focus on the technical problems I know well from flexible packaging, gravure and flexo printing.
Packaging Complaint Check
This is normally the best starting point. You send me the complaint samples, the approved reference or golden sample if you have one, the specification and the supplier information. I compare what you received with what was agreed.
- Comparison of complaint and reference samples
- Visual and technical assessment of print quality
- Color-deviation review where relevant
- Review of the supplier's technical explanation
- Identification of likely process-related causes
- Concise written assessment and recommended next steps
Brand Color & Print Quality
For brand owners who want the same brand color to look the same when different converters, substrates or printing processes are involved.
- Brand-color consistency review
- ΔE00 and spectral-data interpretation
- Golden-sample strategy
- Converter-to-converter comparison
- Practical tolerance discussion
Typical cases I can look at.
Not every problem can be solved from samples on a desk. But very often the samples tell us enough to decide what should happen next before somebody books a flight or stops a press.
Visible brand-color deviation
A new production run does not match the approved reference anymore. I check how large the difference is, whether it is visible and whether it still fits the agreed production standard.
Print appearance changed
The artwork is the same, but the print looks different. Density, opacity, ink laydown or contrast may have changed. The first job is to understand what actually moved and where we should look next.
Converter and brand owner disagree
The complaint is important, but both sides are arguing with different numbers and different assumptions. I try to bring the discussion back to the samples, the specification and the printing process.
Two suppliers, two visual results
Two converters may both say they are within tolerance, but the packs still do not look the same. Then we need to check whether the tolerance, the measurement method or the production process is the real problem.
Recurring printing defect
The same printing defect comes back in several runs. Samples and production history can often show whether we should look at the substrate, ink, cylinder or plate, machine settings or handling.
Before you reject or accept the claim
Sometimes management simply needs to know: do we accept the material, do we ask for more information, or is this a case that should be escalated? I can give a technical view before that decision.
A simple way to start.
I prefer to start with the samples and the information you already have. We only add supplier calls, external testing or travel when it really helps.
Describe the issue
Tell me what happened: what changed, when it happened, which SKU is affected and which supplier produced it.
Send samples
Send the complaint samples, the approved reference, specification and whatever information the supplier already provided.
Technical review
I compare the samples, measurements and process information and look for the most likely technical explanation.
My conclusion
You get my findings, the open questions and my recommendation for the next step.
Escalate if needed
If necessary, I join the supplier discussion, recommend additional testing or come to the production site.
What I give you back.
I am not interested in writing a 40-page consultant report if five pages are enough. The result should help your team understand the problem and decide what to do next.
Technical assessment
A written summary of what I found, what is different from the reference, what may have caused it and what is still unclear.
Clear conclusion
A management-friendly conclusion: is the complaint technically supported, what information is still missing and what should happen next?
Supplier questions
A short list of the technical questions I would put to the converter and the information I would ask them to provide.
What I would do next
If the samples are not enough, I tell you whether I would recommend a supplier call, production trial, external laboratory test or on-site review.
I have spent most of my career on the converter side of the table.
I am Markus Ketzer. I was born in the Sauerland, grew up more in the Ruhr area and today live in Türkiye. For more than 25 years I have worked with gravure, flexographic printing, color management and flexible packaging.
Most of my working life has been on the converter side. I know what happens in a printing plant when a complaint comes in: production looks at the machine, quality looks at the numbers, sales speaks to the customer and everybody has an opinion about the cause.
Today I use this experience to support brand owners and packaging teams from the other side. I try to keep things practical: look at the samples, look at the process, separate facts from assumptions and explain the result in normal language.
A few practical questions.
These are the questions I would expect before somebody sends me material for the first time.
Can I simply send you the samples?
Yes. In many cases that is enough for a first assessment. Ideally send the complaint sample together with an approved reference, the specification, production information and the supplier's technical answer if you already have it.
Do you represent the brand owner against the converter?
My job is not to prove that the converter is wrong. Sometimes the converter is right. My job is to look at the technical facts and give you an independent view. I can also join the supplier discussion if that helps.
Can every packaging problem be assessed from samples?
No. Some problems need production data, laboratory testing or a visit to the machine. But samples are often the quickest way to understand whether we really need to go that far.
Which printing processes do you cover?
My main background is gravure and flexographic printing for flexible packaging. That includes print quality, color management and the usual production problems around these processes.
Do you also support PPWR and packaging compliance topics?
Yes. I can still support PPWR and packaging-compliance topics. That support is a technical discussion, not legal advice and not a compliance certificate. The main focus here remains technical packaging quality, claims, color and supplier performance.
Do you work on-site?
Yes. If we cannot solve the question from the samples and data, I can join supplier meetings, production trials or troubleshooting on-site in Europe.
Discuss the case.
Tell me what happened. If samples will help, I will tell you what I need to see and which information should come with them.
Send me a short email.
A few lines are enough: what is wrong, which packaging is affected and what the converter says.
Discuss the case by email WhatsApp Call +49 1515 1471465Legal notice
Legal notice
Provider information required under German DDG and MStV.
Markus Ketzer
Independent technical consultant (natural person)
Alkent 2000, Mehmet Yeşilgül Blv No:2ab
34528 Büyükçekmece/İstanbul
Türkiye
Email: mk@markusketzer.com
Phone: +49 1515 1471465
No registered company, no commercial register entry, no VAT ID at present. This website is directed at businesses only, not at consumers.
Activity
Technical assessment of flexible packaging, print quality, colour and complaints. This is not legal advice, not tax advice, and I am not a publicly appointed expert witness.
Content
The content on this website is general information. It is provided without warranty of completeness, accuracy or currency. Technical comments, case examples and PPWR notes do not replace a case-specific review, laboratory testing or legal advice. Outcomes of individual mandates are not guaranteed.
Privacy
Privacy notice
Controller: Markus Ketzer, Alkent 2000, Mehmet Yeşilgül Blv No:2ab, 34528 Büyükçekmece/İstanbul, Türkiye, mk@markusketzer.com, phone +49 1515 1471465.
Overview
This website has no contact form, no tracking, no newsletter and no marketing cookies. Contact is by email, phone or WhatsApp. GDPR applies where people in the EU are concerned. Turkish KVKK also applies.
Hosting
The website is hosted by Cloudflare, Inc. When you visit, technically necessary data is processed (for example IP address, date, requested file, user agent) for delivery and security of the site.
Cookies
No analytics or marketing cookies are set. The host may set technically required cookies. A consent banner is not required for that.
Contact
Enquiries by email, WhatsApp or phone are stored to handle the case. WhatsApp is a Meta service; use email if you do not want that transfer. Rights: access, correction, deletion via mk@markusketzer.com.