fig3 a process for product packaging is shown and is designated as 200 quality checking and removal of defective packaging takes place at the package printer packaging material is obtained at 212 printed with non variable data and variable data at 214 and optionally preformed at 216 after any pre forming taking place at the package printer the package quality is automatically inspected at 219 using a digital scanner camera video camera or another suitable device and rejected packaging is collected at 221 acceptable packaging is delivered to the packaging facility at 218 where any additional pre forming that is required takes place the variable data are then determined at 222 at the time of filling at 220 and are associated with other data soon thereafter the data can be determined by machine reading each package or by determining the first value in the lot and sequentially determining the variable data from the starting point in the lot as when the data constitute a numerical sequence filled packages are transported or stored at 224 the data that were machine read and or the associated data can be made available to others in the packaging facility and or potential customers at 226 fig4 shows a system of hardware for practicing the processes shown in fig1 3 the overall system is designated as 50 a package printer computer 54 controls a printing device 56 which prints the variable data 58 on the packaging material 64 optionally the package printer computer 56 also controls the printing of the non variable data 60 on the packaging 64 using printing device 56 or another printing device not.