8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                           --------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                 Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934



        Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): January 4, 2005


                            Checkpoint Systems, Inc.
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

  Pennsylvania                       No. 1-11257                22-1895850
- ---------------------------    -----------------------------  --------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction     Commission File Number       (I.R.S. Employer
    of Incorporation)                                        Identification No.)

            101 Wolf Drive, P.O. Box 188, Thorofare, New Jersey 08086
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)


       Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (856) 848-1800
                                                           --------------

                                 Not Applicable
                ------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of
the following provisions:
[_] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
    (17 CFR 230.425)
[_] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))




Item 5.02     Election of Directors



         On January 4, 2005, Checkpoint Systems, Inc. issued a press release
announcing the appointment of Harald Einsmann to its Board of Directors.



Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a) Not applicable


(b) Not applicable


(c) The following exhibits are filed herewith:


     Exhibit 99.1 Press Release dated January 4, 2005.





                                    SIGNATURE


                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                          CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC.



                       By: /s/ John R. Van Zile
                          -----------------------------------------
                           John R. Van Zile
                           Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary


Date: January 10, 2005














                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.      Description
- -----------      -----------

Exhibit
  99.1           Press Release of the Company dated January 4, 2005 announcing
                 the appointment of Harald Einsmann to its Board of Directors.

EX-99

                                     COMPANY CONTACT:
                                          Checkpoint Systems, Inc.
                                          Craig Burns
                                          Executive Vice President,
                                          Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
                                          (856) 848-1800
                                     INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS:
                                          Christine Mohrmann, Jim Olecki
                                          Financial Dynamics
                                          (212) 850-5600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                  CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS EXPANDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Thorofare,  New Jersey,  January 4, 2005 - Checkpoint Systems,  Inc. (NYSE: CKP)
Checkpoint Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CKP) today announced the  appointment of
Harald  Einsmann,  Ph.D. to its Board of Directors.  This  appointment
expands the number of the Checkpoint Systems' directors to eleven, comprised of
eight outside independent directors and three inside directors.

Dr. Einsmann has nearly 30 years of experience in the European consumer goods
market. He currently serves as an Operating Partner and a member of the Board of
Directors/Investment Committee of EQT, a leading European Private Equity Group
sponsored by the Wallenberg group of Scandinavia (which includes, among others,
Erickson Telephones, ABB Engineering, Astra Zeneca and Gambro Pharmaceuticals,
SEB Bank, Scania Trucks). In addition, Dr. Einsmann serves on the Boards of
Tesco Plc, in the United Kingdom, Carlson Group in the United States, (which
includes, among others, Radisson Hotels, Radisson Seven Seas Cruise Ships, Thank
God It's Friday Restaurants), and StoraEnso AB in Scandinavia, one of the
world's largest forest and paper product companies.

Prior to his tenure at EQT, Dr. Einsmann held senior management positions, as
well as a seat on the Worldwide Board at Procter and Gamble, one of the word's
largest manufacturers and marketers of consumer products. Before leaving in
1999, Dr. Einsmann served as Procter & Gamble's President Europe, Middle East
and Africa, and increased revenues from the seventy- six countries in these
regions to $13 billion, growing net after tax profits 23% per year, every year,
for fifteen years to $1.3 billion.

Dr. Einsmann is a graduate of the Hamburg and Heidelberg Universities in Germany
where he received an MBA and a doctorate in Business Administration, Economics
and Law. He was also a Fulbright scholar at the University of Florida,
Gainesville, earning a Ph.D., with a thesis about the impact of the European
Union on several U.S. industries.

"We are very pleased to welcome Harald to Checkpoint's Board of Directors,"
commented George W. Off, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Harald's wealth
of industry knowledge and experience in the European consumer goods marketplace
complements the strengths of our Board and management, and we look forward to
benefiting from his international perspective as we pursue our strategic
objectives."

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. is a multinational company that manufactures and
markets labeling systems designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and
provide value-added label solutions for customers across many markets and
industries. Checkpoint is a leading provider of EAS and RFID systems, source
tagging, barcode labeling systems, hand-held labeling systems and retail
merchandising systems. Applications include automatic identification, retail
security and pricing and promotional labels. Operating directly in 30 countries,
Checkpoint has a global network of subsidiaries and provides professional
customer service and technical support around the world. Checkpoint Systems,
Inc.'s website is located at www.checkpointsystems.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may include information that could constitute forward-looking
statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements may involve
risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
any future results encompassed within the forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause or contribute to such differences include those matters
disclosed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.