Labelling Blog

EskoArtwork announces that it is officially opening its North American headquarters with an Open House on Wednesday, July 14, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. "After months of planning and internal construction we are ready for our community to visit us,” explains Mark Quinlan, President EskoArtwork North America. “Our new facility is a showplace for the direction of the graphics communication industry and we look forward to hosting visitors at this special event.” A complete agenda appealing to a wide range of print and graphics interests The Open House will begin with a light continental breakfast along with welcoming remarks from Mark Quinlan, followed by a series of 50-minute solutions sessions covering a range of topics related to packaging, commercial print and sign & display production. Highlights will include: ·     EskoArtwork Suite 10 : Sessions will cover Color Engine 10 , a centralized color management server and database with patented spectral profile technology

Skanem has again received recognition for producing quality products. During this year’s annual FINAT competition Skanem received a total of 7 major prizes and 19 Highly Commended diplomas! A great achievement for the Group and the sites involved. Again we are proving our commitment to always deliver the best possible products to our customers. The Skanem winners 2010: Skanem UK, Liverpool Group A Winner: Marketing and End-users Label: ‘Palmolive Sublime Purity’ The “no label look” label from Skanem Liverpool for Palmolive Sublime Purity got the following comment from the jury: “A very nice “no label look” label. It expresses the softness of the product along with the authority of the brand. Nice emotional visual effect which evokes purity. The label matches the product in colour and makes the central white words stand out against the filling.” Skanem Skurup AB Category Award: Marketing and End-users; Industrial Product Label: ‘Mobil 1 New Life’ Jury’

UPM Raflatac has opened two new slitting and distribution terminals, in Istanbul, Turkey and Bangalore, India. The new terminals will supply local labelling markets with high-quality film and paper labelstock. The Bangalore terminal complements UPM Raflatac’s already substantial Southeast Asian and South Asian logistics network, comprising a labelstock factory in Johor, Malaysia and terminals in Jakarta in Indonesia, Bangkok, Thailand and Mumbai, India. “India is a promising market for us, having the highest growth percentage for labelstock in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Santosh Kumar , Area Sales Director, South Asia, UPM Raflatac. “Through the new facility, our customers especially in South India will receive their orders faster and have a wider range of products at their disposal.” The Istanbul terminal answers growing demand for UPM Raflatac label materials in Turkey, and is in line with the company’s strategy of gradually expanding its market share in this rapidly growin

Marco Aengenvoort, Managing Director, today announced an on-site visit from Bosch Rexroth.  The transportable "Control City" trailer showcased a range of drive and control solutions offered by Bosch Rexroth, which is currently incorporated into ROTOCONTROL leading edge inspection, slitting, rewinding and die cutting finishing machines.  Also discussed were R&D projects for future ROTOCONTROL machine designs. "In order to provide the best possible tension and motion control for ROTOCONTROL machines, we have partnered with Bosch Rexroth for the supply of all our servo motors and controllers as well as pneumatics" states Markus Lübcke, ROTOCONTROL's lead software and system engineer.  "Having access to the superior quality and vast array of Bosch Rexroth products allows me to design machines that exceed our customer's expectations for performance and reliability". Bosch Rexroth is one of the leading specialists worldwide in drive and control

Edale, the UK-based manufacturer of narrow web printing and converting presses, are pleased to announce Panflex as their new distributor for Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Panflex started business back in 1991, and today they are at the forefront among innovative suppliers in the package printing industry.   Karolina Raisova, Business Manager, and Jiri Cieslar, CEO, both visited the new Edale Head Office back in March 2010 where they attended a three day distributor training event, to learn more about Edale’s four key market sectors and to get a feel for the brands growth plans moving forward. They were both impressed with the plans to grow Edale’s business and the support given to Edale’s existing agents, and Panflex later signed as Edale’s distributor for Czech Republic and Slovak Republic during Ipex held in May 2010. Jeremy Westcott, Head of Sales & Marketing, commented “Panflex have a strong reputation in both the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic and

The Baltika brewery, part of Carlsberg Group, celebrates 20 years in the Russian market. Founded in 1990, the brewery has developed alongside the Russian economy, taking now a 40% share in the Russian beer market. To celebrate this event, a special anniversary edition has been launched. This 20 th years edition reflects the quality Baltika is famous for, a perfect tasting classic beer which is specially brewed.  Claessens|Cartils has designed the anniversary emblem, a stylish badge that combines all typical Baltika aspects in a clever way. Also a jubilee edition was created which brings this event in special way to the Russian consumers.  Source: http://news.claessenscartils.com/

The 30 th international labeling competition sponsored by FINAT saw Schreiner Group win the special “Innovation” award for as much as the eleventh consecutive time. In addition, the company was the winner in the “Security” category and achieved four other awards . FINAT is the global umbrella organization representing manufacturers of self-adhesive labels and related products and services. The awards were presented in Valencia on June 10, 2010. This year, Schreiner Group received “Special Awards – Innovation” recognition for new products and applications for its “RF activated EL” (Radiofrequent activated Electroluminescence) product: a light display which is activated in a contactless process by transmission of radio signals and is used in conjunction with admission passes or payment displays. “I am particularly proud of this award,” says Helmut Schreiner, managing shareholder of Schreiner Group. “The fact that we have achieved this top position for as much as the eleventh time i

In order to  provide winemakers and bottlers with clear and concise technical information on selecting and applying self-adhesive labels Avery Dennison has launched a 16-page illustrated technical guide to self-adhesive wine labelling, which is free to download via the company’s dedicated Fasson® self-adhesive wine labelling portal, www.wine.fasson.com . A fine label begins with quality labelstock. This extremely practical, easy to understand, full colour guide aims to help wineries achieve the consistently high quality labelling that is expected today and which befits the fine and precise craft of the winemaker. Self-adhesive vs glue-applied labels The Fasson Wine Labelstocks Technical Guide explores the many advantages of self-adhesive labelling versus glue-applied labelling – advantages such as design versatility, substrate variety, simpler and cleaner application systems, and superior end-use performance. The guide further summarises the differences between the two technologie

Light weighting of packaging is a core target of the industry in general, which falls in line with cost reductions, but also follows the internal sustainability guideline of many companies today—saving of non-renewable raw materials by using less packaging material and therefore support the reduction of CO 2 emission (greenhouse gas effect). Since 2005 Canadian Water Filler NAYA WATERS has taken steps to reduce plastic in their bottles and closures. They turned to BERICAP North America to meet their closure requirements and finally converted two filling lines to BERICAP’s 29/25 HexaLite ® closure end of 2009.  The transition into the 29/25 HexaLite ® closure went off without issues. After DANONE Turkey, NAYA WATERS is another filler persuaded of the positive aspects of the HexaLite ® 29/25 closure. The still water market is the defined target for the BERICAP HexaLite ® closures.  The HexaLite ® range exists as HexaLite® 26 FB, suitable for light weighted 26 mm neck finish a

Agfa Graphics announced today that Huston Patterson, a packaging printer specializing in labels and top sheets, has been able to cut chemistry consumption and substantially reduce energy costs since transitioning to :Energy Elite. Based in Decatur, IL, Huston Patterson's special products division, Sigma Graphics, has been a full-service commercial printer specializing in sheet-fed offset printing for more than 50 years. "We are able to work faster and reduce our energy costs thanks to :Energy Elite's no-bake capabilities," said Stephen Frantz, Chief Operating Officer, Huston Patterson. "Best of all, we were able to upgrade our plate technology but did not have to raise prices to our clients, which is great in this competitive market." :Energy Elite is an aluminum, grained and anodized positive-working thermal plate that prints up to 340 lpi. :Energy Elite uses an advanced, patented emulsion that tolerates variations in exposure and processing, providi

Chesapeake Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging ( www.chesapeakecorp.com ), a leading global supplier of healthcare packaging, has taken positive steps to improve its operations with significant investments made in high performance printing solutions. The company has selected the latest in-line narrow web flexo printing technology, the Mark Andy Performance Series, to enhance the ability of its Kunshan operation in China. Additional machines are under discussion for future installations, as well. The P7 is the most advanced model in the Performance Series press offering and includes a revolutionary print deck design featuring fast print set-up and changeovers. The P7 also offers a sophisticated automation package which includes an exclusive registration management system for consistent quality control and fast makereadies. V.P. Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging, Mike Cheetham, commented on the investment, stating, “We primarily purchased the Performance Series machine b

Flint Group, a leading global solutions provider to the Packaging and Print Media industries, announced the completion of the acquisition of the packaging ink manufacturer Torda. Torda is a leading manufacturer of printing inks for the packaging markets in Northern Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East with a substantial presence in Eastern Europe. The company generated revenues of approximately 23m in 2009. We will now focus to quickly develop the significant potential of the Torda business within Flint Group's global packaging inks business building on the excellent fit of Torda’s business model with respect to its geographic reach and its product portfolio,says Dr. Dirk Aulbert, President of Flint Group’s global Packaging and Narrow Web division. Source: http://www.flintgrp.com

EFI™ (Nasdaq:EFII), a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, announced today, just ahead of the opening of the FESPA 2010 in Munich, Germany, the sale of its 80th VUTEk® GS Series UV superwide printer to commercial printer Segnobit in Creazzo Vicanza, Italy. Owner Nicola Cracco purchased a VUTEk GS3200 for its photorealistic quality, superwide production speeds and the wide range of applications that it is capable of producing. The VUTEk GS Series printers, which include the 3.2-meter GS3200 hybrid flatbed and roll-to-roll printer and the 5-meter GS5000r roll-to-roll printer, were unveiled by EFI just one year ago. "We're currently running two VUTEk superwide printers and have been very happy with the level of service from EFI – we have a very strong relationship with the company," said Cracco, owner of Segnobit. "Our company is growing and we decided to step up to a 3.2-meter roll-to-roll and rigid hybrid printer to enter new markets. The qu

Presstek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRST), a leading supplier of digital offset printing solutions to the printing and communications industries, has announced the signing of a distribution agreement with Graphicolor, a leading distributor of quality printing solutions in West and Central Africa. Based in the Ivory Coast, Graphicolor will distribute and service Presstek DI® digital offset presses and CTP solutions across the region. Graphicolor has also installed a new Presstek 52DI digital offset press in its showroom for demonstration purposes. Established in 1981 as a prepress company, Graphicolor represents the quality standard for the graphic arts industry in West Africa. Over the years, the company has expanded, adding distribution of graphic arts equipment and consumables in 1992 and photographic supplies in 1993. Graphicolor was the first company to provide color separation services in West Africa, and pioneered the development of digital printing in the region in the late 1990s. “Thi

The company C5 Design hosted an open house at its facility in Tultitlán on the outskirts of Mexico City on the day after the Label Summit Latin America in May 2010. Around 40 people saw demonstrations of the Gallus ECS 340 granite press, the first installation of the machine in Latin America. The installation of the Gallus ECS 340, says general director Jorge Gonzalez, coupled with in-house design and pre-press departments, will help the company to turn a job around in just eight hours from label design, plate-making and the printing of the job. The speed of the press is a key element of this. “The machine also helps us to produce products that we previously were not able to, such as fragrance varnishes which are applied on the press.”   The Gallus ECS 340 installed at C5 Design is a fully UV, servo-driven 8-color press with cold foil and lamination. Hans-Ramón Hofmann, Gallus’s sales director for Latin America, says: ‘A big advantage of the Gallus ECS 340 is its very short

EskoArtwork ( www.esko.com ) announces that it has entered into an alliance with EFI to co-market EskoArtwork software solutions specifically aimed at the large format sign and display market. Under the agreement, the companies agreed to co-market the new EskoArtwork i -cut Suite, the expanded collection of pre-production software, beginning at Fespa 2010. In combination with EFI's Fiery XF solutions for the wide-format and super wide digital inkjet market, the combined offering streamlines production substantially. "EskoArtwork since long is the leader in developing prepress, automation and workflow solutions, and their years of experience make them a key player in this market," comments Stefan Spiegel, General Manager EFI Inkjet Applications. “Their i -cut Suite is a unique offering that, in combination with our EFI Fiery XF solutions, will enable our EFI Rastek wide format and EFI Vutek super wide format customers in single- or multi-printer environments to improve t

Atlantic Zeiser’s end-to-end system solution DIGILINE™, with full-color UV print engine GAMMA™, will be demonstrated at FESPA. Newly released DIGILINE™ Single Product offers the broadest integration range of printing modules for industrial digital printing, including profitable production of small batch sizes and late-stage customization of packages and products. 3M alliance for high-quality substrates. Atlantic Zeiser Group, a leading innovator and technology supplier for digital narrow-format packaging and direct product printing processes, is to demonstrate its DIGILINE™ portfolio of innovative modular end-to-end system solutions at FESPA. On display will be the DIGILINE™ Single Product 210 with a full-color GAMMA 70P UV print module, as well as a conveyer system featuring the OMEGA™ 70HD print module, which is ideal for very short runs of direct product printing. The company will also showcase an application for top-quality printing on plastic rulers. FESPA takes place 22-26 June

EskoArtwork ( www.esko.com ) announces that its partnership with the HP Graphics Solutions Business has been extended to the HP Scitex Large Format Division. In reply to the fast growing need for dedicated prepress tools, EskoArtwork and HP Scitex agreed to co-market integrated workflow solutions specifically tailored for the sign and display market. These solutions include the complete EskoArtwork i- cut Suite , a collection of pre-production design-to-finish software to streamline the entire production workflow. “In today’s challenging economic climate, service print providers need more than fast, high-quality printing devices to compete,” says Yariv Avisar, Vice President and General Manager, HP Scitex Large Format Solutions, HP. “They also require automated workflows that drive efficiencies while reducing turnaround times and costs. While many companies offer a series of fragmented tools to support the production of sign and display materials, EskoArtwork is uniquely qualified to

  When major retail brand, Woolworths of Cape Town, in the Republic of South Africa,  launched a new range of cooking oils, dessert sauces, syrups and glazes as part of a new product line called ‘Cooks’ Essentials’, Rotolabel was immediately approached to produce the labels for this new, premium product range. Also in Cape Town, Rotolabel is one of South Africa’s leading producers of self-adhesive labels and an existing supplier to Woolworths. “Our company specialises in high-quality label printing and has a reputation for providing a dedicated, reliable service to its customers,” said Grant Watson, sales director,  Rotolabel. “To provide this high-end service, we have a number of letterpress machines and an HP Indigo press ws4500 at our disposal. We purchased the HP Indigo press about four years ago, and Woolworths was just one of the food and wine retailers that were attracted to our new print capabilities. The increased quality of our digitally printed labels won us many

ARMetallizing, announces that the merger process between its founding entities, Alupa and Rotoflex, has been successfully completed. The process, leading to the creation of the new leader in metallizing of paper and specialties, started in October 2009 and was accompanied by a structured integration process, touching all levels of the business. Today, the group acts globally as a single entity, led by a strong management team, operates two sites in Belgium and Italy, and is supported by an integrated agent network. The integration of Alupa and Rotoflex has unlocked fundamental improvements in technology, processes and operations. From this platform, new methodologies and technologies are released, broadening the core markets from labels to packaging markets. First quarter results of 2010 have confirmed the rationale for the merger, and the outlook for 2010 is strong. As Giancarlo Rossetto puts it: “order income is bullish, and way beyond what one could describe as ‘re-stocking’.

Cristal-Lefortovo, a leading Russian distillery, expands its portfolio by launching its new refreshing vodkas ‘Winter Road’. Claessens|Cartils was asked by Cristal-Lefortovo to develop the brand presentation for this new product development. Adhering to the name of the products, the designs needed to tell the story of changes in mood (peace, patience, contemplation, pleasure) experienced on the long road home on a winter day. To tell this story the new designs found their inspiration in the natural beauty of the countryside after a snowy winter day. Using natural blue and white colours for the illustration, which is visible through a window effect, the theme of a cool refreshing vodka distilled with the clearest and purest of waters is clearly communicated to the consumer. The window effect looking at a warm cosy house at the end of an icy road successfully stirs the emotions in the consumer and the use of a snow crystal in the logo further strengthens the winter theme. Finall

A Market Overview and Opportunities for Sleeve Label Producers, Material Suppliers, and Users. AWA Alexander Watson Associates has published reports on the shrink sleeve market in 2001 and 2005. In 2007 the scope has been expanded to include stretch sleeves and MD shrink sleeves/ROSO™. Global Sleeve Label Market and Technology Review 2010 is the second assessment of the current status of the global sleeve label market, materials, and technologies, with particular emphasis on the changing structure and trends within this dynamic business area. Global Sleeve Label Market and Technology Review 2010 focuses on materials used in the production of sleeve labels of all types, and on the markets and market trends. Compared to the downturns in more traditional and higher volume formats, trends in the use of sleeve labels showed ongoing, positive prospects for growth on a global and regional basis. Sleeve labels have provided label designers, brand managers, packaging technologists, raw m

Ambrose Printing invests in a Xeikon digital color press to expand printing capabilities 145-year-old company enhances variable data printing capabilities with Xeikon’s unique combination of high productivity and image quality Itasca, IL, June 15, 2010 - Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, announced today that Nashville, TN-based Ambrose Printing Co., a commercial printer specializing in religious publishing, retail communications and educational testing, has purchased and installed a Xeikon digital color press. Ambrose Printing is a 145-year-old company which handles commercial printing, labels, kits and fulfillment for several diverse markets including sports publishing, religious publishing, educational booklets and point of purchase printing. John Ambrose, CEO of Ambrose Printing, said many of his company’s customers are looking to print on a variety of formats, and the Xeikon technology emerged as the ideal solution due to its format flexibility. Xeikon digital color pres

ZŪN® (rhymes with moon) is a brain-boosting energy drink packaged in a unique patent protected rocket-shaped bottle decorated with a shrink sleeve label printed by Printpack. ZŪN is owned by Fuzzee Bee Beverage Co.  The product has become so popular since launching that distribution has rapidly expanded from its Colorado regional beginnings. The five color label, printed flexographic, is as distinctive as the rocket-shaped bottle that it covers. The all black background makes a strong visual impact leading customers to associate the bottle with the brand. The label is printed on Pure Affinia™ PETG, which enables the label to shrink to the curves on this unique bottle which tapers more than 75% at the top. “The curvature of the bottle created labeling problems that only a shrink sleeve could solve,” said Brian Stearns, Founder and CEO of Fuzzee Bee Beverage. “In addition, I had tight deadlines to meet due to selling out the product faster than expected.  Printpack was able to exc

Printers were able get the inside track on how to boost profit and grow their business by attending the Print Service Providers Business Seminar organized by Kodak. The event was ideal for sales and marketing professionals using the KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses, and anyone thinking of investing in digital printing. The event was free of charge and was staged on June 15 – 16 in London. The Print Service Providers Business Seminar featured a packed programme, with presentations delivered by business, marketing and communication experts. Delegates were guided through practical techniques to help their business thrive. The event was also an excellent environment for attendees to network, share experiences and forge new partnerships. The Kodak seminar was about what to sell, to whom, where and how. German Sacristan, commented: “At Kodak we’re committed to helping our customers grow their businesses. The Business Seminar gave attendees a competitive edge and was also

EskoArtwork ( www.esko.com ) announces i -cut Suite , the expanded collection of pre-production software targeted specifically at users of large format digital printers and/or digital finishing systems. The different modules of i -cut Suite provide such companies with all essential tools to deliver sign & display products with optimal efficiency and productivity, regardless of the type, source and variety of the incoming job information. “Shops producing signs and displays using large format digital devices often receive files that have not been properly prepared, often containing errors or missing information," explains Ruben Cagnie, EskoArtwork Product Manager Sign & Display. “Without the proper workflow tools, such deficiencies lead to costly losses of time and materials. Using the i -cut software modules however, potential issues are caught and resolved at the beginning of the workflow, resulting in a smooth and cost-effective manufacturing process." A rich t

Print service providers will learn how forging effective partnerships can help spur business growth at the Independent Printing Industries Association (IPIA) 2010 Conference. The event is entitled ‘Collaboration – working together towards a common goal ’, and will feature a presentation from Kodak and other leading speakers from the print industry. The IPIA 2010 Conference is being staged on 23 June at the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort in Telford, Shropshire.  The IPIA Annual Golf Tournament takes place on 24 June. The IPIA comprises UK-based printers, print managers, designers and agencies. The conference will underline how a collaborative approach is essential to ensure business growth, and will focus on three key business areas: · Relationships – how mutually beneficial partnerships create new business opportunities · IT systems – how a seamless, collaborative IT system can boost business performance · Marketing communications – how an integrated marketing campaign can boost

Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix and pioneer of the first digital colour presses, is proud to announce that its next generation QA toners are receiving strong support from its customers. This new generation QA toners comes in two types: the Industrial version (QA-I) for industrial printing and the Productivity version (QA-P) for document printing. This development reflects the company’s strategy to focus on two key markets. Each market has its own requirements and it's a logical step in the focussed approach, to create a market specific toner. Customers such as Ero-Etikett are already taking full advantage of the food-approved QA-I toner – eliminating the need for additional functional barriers. This unique feature, together with the toner’s vastly improved light fastness, is enabling printers to stand apart from their competitors and win new business. “We specialise in the labelling market,” says Sabine Feifel, Managing Director of Ero-Etikett, a well respected German based p