Labelling Blog

Presstek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRST), a leading supplier of digital offset printing solutions to the printing and communications industries has announced that the University of Essex has installed a Presstek 52DI® digital offset press and Vector FL52 chemistry-free CTP system. At the start of 2011 the in-plant shop rebranded itself as Print Essex and strategically began to target a broader range of customers including those in the commercial market. To support their expansion strategy Print Essex is looking to introduce a web-to-print online ordering system, explains General Manager Chris Lewes: “Adding this functionality will increase the variety of work Print Essex receives, so we needed to ensure our pressroom could cope with the wider range of work that we will be targeting. At the same time we had to increase productivity and work more profitably. The Presstek 52DI® meets all these criteria.” The Presstek 52DI® replaced a four-colour Hamada, the investment was made after a thoro...

Pantene has started producing its new shampoo and conditioner bottles made primarily from plant-based plastic. This innovative material, a first for the hair care industry, is made from sugarcane and will be featured on the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion collection. The new bottles will be initially launching in Western Europe with expansion plans to the rest of the world over the next 2 years.   The packaging uses less of the planet’s non-renewable resources. It contains plastic derived from sugarcane, a natural and renewable resource, as opposed to traditional plastic which is made from petroleum, a non-renewable material. Sugarcane-derived plastic has significant environmental benefits: it consumes over 70% less fossil fuels and releases over 170% less greenhouse gases per ton than traditional petroleum-based plastic. “Plant-based plastics are part of the future for improving the sustainability of packaging. Its use results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less consum...

RPC Llantrisant has created eye-catching new bottles for the high-profile relaunch of a leading UK honey brand. Rowse Honey has used the theme of a honeycomb as the design basis for its new packaging. The custom-moulded bottles therefore needed to incorporate a hexagonal pattern, as well as providing space for improved labelling with a hand-written feel. As a result, the lightweight PET squeezy bottles created by RPC Llantrisant now feature a hexagonal recess instead of the previous torpedo-shape. RPC Llantrisant designer Dean Williams says: "The design brief was to make slight changes to the bottles, in line with the outline designs that Rowse had supplied to us. "The label panel shape was the main change on the range, as the basic shape of the bottle was maintained.” The range includes 340g and 680g bottles with flip-top caps and a 1.36kg variant with a valve cap. The recyclable bottles are manufactured on single stage, Aoki injection stretch blow moulding mach...

Advanced Vision Technology (AVT) Ltd., today announced that they would introduce SpectraLab, their newISO-compliant spectrophotometer for on-press color measurements for the flexible packaging market at the upcoming FTA Forum 2011 in Indianapolis on May 2 nd   and May 3rd, 2011. AVT’s SpectraLab is a groundbreaking development, applying the latest technology in color measurement. SpectraLab is ISO compliant and provides a true spectrophotometric measurement of the printed colors on virtually all flexible substrates. It is the only ISO compliant spectrophotometer available in the market for the on-press measurement of color-critical packaging. SpectraLab is an add-on to the PrintVision/Jupiter Automatic Inspection system. The measured colors will be reported during run-time by the Jupiter system on press-side displays. The press operator will receive an immediate feedback of  L*a*b* values  as well as Status T or Status E density if required. In addition, AVT’s PrintFl...

For nearly three decades, INFO*FLEX has been North America's # 1 package printing and converting networking event. Karlville Development , will be exhbiting at INFO*FLEX 2011 . During the event, Karvlille will present attendees their complete line of Slitting-Rewinding Equipment, as well as their complete line of Pouch Converting equipment and Narrow Web Slitting/Inspection equipment. The show floor boasts 200 plus booths of new products, supplies and services, a show floor presentation theater; and educational pavilion; a Monday lunch and a Tuesday networking event, plus much more. We invite you all to visit our Booth 729! For more information about the event please visit www.flexography.org or www.karlville.com

Harland Systems Group today revealed the latest addition to its family. Cobalt I.S., specialists in print and apply, join Harland Machine Systems to create further high-speed solutions for production lines in the Food, Toiletries, Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical sectors. Cobalt was established in the late 90s and is widely regarded as the industry specialists for print-and-apply applications, bar-coding traded units and pallet labelling on high-speed lines. These solutions include the award-winning Cobalt Sentinel, a product which allows track and trace and full line control for Packaging Validation, inkjet coding and print-and-apply with Barcode Verification. David Latham, Harland Machine Systems Sales Director, states. "This is a fabulous moment for our group, and an excellent acquisition. The synergies between the two businesses are very strong as we are both highly successful in our respective markets. It's often difficult to find a partner who share the same qualities, b...

76-Year-Old Company's First Use of PET Delivers Glass-Like Appearance, Reduced Breakage, and Lower Cost Mrs. Griffin’s Barbecue Sauce in Macon, Ga., a well-established Southern food brand and one of the Southeast’s most popular barbecue sauces since 1935, has converted its 12oz and 32oz products from glass to lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from Amcor Rigid Plastics, the world’s leading producer of rigid plastic packaging. The packaging change represents Mrs. Griffin’s first use of PET bottles in its 76-year history. Conversion from glass to the 12oz ring neck and 32oz decanter PET bottles has resulted in a major reduction in freight costs and a significant reduction in breakage/damaged goods charge backs from retailers, according to Roland Neel, president and CEO of Mrs. Griffin’s. “We’ve been in business 76 years so our move from glass to plastic was made only after careful deliberation and research,” explained Neel. “In the end, lightweight PET not only ...

Gateway Packaging Company was awarded a first place Web Offset Print Award for Excellence by the Web Offset Association in the packaging/specialty products category for their package configuration and printing of Nestlé Purina PetCare Pro Plan Chicken & Rice formula Adult Cat food. “The Web Offset Association is an esteemed organization,” said Tim Payne, Director of Printing & Technical Services at Gateway Packaging Company. “To be recognized with a first place Web Offset Printing Award two of the past three years out of more than 500 participants annually is truly an honor and indicative of our ability to achieve within our industry." The Nestlé Purina PetCare Pro Plan Chicken & Rice formula Adult Cat food package is a seven color, side gusseted, stand-up pouch printed on polyester film using Gateway Packaging Company’s 50-inch Drent Goebel VSOP web offset printing press. Gateway Packaging Company previously received a first place Web Offset Print Award in 2009 ...

Graham Packaging Company Inc. (NYSE: GRM) has announced that its subsidiary, Graham Packaging Company Italia S.r.l., has committed to acquire the assets of Techne - Technipack Engineering Italia S.r.l. ("Techne"), for total consideration of euro 8.8 million. Techne manufactures extrusion blow molding machines and has an installed customer base of over 1000 machines with over 200 customers representing more than 70 countries. Techne's machines produce bottles for end use applications in the dairy, household, industrial, personal care, pharmaceutical, food, and beverage markets. Graham intends to acquire intellectual property, inventory, fixed assets, customer relationships, and trade agreements, and intends to continue to operate Techne's manufacturing site in Bologna, Italy. Techne is under liquidation proceedings with the Court of Bologna, Italy. Graham's intention to purchase the assets of Techne is subject to the approval by Techne's creditors of the co...

HP today announced that Auraprint Oy, of Turku, has installed the first HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press in Finland to respond to the growing demand for high quality, short-run labels and shrink sleeves. Founded in 1886, Auraprint offers a broad range of printing products ranging from general commercial print to self-adhesive labels, RFID labels, tickets, shrink sleeves and forms. With production facilities in Turku the company employs 115 people and supplies printed products throughout Finland. With three thousand customers from all sorts of businesses and industries Auraprint prints labels for food and drink, cosmetics and pharmaceutical and healthcare products. The company has been using inkjet digital technology for nearly twenty years and was used to handling files for variable data printing of bar codes, sell-by dates, batch numbers and other track and trace information, however, this was done in monochrome only. About ten years ago, Auraprint moved into full colour digital she...

HP digital solutions add value, flexibility and security for brands, marketers and consumers HP announced today that it will use a unique 400m 2 ‘Digital Supermarket' themed stand at Interpack 2011 to present brand managers, retailers, packaging and label converters with the business opportunities provided by digitally printed packaging, produced using HP digital solutions including the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press and printing solutions based on thermal inkjet technologies from HP Specialty Printing System (HP SPS). The HP stand (FG.15) will be in the courtyard outside Hall 15 at Interpack, 12-18 May, Messe Düsseldorf, Germany. Featuring supermarket shelves stacked with retail items including wine, food, pharmaceuticals/nutraceuticals, health and beauty products, industrial and household goods, the HP showcase will display branded products that utilise the power of digital print to create innovative and high quality packaging and marketing materials. "Today's b...

During Interpack 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, Avery Dennison will entice visitors to "Think the impossible," and solution specialists will demonstrate ways to go beyond current boundaries in labeling and packaging creativity. At the show, the company will introduce new labeling innovations that enable brand managers and packaging designers to increase product functionality, differentiate their brands and improve shelf appeal. We would like to invite you visit Avery Dennison (Stand B69, Hall 11) any time between 12 and 18 May, for an informal introduction and/or a short interview session. A press kit will be available. To make an appointment, please contact Suzanne van Leeuwen at EMG, e-mail: svanleeuwen@emg-pr.com , tel: +31 164 317 025 or Bob Giuliano, e-mail: Bob.Giuliano@prplace.biz tel: +1 610-328-1051. Alternatively, you are welcome to visit Avery Dennison any time during the show. We look forward to seeing you in Düsseldorf. Visitors challenged t...

International B2B PR agency, Duomedia, is teaming up with exhibition specialist Gielissen , to offer a comprehensive, integrated communication service. The partnership effectively creates a one-stop shop for businesses’ PR, marketing and trade show needs. Duomedia and Gielissen will work together at drupa 2012, Labelexpo and other leading exhibitions. The collaboration will see clients benefit from the companies’ complementary services. Duomedia offers strategic, content, media and event services to companies operating in the graphic arts and technology industries, while Gielissen creates innovative, eye-catching stands to give clients the strongest possible visual impact at exhibitions. Duomedia has a strong presence at all leading print and graphic arts exhibitions. The company organizes media conferences and arranges one-to-one press interviews, ensuring clients’ activities are reported in leading media outlets. Duomedia also provides social media support, news releases and cont...

Expensive mistakes caused by inappropriate PDF viewers are set to become a thing of the past thanks to a free new tool from the Flemish Innovation Center for Graphic Communication ( VIGC ). The VIGC PDF Viewer Check is a simple tool that lets users know if they are using an inappropriate PDF viewer, or the wrong settings. The organization developed the easy-to-use tool after its recent testing of PDF viewers prompted a huge reaction from print service providers, with many claiming the costly errors caused by inappropriate PDF viewing tools are a big issue for the industry. "When we started the PDF viewer tests, we knew we were investigating a problem that most print service providers have experienced at some time or other,” says Eddy Hagen, managing director and trend watcher at VIGC. “However, when we released the test results we were surprised by the amount of feedback we received. It quickly became clear exactly how commonplace the issue is – some printers claimed they ...

London commercial printer Portobello Press has invested in KODAK PRINERGY Workflow and KODAK INSITE Storefront Systems to help it enhance its customer service. Portobello Press strongly believes the solutions help to meet the increasing demand for short-run fast turnaround jobs as part of its day-to-day print service delivery. With a wide range of clients from blue chips and charities to local businesses, the company wanted to be as responsive as possible around the clock, which is why it chose to add web to print capabilities with the KODAK INSITE Storefront System. The operation plans to make the most of the effective combination of online ordering and purchasing that will enable it to build a customised website with one to one marketing and variable data print capabilities as well as secure flexible and simplified purchasing options and pricing engines. Improved accuracy Operations director Iain Storey, explains: “We believe that having a web to print solution will enable us t...

A 66,000 cans per hour canning line, three 144,000 bottles per hour bottling lines, 10 million hectolitres a year, 37 robots: these are only a few of the numbers describing the advanced new plant Grupo Modelo built in Piedras Negras, in Mexico’s Coahuila state near the Texas border. The historic partnership between Grupo Modelo and the Sidel Group, ongoing for more than 20 years, played an important role in this innovative project. For about three years, the two companies’ technicians and engineers worked side by side on every step in the project, from definition of the technical solution to final validation of the lines a few days ago: a collaboration that resulted in the construction of the world’s most highly automated factory, not only in the beer sector but in the beverage industry as a whole. “Piedras Negras is our pride and joy, ideally representing Grupo Modelo before the world”, said Grupo Modelo Chief Operating Officer Daniel del Rio. “Our partnership with Sidel was v...

Agfa Graphics has announced another significant enhancement to its broad portfolio of UV-curable inkjet solutions with the launch of the "FTR" or flat-to-roll option for their landmark grand-format :Jeti 3020 Titan flatbed at the International Sign Expo Show (ISA) in Las Vegas, Nevada from 28 to 30, April 2011. The field-upgradeable option allows users to upgrade their printer and adds the ability to print on a wide range of uncoated and coated roll media to print banners and larger images up to 30 meters (100 ft) or even longer. The FTR option supports industry standard 126” (3.2m) wide media and can handle rolls up to 750 lbs (340 kg). The FTR option is field-upgradeable and allows :Jeti 3020 Titan users to address new applications at any time. With the option installed, printing happens with the same high quality and resolution as on rigid materials, without losing speed. As the FTR option supports rolls up to 750 lbs (340 kg), print service providers can buy media more ...

  Small and medium-sized enterprises are being provided with a new tool to make it easier for them to achieve the benefits of implementing an environmental management system based on the International Standard, ISO 14001. The tool comes in the form of a combined handbook and CD, ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems – An easy-to-use checklist for small business – Are you ready? It is published in English, French and Spanish editions by ISO, developer of ISO 14001 and more than 18 500 other standards, and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The publication of ISO 14001 in 1996 and then revised in 2004 has proved to be very successful, as it is now implemented in more than 159 countries and has provided organizations with a powerful management tool to improve their environmental performance. More than 223 149 organizations have been certified worldwide against ISO 14001 at the end of 2009, which is an increase of 18 % compared to 2008. Many companies have improved the...

Considerable customer interest in Heidelberg leads to more than 4,500 inquiries Successful launch of the Speedmaster CX 102 in China with more than 40 orders More than half of Heidelberg customers invest in high-tech products Green printing solutions meet customer needs The only manufacturer with a commitment to education and training   "The Print China trade show was very well attended, and our customers showed great interest in our new products and services," says Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), who was pleased with how this year's most important trade show went. This success is underlined by the total of more than 4,500 customer inquiries resulting from the event. Close to 150,000 visitors - mainly from China, but also from Singapore, South Korea, India, and Taiwan - came to Print China, which was held from April 9 to 13, 2011 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. The Heidelberg presentation at its 2,500 square ...

The Label Printers is pleased to announce that the company has become a Certified Member of TLMI’s L.I.F.E. program, and congratulates the company’s employees, especially those on the L.I.F.E. team - George Tommasi, Gina Ries, Matt Slaughter, and Dawn Tesch. Tommasi, Director of Human Resources, The Label Printer’s Illinois EPA Compliance Representative, and the L.I.F.E. team leader and senior executive on the team pointed out, “L.I.F.E. is based on the ISO 14001 standard and includes many of the same elements (continuous improvement, management review, preventive maintenance, corrective and preventive action, etc.). As a company registered to ISO 9001 Standards, we believe that our L.I.F.E. Certification will fit right in with all the things we do in all of our best practice initiatives.” The team analyzed and sorted their solid waste into 3 categories: recyclable, waste to energy (fuel pellets), and unrecyclable solid waste (landfill). They wrote a Sustainability Manual and Policy ...

In line with the strategy of increasing market share in Latin America and strengthening our service network, we are opening a new slitting and logistics center, Ritrama Colombia . This investment evidences our attention to this market which will benefit from shorter delivery times and a wider range of products from our production centers in Europe and Chile, with the goal of offering solutions and an alternative to different local application needs. Ritrama Colombia is located in the strategic location of Medellin, capital of the Antioquia Department. This center will be managed by Mr. Cesar A. Cardona Vera, who has more than 14 years of experience in industrial sales, both locally and internationally, including working experience in the self-adhesive markets in segments such as lithography and flexography. Moreover, Ritrama Colombia will benefit from the direction by Mrs. Olga Lucia Botero, with a vast knowledge of self-adhesive materials gained from 16 years of working experience...

EskoArtwork ( www.esko.com ) will present its portfolio of integrated packaging design, pre-production, collaboration and workflow automation solutions at Interpack 2011, which takes place at the Messe Dusseldorf, Germany from 12 to 18 May, 2011. Packaging professionals and brand owners visiting the show will get the opportunity to understand why EskoArtwork has become the worldwide market leader in packaging design lifecycle management solutions . Faster time-to-market, increased shelf impact, reduced costs and streamlined communication between all players in the packaging supply chain are just some of the competitive advantages. EskoArtwork will exhibit in Hall 7a / B28, just in front of the Innovation Parc Packaging stand. “At Interpack 2011, we look forward to greet our global corporate customers specialized in packaging that also exhibit on the show. Besides that, we especially want to welcome the many brand owners who will be attending the show, " says Dieter Janout, Vic...

UPM and the French company Vertaris have teamed up to develop a sustainable release liner recycling concept in Europe. Release liner is the siliconised backing paper that is an essential part of self-adhesive labelstock until the printed label is taken into use. Today, the majority of the used siliconised liner is incinerated. The co-operation of UPM and Vertaris provides a more sustainable solution to recycle the used liner back into pulp and paper. Vertaris has developed a technology for de-siliconising paper-based release liner at their state-of-the-art plant in Voreppe, France. “Working together with Vertaris, UPM’s Label business, UPM Raflatac, will expand their labelstock waste management concept RafCycle to cover paper release liners in Europe”, states Erkki Nyberg, Director, Business Development of UPM Engineered Materials. The recycled liners will be processed into pulp at Vertaris’ Voreppe plant, and the pulp will be used in paper production at UPM paper mills. ...

Duomedia clients now have additional support to bolster their online presence after the company recruited Stan Lemmens. In his new role, Stan will focus on new digital media technologies, including search engine PR, and will offer expert practical support to clients wanting to develop their online communications. He will also be involved in Duomedia’s new strategic service offering, including media training, and will support the team on business development in graphic arts and packaging markets. Stan has been involved in the graphic arts industry for more than 25 years. He began his career as a technical prepress specialist before moving into marketing and PR at Artwork Systems/Enfocus and EskoArtwork (both still duomedia clients) in 2004. As Marketing Manager, Stan focused on design, packaging and brand owner/design markets, as well as new media technologies. Stan lectures at Belgian universities that specialize in graphic arts, photography and science. He’s also a popular spea...