Labelling Blog

For Hydrometer GmbH, a company of the corporate division Diehl Metering, Schreiner ProTech has developed calibration labels which the customer can mark as needed. They allow the manufacturer to flexibly respond to actual demand and changes in calibration periods. The solution makes it possible to individually print meter calibration labels with the appropriate calibration year. In addition, the calibration labels are protected against tampering and counterfeiting. For this purpose, Schreiner ProTech in collaboration with Schreiner ProSecure integrated various security features in the labels. In the past, Hydrometer either had to have surplus inventories of expired calibration labels disposed of as scrap or–shortly before the end of a calibration period–reorder very small quantities of labels to cover shortfalls, incurring high costs in either case. “The ability to print the appropriate calibration year on an individual label is more efficient for us. This way, we can avoid larg...

The winner of UPM Raflatac’s Pro Label Studio competition, Design Director Gary Page from AD Creative in London, believes that labelling continues to be in a vital role in the packaging business also in future. "There’s so much that can be done with packaging nowadays, and different techniques have different benefits. Labelling is more cost-effective, and gives you more freedom regarding your packaging manufacturer,” Page says. “Embossing and different special effects allow for very innovative product labels. Different technologies can obviously be used in various combinations where their qualities complement each other.”   Online design tools, such as Pro Label Studio, help designers to preview and experiment with various self-adhesive label materials. “Pro Label Studio is a very useful tool if you want to visualize different finishes and get a better idea of what can be done with different types of face materials. It can also help you demonstrate new ideas to your c...

Newsprint Italia, Italy’s biggest newspaper digital printing company, a joint venture between the IPS Group and Miller Malta, is driving growth with the installation of a second KODAK VERSAMARK VL4200 Printing System in Milan. This brings the total in Italy to four digital presses – two in Rome and two in Milan, the country’s business and industrial capital. In order to better serve the Italian market, the Miller Group (Malta) joined forces a while ago with the IPS Group (Meckenheim / Germany), an international provider of publishing services whose subsidiary Messinter is Italy's foremost newspaper and magazine importer. The Newsprint Group now has a total of seven KODAK Inkjet Presses in action in Europe. The first three are doing duty in Malta, Cyprus, and Tenerife. Malcolm Miller and Dieter Wirtz, Managing Director of the IPS Group, are joint CEOs of Newsprint Italia S.r.l. Newsprint Italia is running two digital press lines at each of its Milan and Rome sites – all with off...

The pressure is on for the designers: not only do they need to be evermore creative, they also have to deliver flawless press-ready material. Certainly the latter can prove challenging when essential functions are often hidden in the usually extensive menus of contemporary layout programs. VIGC therefore decided to develop the VIGC Output Essentials panel for Adobe InDesign, a free tool simplifying the design process and consequently preventing errors.   "The life of a designer is not easy: delivering perfect press-ready material can be  complex.", explains Eddy Hagen, general manager VIGC. "Especially when some key functions are hidden deeply in the menus. Additional functions can also look too complex for a designer to change the default value. A perfect example to illustrate this is the Transparency Blend Space in Adobe InDesign, which defines how colors of transparent objects are 'mixed'. You can set this to RGB or to CMYK, but choosing the one or the ot...

Edale, UK manufacturers of web-fed flexo printing presses and converting equipment are thrilled to report that longstanding customer, Craig & Parsons, have purchased their fourth Edale Beta machine since their very first was installed back in 1999.   Craig and Parsons, based in Folkestone, Kent, were established in 1945 by Cyril & Win Craig- initially as a wholesale chemist - with the labelling division started up by their son Nigel in 1970, they found that the labelling side of the business sat nicely alongside the need to label the chemists bottles – and so business grew. Forward to 2012 and the company continue to run as a strong family business boasting three generations of experience and knowledge.   Stephen Craig, Production Manager of Craig & Parsons says, “We purchased our first Edale in 1999 and this new press will be our 4th Edale Beta 330. This is the first press that we have opted for water based and UV drying because we are producing more long ...

How has the YMC evolved since its initiation in 2009? YMC was founded in 2009 with the election and appointment of the YMC board during the annual FINAT congress in Antalya, Turkey. The board exists of young professionals  from Belgium, India, Italy, Slovakia  and Spain representing small and large companies that are active in the global labeling value chain. Initially, we held a few small conferences to get a feel of what we wanted to become and achieve. As we saw more and more members join from India we staged a larger event at Labelexpo India in close collaboration with Tarsus.   In order to comprehend what is going on in our industry globally, and align our business to the changing requirements, young managers (those under 40) are very keen to connect with peers in the labeling industry from around the world. From that the idea to organize a global congress originated and we are looking forward to an exciting programme at Westin Hotel, Berlin, Germany, on 28-3...

UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a world leader in advancing safety science is announcing its rollout of the new In-Mold Labeling Certification Program. This new program is part of its expanding Marking and Labeling Systems Certification offerings.   In-mold labeling has been used widely and for many years in decorating and providing information on all kinds of consumer products sold in plastic containers, such as food, cosmetics, even cleaning supplies.  To accommodate the use of in-mold labels on durable goods submitted to UL for certification, UL developed a Marking & Labeling System Recognition program specifically for in-mold labels.   The UL In-Mold Label (IML) program is designed to support label manufacturers and their customers who use IMLs to display safety-related information on UL certified products.  In this program samples of IMLs are evaluated in accordance with the same safety standards used to evaluated pressure-sensitive labels, includin...

Eastman Kodak Company today outlined its next steps toward a successful emergence from Chapter 11 reorganization as a company primarily focused on commercial, packaging and functional printing solutions and enterprise services. Accordingly, the company has initiated sale processes for its market-leading Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging businesses.   Kodak believes that the sale of these assets, as well as continued cost-reduction initiatives, curtailment of its legacy liabilities, and the monetization of the company’s digital imaging patent portfolio, will be significant milestones toward completing the company’s reorganization and emergence from Chapter 11 during 2013.   “The initiation of a process to sell the Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging businesses is an important step in our company’s reorganization to focus our business on the commercial markets and enable Kodak to accelerate its momentum toward emergence,” said Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and...

BelInterMarket are a well established label printing company based in Brest, Belarus. The company previously produced labels by letterpress machinery but wanted to move across into flexo printing, and have achieved this by the recent installation of a five colour Edale Alpha 250mm wide compact flexo press.   The company had been looking at the Alpha for some time, and placed their order in early 2011, but due to the unforeseen financial crisis in Belarus, the order was delayed until summer of this year when it was finally installed pride of place in the factory in July.     Mikhail Soroka, Chief of Production at BelInterMarket       There have now been over 170 installations of the award-winning Edale Alpha press. The Alpha boasts a footprint of just 2.5m² and a web path of less than 12m. The Alpha is the ideal press for companies looking for improved productivity and profitability from today’s short run lengths. Quick job changes are ac...

At the forthcoming Labelexpo Americas 2012 in Chicago, September 11-13, Bunting Magnetics Co. will partner with Xeikon to demonstrate the effectiveness and versatility of magnetic cylinders and dies in digital printing.   Bunting Magnetics Co. produces precision magnetic products for the worldwide printing, automobile, plastics, food, and electronics industries. Xeikon is an innovator in digital printing technology and delivers webfed digital color presses for labels and packaging applications as well as commercial printing.   Announcing the collaboration, Bunting Magnetics Co. President Robert Bunting said: “Bunting magnetic cylinders and dies are particularly well-suited to the quick turnarounds that characterize digital printing.  Bunting is pleased to partner with Xeikon at Labelexpo Americas 2012 to demonstrate this combination of technologies.”   Michael V. Ring, President of Xeikon America, Inc. and Vice President of WW Marketing added: “One of our...

Registration for the 2012 digital printing master class is still open, but places are filling quickly. Aimed at label and package printing converters who are considering investing in digital printing for the first time, the master class is taking place at Labelexpo Americas on 13 September 2012. The three and a half hour master class is intended as having an intensive educational content that will provide a one-stop information and technology guide for label converters, designers, industry suppliers and brand owners looking to invest in or use digital label and package printing. Delegates will hear from several leading industry specialists across a range of topics. The session will be opened and closed by the Labelexpo Global Series’ Mike Fairley who will look at the market trends and how to manage digital printing in the converting plant environment and business practices. Digital printing technologies including press configurations and processes such as dry toner and nano inks...

ROTOCONTROL today announced the availability for demonstration of its RSP single pass 100% security inspection machine at Labelexpo Americas 2012 in the Advanced Vision Technology (AVT) Stand 711. Labelexpo Americas , the largest label converting event in the Americas, takes place September 11-13 in Chicago.   Designed for compliance with the most demanding security label inspection and finishing applications, the RSP will be demonstrated with the AVT PrintVision/Helios II, the industry leading 100% inspection technology designed to meet the requirements of any label and narrow web application. AVT's products are sold to leading printing press suppliers, packaging, labels, commercial, semi-commercial, newspaper and specialty printers in the web printing markets, worldwide.     After Labelexpo Americas, the RSP will be delivered to a converter in the US and marks the 5th ROTOCONTROL finishing machine sold into North America. One machine already delivered to a Ca...

“Labeling Redefined” theme highlights legacy of leadership, innovation and collaboration”. Avery Dennison Corporation will build on its industry leadership and history of innovation with the introduction of several groundbreaking labeling, facestock and adhesive technologies at Labelexpo Americas 2012.   The labeling industry’s premier trade show runs Sept. 11–13 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. “This year’s focus on Labeling Redefined highlights the evolution of our core technology to help our customers fulfill their brand- and business-building ambitions,” said Don Nolan, president, Materials Group. “Each year at Labelexpo we introduce innovations that lead the way in delivering opportunities to expand the use of pressure-sensitive materials.”   At the show, Avery Dennison will demonstrate a variety of new products, technologies and services, including:         · Prime Film Portfolio of clear, white and me...

Toll fee sticker sales peak during the summer vacation period and toll fees are an important source of government revenue. But product pirates use counterfeit toll fee stickers for their illegal business as well. Not being deterred by embedded security features such as simple holograms, they can inflict major losses on the public purse. Schreiner PrinTrust is now using a new counterfeit protection feature for fast, automatic authentication of toll fee stickers by monitoring authorities. Although the CarSecure specialty pigment is invisible to the human eye its presence in the sticker can be demonstrated through the windshield by means of a reader. Up to now, the filtering properties of many windshields made it impossible for inspectors to automatically check the stickers on the inside of the windshields using readers. The CarSecure specialty pigment now allows them to authenticate toll fee stickers, parking permits or fine dust stickers on vehicles. The checks are performed d...

Following the recent installation of a 510mm wide servo-driven Edale Sigma at Afripack Labels based in Pinetown, South Africa; Edale, the UK manufacturer of flexographic printing presses and converting equipment, have confirmed the sale of a 430mm web width fully servo-driven flexo press to a second South African company in the form of an Edale Gamma.   The purchasing company, Morvest Mithratech (Pty) Ltd based in Johannesberg, invested over £1m for the high specification Edale Gamma to further expand their production capacity.   The Edale Gamma flexo press incorporates the latest in UV flexo technology and makes extensive use of independent servo drives for accuracy and flexibility. It is capable of printing on a variety of substrates from 12 micron unsupported film up to 600 micron carton board – at speeds up to 200m/min.   A similar machine to the one sold to Morvest Mithratech     Morvest Mithratech, a subsidiary of Morvest Business Group...

Pageflex ®, the international supplier of printing and marketing automation solutions, today announces the release of Pageflex 8.0. This release includes new globalization features that localize all aspects of the software and give print and marketing service providers everything they need to successfully deploy an online store that’s usable across languages, cultures, and currencies. Available now, Pageflex 8.0 also includes features that support better web-to-print site management and simplify the process of promoting products through social media and SEO.   With Pageflex 8.0, the Pageflex Storefront, Server, Campaign Manager, and Studio products and documentation have been translated into 10 languages: Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, and both traditional and simplified Chinese. These applications also have been engineered to enable product owners to commission almost any other language upon request, and to easily undertake loca...

The evolution of supply and demand for self-adhesive labels is not just a matter of collecting and interpreting industry statistics and quantitative indicators. Especially in the last three to five years, macro-economic factors such as the twin crises of bank credit and sovereign debt, and the associated volatilities, have distorted the picture of underlying longer-term trends and developments. What are these underlying trends? How is the label industry positioned in the context of the broader packaging industry? What is driving demand for labels in comparison to alternative decoration technologies? What is the label printer’s share of the total added value created along the supply chain? How are continuous innovations in technology and materials helping label printers to claim a bigger share of the pie? What are the corporate strategic options to be pursued to ensure a sustainable company future? In this article FINAT aims to address these questions and monitor relevant trends and d...

The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), the trade association of companies that recycle postconsumer plastics in North America have announced a new guidance document to deal with the growing issue of full body sleeve labels on PET Bottles, the Sleeve Label Substrate for PET Bottles Critical Guidance Document. The new guidance document addresses several key label design issues that affect the removal of the labels in recycling process and quantifies the effects of label residue on PET bottle recycling.  Through testing and data interpretation the document helps packaging decision makers select label substrates and materials more compatible with PET bottle recycling than some currently offered. The new guidance protocol streamlines the testing for full body labels on PET bottles, omitting some tests as not relevant to the labels and expanding on other subjects in the well-established PET Bottle Critical Guidance Document in an effort to reduce testing cost and i...

AB Graphic International has integrated a DOMINO K600 i DOD inkjet printer within its bi-directional Flytec 510 rewinder to provide a bespoke line for a manufacturer and distributor of horticultural products in Northern Germany. The system is used as a digital label printing line for webs up to 300 mm wide to meet the demand for short run jobs with frequent design changes. The flytec 510 system supplied includes bi-directional winding and is equipped with label, web length and reel diameter rewind counters. All machine functions are controlled through a centralised operator touch screen control. The bi-directional operation of the Flytec system coupled with the Domino K600 enables continuous printing with reduced material waste. Jobs can be printed, UV cured and rewound back to the printer so that the first label of the next run is immediately ready to print. Servo assisted drive permits a wide range of delicate and perforated substrates to be processed including blank labels, PE,...

ImageTek Labels,a label converter in Springfield, VT, has announced the recent addition of a Jetrion 4900 UV Inkjet system. A game changer for sure," says Lynda Murphy, production manager. ImageTek Labels, who over the last decade has built its niche market in durable label products, has a strong presence in the development and manufacture of industrial labels. The addition of the Jetrion expands its capabilities with the vision of entering into prime label markets where digital, short run labels are bridging the gaps in traditional printing methods. The addition of the Jetrion 4900 digital printing system was a natural next step for ImageTek Labels. Combining both digital printing and finishing in one single system, the Jetrion will support the manufacture of durable labels that have kept ImageTek Labels at the top of the harsh environment label markets, while expanding its short run capabilities and lessening lead times; a win-win for ImageTek Labels and their current custom...

Faustel, a manufacturer of high-tech coating and converting equipment, has today publicly announced their comprehensive line of electrode coating solutions for tomorrow’s demanding Li Ion Electrode Coating technology. With more than 50 years of leadership excellence in the Coatings and Converting Industry, Faustel has engineered a line of technologically advanced lithium ion coater solutions for those organizations intent on being the advanced battery industry leaders of the future. Drawing on the engineering excellence for which Faustel has been widely known for decades, the company has developed a full line of pilot and production scale coaters with the pre-engineered capability and options tomorrow’s manufacturers may drawn on for their own market leadership role. For organizations in the pre-production phase, Faustel’s operational scope of advanced electrode coater solutions begins with the Labmaster Pilot Line and extends to their modular MCL 600 Li Ion Electrode Coat...