Labelling Blog

MAXStick Products Ltd. , an industry leading supplier of liner-free, removable adhesive label products is proud to introduce MAXStick Spectrum Packaging™, all seven colors of MAXStick in one carton. For the first time ever, MAXStick Spectrum Packaging™ will give customers the opportunity to purchase all seven colors of our liner-free labels, Pink , Orange , Canary , Green , Blue , Violet and White , together in one carton. Crafted with our signature primer and release coatings, MAXStick Spectrum™ will provide customers a new level of customization and flexibility to market their products and increase their brand identity, without having to buy seven colors individually. MAXStick Spectrum™ will initially be offered in 28 roll cartons of Side-Edge Adhesive packed with four rolls of each color. Additional product offerings are planned for release throughout 2015. The initial release of MAXStick Spectrum Packaging™ is targeted at libraries that use the removable labels as Hold/Rese

For the very first time P.E. LABELLERS will take part in the HISPACK fair which will take place in Barcelona from 21 to 24 April 2015, attracted by the interesting Iberian market and by the objective of the fair to introduce innovations in packaging, as well as to foster contacts with Mediterranean regions and those in Latin America. At Hall 1, stand E 511 , P.E. LABELLERS will exhibit a labelling machine model MODULAR TOP, with three labelling stations, suitable to hosting different technologies. Two self-adhesive stations installed on peninsula and one module with cold glue station on removable carriage This labeller is also equipped with integrated electronics servomotors and innovative centring system with cameras to give the possibility to label a wide number of bottle formats even of different type. Staff from P.E. LABELLERS will be at the clientèle's disposal to provide technical-commercial information on the labeller shown as well as on the rest of the range of la

WS Packaging Group, Inc. has appointed Charlie Eitel as its new chief executive officer effective April 1, 2015. Eitel joins the company in an operating role after having served on the WS Packaging board of directors since May 2014. Eitel replaces Fred Tinsey, who has left the company to pursue other opportunities. “WS Packaging has a rich heritage of providing innovative solutions and great service to its customers,” Eitel said. “I love connecting people and building teams. I very much look forward to getting to know our customers on a personal level and all of our associates throughout our network.” Over the course of his career, Eitel has held leadership positions with The Simmons Bedding Company (chairman, vice chairman, and CEO), Interface, Inc. (president and CEO), and Collins & Aikman Floorcoverings (president and CEO). He also serves on the board of directors of Mattress Firm (NASDAQ: MFRM), Duke Realty Corporation (NYSE: DRE), and American Fidelity Assurance Corp

Out-gassing is a critical issue in the manufacturing and operation of specialized electronic devices such as LED’s, cameras and hard disk drives.  These devices are used in high vacuum environments so even the slightest amount of outgas can be detrimental to their performance.  When label materials out-gas, they can leave adhesive residue on key components that can be sensitive to low levels of deposition. Polyonics has recently achieved passing results to the ASTM E595 specification for low out-gassing for its core product line including: XF-528 , XF-529, XF-581 , XF-582 , XF-583 & XF-584 among others.  Along with minimal out-gassing, these label materials are rated for temperatures of 280°C and offer extreme chemical resistance to solvents and cleaners used in the print circuit board manufacturing process. To ensure label materials used in the fabrication of these devices are low out-gassing, materials must meet the requirements of ASTM E595 standard. Along with hard disk m

FLEXcon , an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating, today announced a new DigiPRO® topcoat created specifically for use with their 2.4 mil vinyl specialty films for HP Indigo printing. Now with the capability to DigiPRO® topcoat specialty films, the sparkle, shine, and glow will not be lost when printing digital. In addition, converters and print service providers can eliminate a step in their printing process and realize significant cost savings. FLEXcon’s first available specialty film featuring this topcoat is SHIMMERcal™ SILVERDG. This is a DigiPRO® topcoated 2.4 mil silver special vinyl coated with a glitter-filled permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive and backed with a sheet-form release liner. It is designed for applications such as novelty stickers and decals, promotional graphics, and P-O-P displays. The DigiPRO® topcoat provides consistent printing and ensures excellent ink receptivity for sharp, vibrant image quality. Other SHIMMERcal™ colors that can be DigiPRO®

MPS Systems North America Inc. and EMT International in Green Bay, Wis., have partnered for assembling MPS printing presses in the United States and for developing new customized press solutions for the North American market. According to Kees Nijenhuis, vice president of MPS Systems North America Inc., this arrangement will give customers a shorter delivery time on their orders as well as more customized solutions specifically fitting the needs of the North American market. EMT International is a manufacturer of quality equipment for the printing, converting, paper and document processing industries. The company began operations in the 1930s as a tool and die shop for the paper mills and paper converting facilities in Northeast Wisconsin. Today it is a premier manufacturer of finishing equipment and web transports for the digital/ink jet market with nearly 200 employees. “We believe this partnership will set the bar for the printing press industry in North America,” said Paul Ra

Michelman has announced the hiring of Bill Magee, as Group Director, Printing & Packaging. The Printing & Packaging Group is one of three Michelman global Strategic Business Groups that were formed in January of 2015 as the company improved and streamlined its organizational structure. According to Mr. Steve Shifman, President and CEO at Michelman, “Bill has a rich background and extensive global experience in our industry. He will be responsible for improving the customer experience by creating sustainable expansion within the Group, along product, market, technology and geographical dimensions.”  Mr. Magee was most recently with the H.B. Fuller Company, where he held the position of Business Unit Director – Emulsion Polymers. Over the past 25 years, he has served in numerous global leadership roles at companies including Monsanto, Solutia, Rohm & Haas, and Dow Chemical. He attended Purdue University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Enginee

The Label Printers has once again won TLMI’s (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc.) Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence. Lori Campbell, Chief of Operations, said in an email to notify all of the company’s employees about this 6 th consecutive Singer Award, “Hearty and heartfelt congratulations & appreciation for the hard work that goes into achieving this award.  We compete against some of the best companies in our industry and it is truly an honor to be recognized.” TLMI calls “the prestigious Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence…one of the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute’s highest honors…this award recognizes excellence in business management, measured and defined by an established set of ratios through the participation in the TLMI Management Ratio Study.  The Singer Award is given annually to four narrow web converting companies; each company within a certain sales range category [which are]:  Small company – annual sales of less than $

ROTOCON  has announced the sale of a Screen Truepress Jet L350UV to HP Labelling for their Cape Town manufacturing facility. Led by Pascal Aengenvoort, sales director of ROTOCON, the order marks ROTOCON's second sale of the Truepress Jet L350UV in South Africa, since being appointed reseller of the inkjet label press less than one year ago. The Screen Truepress Jet L350UV Photo-realistic quality, fast job turnarounds and stable output are standout features of the innovative Screen Truepress Jet L350UV inkjet label printing system. The high-speed press prints at up to 50m/min on a 350mm web. Using Screen's proprietary high-definition CMYK+W UV inks, the Truepress Jet L350UV produces a wide-gamut of vibrant colours and smooth tones at high resolution. Voted "Best Label Printing Solution" in the 2014 European Digital Press Association Awards, the Screen Truepress Jet L350UV press is specifically designed to meet brand owners' increasing demand for value-added

Schreiner ProTech will be showcasing intelligent marking solutions for technical plagiarism protection in mechanical engineering, particularly for spare and wear parts, at this year’s Hanover Fair. The identification of components based on direct marking, the integration of covert, counterfeit-proof features in nameplates, and NFC-Labels providing a communications interface with smartphones have been acquiring particular importance in this context. The solutions will be on display at the joint booth of the Protect-Ing VDMA working group in Hall 8, D08. Schreiner ProTech will be demonstrating its special expertise in integrating overt and covert anti-counterfeiting technologies, seals for tamper protection and web-based track & trace systems. Exemplary solutions have been implemented in a demonstrator of the Protect-Ing VDMA working group and can be examined at the trade fair booth. Anti-counterfeiting technology increasingly involves the use of features which are integrated

X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader in color science and technology, and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, today announce an important update to its popular i1iSis Solutions family of automated chart readers for prepress/premedia, photo and pressroom color management and profiling. The new i1iSis 2 and i1iSis 2 XL use i1 spectral technology to accommodate M0, M1 and M2 measurement illumination conditions which help manage the complexities of measuring optically brightened substrates now commonly used in grand format, premedia and digital press applications.   “For anyone in prepress, digital print or the graphic arts production process that spend time measuring charts, the new i1iSis2 is a must,” said Ray Cheydleur, Printing and Imaging Portfolio Manager of X-Rite. “This automated chart reader, is built on our award-winning i1 spectral technology and reads up to 2,500 patches printed on a single A3 page in just minutes, saving valuable operator and production time. Now users have the

Xeikon has reported  that the 2015 edition of the Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations saw a 35% rise in visitor numbers with more than 700 industry innovators keen to learn about enhancing digital print production. Hosted by Xeikon in collaboration with its Aura partners, the three-day event at Xeikon’s R&D and production site in Belgium was held to help label and packaging printers as well as converters, print buyers, brand owners and marketers worldwide transform profitability. Visitors were able to learn more about the latest trends and innovations in digital production and had the opportunity to get up to speed with the newest technologies and share insights. “We are delighted to see the Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations platform is growing, in terms of both industry and customer support. We received very positive feedback from the event attendees. The relaxed approach to this educational review of market drivers, trends and emerging technologies enabled them to have far reach

UPM Raflatac has launched a selection of label stock products for wet wipes applications in Europe. The RafCare range includes dedicated adhesives combined with Clear and White PP label faces in different thicknesses to meet resealable labelling needs in numerous applications – personal care, home care and industrial. One of the highlights of the range is the new RC 13 adhesive with precision performance for open-closure labelling in personal care end-uses. The soft and smooth, extra-quiet peel is especially desirable for personal care products where discreet and convenient opening are essential to a positive brand experience. The RafCare products also meet and exceed the latest expectations for consumer safety and sustainability. Compared to traditional solvent-based adhesives, UV-acrylic RC 12 and RC 13 adhesives produce no Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) and use a fraction of the energy during labelstock production. The label faces are recyclable with plastic packaging, an

Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials announced today the introduction of its Select Solutions™ Removables Portfolio. The portfolio, available in North America, features a variety of paper and film facestocks matched with nine adhesives. This collection of 35 removable label constructions can be used across multiple segments, including food, home and personal care, retail and apparel. “Selecting the correct removable label material can be quite complex,” said Anh Marella, senior product manager, Select Solutions Collection, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials – North America. “We designed the portfolio to help our converters make sound, confident choices. The Removables Portfolio is designed for paper or film facestocks, which takes the uncertainty out of the selection process.” A key resource in selecting the correct adhesive for your removable application is the Select Solutions Removables brochure. This functional piece, available at www.label.averydennison.c

Xeikon will present its new Xeikon 9800 dry toner digital color press at Graphispag, where visitors will discover the advantages of the Xeikon solutions on stand E551. Graphispag takes place March 24 to 27, at the Recinto Gran Vía 2 de Fira de Barcelona in Spain. Xeikon’s return to this industry event, demonstrates its confidence and interest in the Spanish market. Also underlining Xeikon’s commitment to the Spanish market is the direct sales structure the company has in place, as well as the opening last year of an office in Barcelona headed by Jordi Grau, an experienced professional with a longstanding career in the graphics arts market. As Sales Director Xeikon Iberia, Jordi Grau stresses the importance for clients on working directly with the supplier: "Since the organizational change is fairly recent, Graphispag will help us further develop personal relationships with our clients and inform them about everything our local team can offer them." The Xeikon 9800 digi

UPM Raflatac is on show at the Vinitaly international wine and spirits exhibition in Verona, Italy on March 22-25. Co-hosting a stand with its Italian partner L.C.I., UPM Raflatac promotes recycling of label waste streams and an extensive portfolio of wine label face stocks to capture the imaginations of label converters, designers and wine producers. UPM Raflatac’s exhibition stand provides an open meeting place where brand owners, label printers and other interest groups can gain fresh insights into self-adhesive labelling and sustainability. In particular, UPM Raflatac and L.C.I. will be highlighting the RafCycle program for the recovery of self-adhesive label waste including used release liner and label matrix. The wine industry is among the leading adopters of RafCycle due to a brand ethic highly attuned to sustainability. Partnership in the RafCycle program gives label converters and wineries the opportunity to reduce their waste costs while raising their environmental per

Asahi Photoproducts continues to invest in the UK market with another new appointment. Kristan Russell joined the UK team in February as a Technical Application Engineer, bringing further strength to Asahi with 18 years’ experience in repro calibration, optimisation and application of photopolymer plates. He joins Anthony Miltiadou and Alex Downes who have both been appointed in recent years. Dr David Galton, Director of Asahi Photoproducts UK, comments, “This appointment adds yet another plate making expert to the team and reflects Asahi UK’s continuing commitment to the AQUA service solution that was launched in summer 2014. The AQUA service offer ensures that customers receive timely and unrivalled technical support and demonstrates the determination of Asahi to go the extra mile.” A.Q.U.A is an acronym for the Asahi Quality Universal Assurance programme and ensures that Asahi are leading the UK flexographic market with their superior technical support. Asahi engineers work i

UPM Raflatac has launched a new roll-to-sheet labelstock designed to deliver optimized performance and sustainability into Office and A4 logistics applications. Laserplus Fit PEFC RP A2 KS55 replaces Laserplus PEFC RP A4 KS55 for labelling end-uses such as shipping, routing and tracking. The thinner and lighter ‘Fit’ label face offers increased efficiency for both label converters and brand owners. The converter is able to move to longer reel lengths, and end-users benefit from using less material. Customers of UPM Raflatac have reported excellent performance in high-speed conversion and particularly during matrix-stripping. Good die-cutting characteristics provide clean and sharp label edges, and the new product shows optimal lay-flat properties in typical cut-size formats. UPM Raflatac’s PEFC™ chain of custody certification verifies that the wood fibres of the Laserplus Fit PEFC face material are from responsibly managed forests. The thinner label face also contributes to improve

Esko, the leading global player in packaging production and supply chain solutions ( www.esko.com ), today announced the acquisition of MediaBeacon Inc., a leader in Digital Asset Management (DAM) software solutions. MediaBeacon, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA), brings an award-winning suite of DAM tools to market, primarily in the USA, through direct distribution and strategic OEM partnerships in various industries ranging from Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods to Media, Print and the public sector. “It is Esko’s strategy to digitize and integrate the entire packaging production workflow from design all the way to finished packs and displays in the store. With this acquisition, we further our transformation from a prepress solution provider to an end-to-end supplier in the packaging world“, explains Udo Panenka, Esko President. “Increasing pressure on error-free and timely production of brand expressions across a diverse media range like packaging, in-store displays and online

For the third time, Nilpeter exhibited at the Graphics of the Americas trade show 2015 in Miami on the 26 - 28 February, in recognition of this unique platform to reach the important American markets. The global press manufacturer exhibited the narrow-web servo flexo press, FB-3300S, demonstrating maximum efficiency and low production costs. At the show, the 8-colour FB-3300S ran multiple prime jobs, and value was added with multiple cold foils, laminations, die-cutting, and sheeting.   Not only the label converters, but also the sheet-fed offset printers and packaging printers showed an immense interest in the FB-3300S. ”It is clear that, again this year, even more converters consider Graphics of the Americas as a platform for seeking effective printing methods”, says Nilpeter’s Global Sales Manager Jesper Jørgensen. ”We were pleased to notice an increase in exhibitors of both conventional and digital equipment. We were excited to welcome a large number of visitors - many from Cen

FLEXcon , an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating, today announced the enhancement of their pharmaceutical labeling substrates offering. The company has improved its product line by expanding approved sterilization techniques and retesting for minimum application temperature to more accurately reflect current pharmaceutical labeling environments and better meet the needs of converters and pharmaceutical packaging engineers. FLEXcon currently offers products for labeling of tubes, vials and syringes, including those used for cryogenic specimen storage. Several products also offer covert security features such as partial destructibility and fluorescing of the adhesive. The products offered are compatible with a variety of print methods and suitable for small diameter glass and polyethylene containers that won’t flag or smudge during sterilization or use. Many are available in Quick-Ship for fast delivery. Most FLEXcon products have always been able to withstand the autoclave st

UPM Raflatac has been awarded ISO 22000:2005 food safety certification for factories in Finland (Tampere), the UK (Scarborough) and Poland (Wroclaw and Nowa Wies). The ISO 22000 certification includes the manufacture and slitting of self-adhesive label stock for food contact and food packaging used by the printing and converting industry. The self-adhesives manufacturer is one of the first in the label stock industry to achieve this certification. The certificates were awarded by LRQA (Lloyds Register Quality Assurance). Particularly in Europe, laws and decrees lay down precise requirements for the entire food chain. According to European food packaging legislation, food contact materials for use in the food chain can only be provided by companies who comply with EU Good Manufacturing Practice Regulation (EC/2023/2006). GMP applies to both the food itself and its packaging, of which the label is an integral part. “UPM Raflatac supplies self-adhesive label stock for food packaging,

    Recognising the importance of well-trained people to the success of any beverage production operation, Sidel, the leading global provider of PET solutions for liquid packaging, has published a new technical training catalogue. Automated solutions are fundamental to Sidel’s commitment to adding value to beverage production operations. However, the company also recognises the vital role that people have to play in optimising the performance of a bottling line, with the right training providing the capability for faster detection of potential issues, the minimising of downtime, improved product quality, greater efficiencies and much more. Meeting current and future challenges Global trends are bringing new challenges for beverage producers. Increasingly flexible production, consistently safe high quality products, reliable equipment, greater integrity of beverages and brands throughout the supply chain, reduced consumption and lower costs: all are now expected by the modern produ

Release liner is unquestionably a key enabler for applying labels and tapes, protecting the seals on envelopes, hygiene and consumer wound care products, as well as a variety of industrial uses. It is also the subject of considerable focus today in relation to reuse and recycling -- particularly in the high-volume labelstock market. The current profile of this wide-ranging market is the subject of AWA Alexander Watson Associates’ Global Release Liner Market Update 2015. Now in its eighth edition, this focused annual market report provides insights of value to all involved in, or seeking to explore, the release liner supply chain, in terms of current and forecast future status. Market data AWA record that estimated global volume consumption of release liner was 43,984 million square meters in 2014. Regionally, Asia consumed 37% of this total – ahead of both Europe and North America, each of which had a 28% market share. The emerging economies, South America and Africa and the Middle

Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials has announced that Arzu Hayirlioglu Topuzlu, technology leadership associate, will be presenting a paper titled, “Toughness Study of Center Cracked Polypropylene Films with Temperature Effect,” at the 2015 Society of Plastic Engineers’ ANTEC® Conference being held in Orlando, Florida, March 23-25, 2015. The Avery Dennison ANTEC presentation describes how impurities such as gels, dirt or other contaminants can cause polypropylene films to become defective. In order to validate its hypothesis, a lab scale test method was created to determine the effect of flaw size and temperature on defect growth in cast MDO polypropylene films. The study reflects the Avery Dennison commitment to further refine its products in order to offset the risk of process downtime and improve converting performance. The paper summarizes the work of a six-person Avery Dennison research team and is co-authored by Topuzlu and Hoang Pham, principal engineer – f

X-Rite Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Pantone LLC, today announced they are exhibiting at Gulf Pack and Print , the leading event for commercial and package printers in the Middle East and North Africa. X-Rite will be exhibiting in the booth of their Middle East Partner, Phoenix Technologies (Booth #A20). Gulf Pack and Print is taking place April 13 - 16 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai UAE. At the event, X-Rite will be showcasing their range of market leading hardware and software solutions developed to maximize end-to-end color control in the print production process. This high level of color control enables commercial and package printers to deliver maximum color consistency to their clients while achieving a higher level of efficiency in their operations. At Gulf Pack and Print, X-Rite Pantone will be showing: · eXact and eXact Scan – This next generation in handheld color measurement enables printers and packaging converters to truly understand, control, manage

Toray Industries Inc., a leading manufacturer of waterless CTP plates, announced today it will be showcasing products printed with waterless technology at Xfair. Toray will be in stand B07 at the show which takes place from 15-17 April 2015. “We are excited to participate in Xfair, a local event for print, publishing and media, and to be able to spend time with visitors from the DACH region, Central and Eastern Europe,” said Mitsunori Hayashi, General Manager of Sales and Marketing for the new Toray Graphics factory in the Czech Republic. “We believe waterless UV printing technology, which has proved to be effective in providing quality enhancements and cost savings on non-absorbent substrates such as synthetic materials, brings significant added value to high end commercial-, label- & packaging- printers as well Cold Set printers. At the show, Toray experts will be available for one-on-one consultations, explaining how implementing waterless printing in these segments can deliv

FINAT, the international association for the self-adhesive label industry, has reshaped and rebranded its annual congress to reflect greater industry collaboration and cooperation. Under its new name, the European Label Forum (ELF) will take place June 11-13 2015, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. “The annual congress has historically presented key industry updates and insight,” explains Kurt Walker, FINAT President. “However, we want to enhance the value of our annual event for business and opinion leaders from around Europe and beyond. This is why we have chosen to ‘re-brand’ the conference as The European Label Forum. The new format will provide insights to attendees on items of relevance for strategic decision making, by connecting different areas of interest and expertise through dialogue and interaction. Sessions will also map the key transformations reshaping the industry, and in doing should help them to identify the opportunities and challenges. In other words, the ELF will offe

UPM Raflatac is presenting self-adhesive labelling solutions in the print media category at the Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations event in Belgium on 10-12 March. The company focuses on latest food safety legislation, and choices for better environmental performance. Food label stock reducing risk by raising safety UPM Raflatac supplies a wide range of label stock with adhesives especially formulated for food safety and tested to comply with regulatory permissions and limits. These materials support compliance with regulations such as EU 10/2011, which requires that direct food labels with a plastic layer and all labels applied to plastic primary packaging must have Declarations of Conformity (DoCs) documenting controlled, authorized substances. High quality DoCs are available from UPM Raflatac for quick and convenient distribution down the packaging supply chain – significantly reducing the risks and repercussions of product recalls and providing valuable safeguards for

Coding and marking machines are used on the production lines of a range of industries. They can be used to mark or print onto products and packaging with text, graphics, data matrix codes and more. But with such a vast range of machines and solutions, how do you know what the best choice is for your company? Here's our top 4 things to consider. Meeting Regulations Whatever sector your company works within, there are sure to be industry-specific regulations which stipulate what information needs to be coded on to the product or packaging. An example of this is within the cable sector - the ACI ( Approve Cables Initiative ) has been in place since 2010 and was set up to combat counterfeiting within the wire and cable industry. The ACI works to ensure that cables have the correct coding and labelling in place to display to customers that the wiring is safe for use and approved. Such industry requirements are ideal for the consumer, but can add pressure on the manufacturer to tic

Packaging has been a prime driver in the development of printed electronics, from RFID to QR codes and other digitally ‘readable’ data. The printing expertise, specialist materials, and conductive inks required to reliably create these ‘intelligent’ functions have long been a specialty of the label production chain – an extended value chain which is supported by a single umbrella organisation in Europe, FINAT, the international association for the self-adhesive label industry. Proactive participation in educating and supporting its member companies as well as the industry in general in newly-developing territories such as the printed electronics arena is an ongoing focus for FINAT, as innovation continues apace. A recent members-only expert webinar on printed electronics provided a valuable update on existing applications and potential opportunities for printers in the narrow-web flexo market – not just in packaging or labels. New directions for label printers Presented by Chris Jo