Brunswick, OH, Sept. 5, 2023 – ID Images, a leading company in the label industry for over 25 years, is thrilled to announce their newest addition to its team, Sofia Metz, who brings over two decades of leadership in label sales and customer support, along with a stellar reputation to her new role as National Sales Director. She was formerly the Head of Sales and Customer Service for North America at Honeywell’s Label Media Division. 

With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a proven track record in driving sales growth, Sofia is poised to take ID Images to new heights in the dynamic label industry. Having established herself as a seasoned professional throughout her successful career, she is primed to help grow and elevate the Company’s market position. 

“We are delighted to welcome Sofia Metz to the ID Images team of dedicated and solutions-driven experts,” said President and CEO, Jeffrey Fielkow. “Her extensive experience, exceptional leadership skills, and deep understanding of the industry make her an ideal fit to propel our company to higher heights.” “Sofia’s deep care for her customers and well-regarded reputation in the market as someone who consistently delivers on her promises makes her an incredible fit for our strong service culture at ID Images,” said Chief Sales Officer, Tim Mlnarik. 

Prior to joining ID Images, Sofia held pivotal roles at prominent companies in the label and packaging sector, consistently delivering remarkable results. Her innovative approach to sales strategies, paired with her ability to build strong client relationships, has garnered her a reputation for integrity and reliability. 

“I have always been impressed with the professionalism and solutions-driven attitude of ID Images,” Sofia Metz commented. “I am so proud to be able to be part of such an esteemed team, and to contribute to the growth and continued success of such a diverse and growing company.” 

About ID Images 

ID Images is an award-winning collective of 16 locations across North America, renowned for its all-encompassing label solutions that cater to a diverse range of clients across various sectors. Committed to innovation, quality, and client satisfaction, ID Images continues to push the boundaries of the label industry. To learn more, visit www.idibrands.com. 

In an exclusive interview, Scott Warhover, VP Engineering at Mark Andy Inc, talks with Nick Coombes about the development work that goes on to keep the company’s technology at the forefront of narrow web printing and converting.

NC: Please tell us about your job function and the work you do at Mark Andy

SW: I’m fortunate to be involved in many aspects of what we do at Mark Andy, including the team that focuses on the development of new products, and the team designing each custom machine that we build for our customers.  Involvement in the design and technology decisions is a highlight of my job, along with managing our technology roadmap for future developments.  We have an amazing engineering team here that really thrives on the toughest challenges.

NC: What drives the R&D at Mark Andy?

SW: For the process of developing new technology and machines, of course the objective is to help our customers become more successful.  This requires a deep understanding of their needs and challenges, which of course can evolve over time.  We work with Product Management and Sales to understand what our customers say they want.  This can also involve looking beyond the immediate market situation to provide something they don’t even realize they need yet!  That’s when the fun really starts for us – when the engineering team gets to brainstorm new ideas, weigh the benefits of each, design new concepts, and then build and test prototypes.

NC: How has this changed in the time you have been here and what are the major influences?

SW: Converters today have a far higher expectation of the technology and its capabilities – high performance is a given, but this now comes with an increased interest in sustainability.

Both short-term and long-term market trends drive our work.  Long-term industry trends are the most difficult but critical to observe and predict, as they have the greatest impact on our developments.  That said, we must remain flexible enough to allow our customers to thrive through short-term trends as well.

NC: Can you give us an example of this?

SW: Yes, one of the long-term trends we have all seen developing is towards shorter runs and more proliferation of label variants, personalization, and customization.  While this has been influencing equipment development for several years, the shortages during Covid drove a short-term swing away from this, back towards fewer variants (SKUs).  Our solutions need to allow our customers to push the limits of new trends, yet still adapt to these changes.

NC: What market trends are you noticing currently?

SW: The trend still driving the most change is the continued growth of digital printing in our market space.  As with any shift in technology, there are a many new approaches fighting for a share of this market.  I believe we will see this settle down somewhat in coming years as the most productive and profitable methods become established and accepted.  Print speed, cost, and quality will continue to be the drivers here.

RFID in labels and packaging continues to see growth, and I believe this will continue for quite some time. 

And, of course, owing to challenges in the work force and the global shortage of skilled personnel, everyone continues to experience the need for technology and automation to assist those operators with less experience.

NC: How is engineering development responding to these?

SW: There are two factors to a successful digital platform.  As mentioned, the speed, cost and quality of the digital print is essential.  But beyond that, the integration of the web transport and hybrid capabilities into these platforms is what transforms them into a complete and effective production tool.  We are focusing on both.

We are also incorporating developments such as sMArtlink into our products.  This allows all machines to produce and gather productivity data, as well as store this information, provide the tools to analyze this data, and communicate it effectively with customer ERP/MIS systems.

NC: To what extent do you work with converters and brand owners on the development of new technology, and how does this work in practice?

SW: This process is key to our product development process.  Everything we do is downstream of identifying the needs obtained from the voice of the customer.  We work closely with them, both directly and through product management and sales, to identify these needs.

One recent example is the Pro Series flexo platform we are currently launching.  Some converters asked for an affordable full servo press.  Others indicated they needed either entry or mid-market digital capabilities, with the possibility of hybrid configurations.  We have taken this feedback, reviewed it in detail with the converters, and developed the first full flexo platform that can be built to run either left-to-right, or right-to-left, thereby fully enabling digital integration capabilities as well.  This merging of our customers’ needs has led us to develop something new, something beyond the original target, which allows us to offer both a full flexo solution in the Pro Series press, and a new Digital Pro 3 and Digital Pro Max which offer improved digital productivity and flexibility.

NC: Where do you see narrow web flexo in the next five to 10 years?

SW: Narrow web flexo will continue as the high productivity mainstay of production throughout this time frame.  Flexo continues to produce the lowest cost and highest speeds for long run work, and the greatest flexibility for materials and converting inline.  Our Performance Series and Evolution Series presses remain at the forefront of our highest sales volumes, and we continue to develop flexo enhancements and new machines.  Our belief in this is evident in the launch of our Pro Series flexo press this year.

NC: And where do you see digital in the same period?

SW: Digital continues to grow in this market space – we all see the cross-over point between digital and flexo continuing to rise.  From a design standpoint we continue to work on increasing production speeds and lowering per-unit costs to drive this trend further.  Variable data printing will continue to open new applications, and we will continue to see improvements in the integration of digital engines to further gains in productivity, user friendliness, and waste reduction.

NC: What, in your opinion, sets Mark Andy apart from its narrow web competitors?

SW: One thing that sets us apart is that we are truly not just a flexo company, or just a digital company.  We are print.  Given our ability to develop digital engines, and our ability to integrate digital engines, we do not see these as separate press developments from flexo.  When a customer needs a machine, regardless of the printing technology, our processes are the same.  This is a significant part of what makes us the Total Solution Partner to the industry.  Beyond this, I will add that we thrive and excel at the most challenging applications and needs, regardless of the customization required.  Our engineering team loves the challenge!

(UPM Raflatac, Helsinki, 5 September 2023 at 13:00 EEST) – UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of innovative and more sustainable self-adhesive paper and film products, will showcase its latest innovations for more sustainable labeling at Labelexpo Europe 2023, taking place in Brussels, Belgium on 11 – 14 September.

At UPM Raflatac’s stand 5D41, visitors will have the opportunity to explore its latest product innovations and find out how to make the switch to more sustainable alternatives and close the packaging materials loop. Visitors can experience the PureCycle label wash-off qualities in action in a wash-off demonstration. The PureCycle paper label wash-off solutions are designed to enhance PET and HDPE recycling.

A prime example of how the company combines its sustainability and end-use expertise is the new Rêverie 3 label material collection for wine, spirits and beverage end-use. The collection embraces circularity by using recycled fibers in aesthetically attractive labels and demonstrates, via unique collaborations with five leading Spanish designers, that sustainability and impactful design can work together to deliver stunning results.

Visitors can also discover UPM Raflatac’s Ocean Action label material made with Ocean Bound Plastic (OBP) waste. Ocean Action – the world’s first certified label material to fight ocean bound plastic pollution does not only help prevent the plastic waste from ending up in the oceans, but also offers brand owners the possibility to meet their recycled content targets for packaging as an easy-to-use, drop-in solution created especially for home and personal care, food, and beverage end-uses.

In addition, UPM Raflatac will showcase their CarbonNeutral® product portfolio, which helps customers to lower their environmental impact and reduce the strain on natural resources. The CarbonNeutral® certified products now cover the entire lifecycle of the label and allow UPM Raflatac’s customers to offer their printed and converted labels as carbon neutral. The development builds on UPM Raflatac’s Life Cycle Assessment service, Label Life, which recently received a new certificate of validity from leading international assurance service provider, DEKRA.

UPM Raflatac’s CarbonNeutral® certified products include the linerless label range with solutions designed for all direct thermal linerless main end uses, including hospitality, e-commerce and logistics, and grocery retail. At the stand visitors can experience linerless labeling in action. The CarbonNeutral® certified products also include pressure-sensitive labels in the lower-carbon range RAFNXT+ designed for a variety of labels used in food, logistics, and home care packaging.

To find out more, make sure you stop by stand 5D41 to meet UPM Raflatac’s experts and learn more about how you can harness the power of the label for your products. Please also visit:
https://www.upmraflatac.com/Labelexpo-Europe-2023/our-showcase-solutions/

West Sussex, England – September 2023 

The partnership between the two leading web-to-print vendors will provide the industry’s first end-to-end labels solution, helping converters capitalise on the growing print e-commerce market. 

Built for label converters by label converters 

As CERM is a specialist in the labels and packaging space, it meant that Infigo were able to create a solution specifically for the labels sector, from the ground up – based on input and guidance from some of the biggest names in the industry. 

Alex Bowell, Infigo Technical Operations Director, said: “We looked at many of the leading MIS solutions out there, but instantly knew that there was a standout partner that we wanted to work with, for many reasons, and that was CERM.” 

Infigo was then invited to CERM’s annual customer event, where Alex was able to hear precisely what label converters wanted from an e-commerce solution for their industry. 

“Not just fit for purpose, but best in class” 

Alex continued: “They invited us in with open arms – transparent about the direction of the business and how they worked – there was instant synergy. We were invited into their inner circle to speak at their customer event – where we floated the idea of an end-to-end integrated solution – and obtained invaluable feedback. 

“We spoke directly with their customers, which included some of the biggest names within the labels and packaging sector, and managed to find a strong group of participants for our BETA program. 

“In short, we worked closely with the experts in the field to solutionise a labels offering that is not just fit for purpose, but best in class.” 

Powerful e-commerce and personalisation tools, combined with the best in workflow management 

The integration brings together Infigo’s e-commerce and personalisation prowess with CERM’s estimating, workflow and job management expertise to provide a complete package for label converters. 

The solution enables converters to spin-up a branded Infigo storefront, quickly and easily, using drag and drop CMS tools and without any previous design experience required. 

They can then easily offer their customers with templated designs or file-upload products, where the customer is presented with live, real-time, and most importantly, accurate costs of the jobs they have ordered – bringing their estimates and products hidden in the depths of CERM, to the finger-tips of the customer. 

Artwork files are even pre-flighted when they are uploaded, so the user is alerted to any potential issues, also in real-time, before they commit to the job. 

And because of the e-commerce capabilities, you can take payment for the order upfront, before it is confirmed. 

Infigo then hands over the data to CERM so that all estimates, products and jobs flow seamlessly into one centralised place. 

Simplified ordering through previous estimates and orders 

Repeat customers will be able to see all estimates that were previously created against their account, whether they originated in Infigo or not, as well as historical orders. 

This means customers can place new orders easily re-order with confidence. 

Steffen Haaga, Director of Global Business Development for CERM, said: “The market is changing, and we are seeing more and more productive and efficient equipment to produce it. The market seems to be in a big movement right now and there is a bigger need, now more than ever, to transfer orders faster and convert business. 

However, Steffen believes this demand is only set to grow. 

“I don’t think we have seen the big demands yet. I think we are only in the early phase, but we see it more and more – people asking for consumer websites on how to order labels for the smaller volumes. 

I think all the manufacturers of producing, finishing and printing labels are certainly driving in that direction. They just need more capabilities, and we are the front seats, together with Infigo, to make that work.” 

To see the integration in action, visit Infigo Stand: 9A10 (next to HP) between 11-14th September at the Brussels Expo Centre in Belgium. For venue/travel information, or more information on how you can attend and visit the exhibition, you can find out more at the LabelExpo 2023 official website. 

When Jim Kellock started his label manufacturing business back in the early 1980s, producing small format single-colour identity labels for the then bustling hosiery industry in Leicester, he could scarcely have foreseen how the company would grow to become one of the UK’s leading converters of highly embellished bottle labels for the drinks trade.

When Jim’s son Stuart took over in 2007, he knew the company had to diversify if it was to succeed and grow.  “There was no point in being able to offer the same as the next label converter because that just creates a downward price spiral.  We decided that volume was not the way to go, but specialisation in high-end labels with added-value appeared to offer better opportunities at a time when it was less common than it is now.”

Today, under the third-generation management of Helena Kellock, who took over as MD from her father in February 2022, Label Apeel thrives in a spacious and modern production facility in Thurmaston, a suburb of Leicester, and employs an experienced staff of 45.  Label production is carried out on two HP toner presses and two MPS flexo lines, a five-colour, and an eight-colour.  With the market for high-quality labels now more competitive than ever, the company decided to investigate what automation could contribute to improving production efficiency.  “We wanted to ensure we were maximising on our capability, which included reducing waste, especially on the expensive substrates we use, and improving the efficiency of the technology we have here by saving time between roll changes,” she commented. 

This led to a conversation with Chris Chappel, UK Sales Manager of Martin Automatic, the leading global manufacturer of unwind/splice and rewind technology for web presses, and the installation of the American company’s MBS butt splicers on each of the EF330 MPS flexo presses.  Capable of handling rolls of various materials from film to board on rolls up to 660mm wide and 1270mm in diameter, and at speeds up to 300m/min, the MBS is one of Martin’s most popular machines in the market with installations around the world.

The effect was dramatic, according to Helena Kellock: “There has been an immediate clear and linear ROI, with a significant reduction in expensive waste and improved efficiency in roll handling and changing for the press operators.”  Long-serving Production Manager Ian Watson added: “Because the Martins allow us to run to within a few metres of the end of each roll, I estimate we save around 90m of substrate per roll change, which over the course of a shift will total about 640 metres of expensive material.  If you add in the fact that it takes between five and ten minutes to change a roll manually, depending on how much energy you have, we’re looking at around 80 – 90 minutes more production time per shift with automated non-stop changes.”

With recruitment of skilled staff seemingly an ongoing problem within the industry, more automation would appear to offer an alternative solution.  Helena Kellock: “Employing automation strategically, as we have with the butt splicer, allows us to engage new recruits with the technical and skilled aspects of being a printer. This automation allows the focus to be solely on maintaining the highest print quality for our customers  Installing the Martin technology has been an eye-opener and has given us a very clear pointer to the way ahead for Label Apeel.”

In addition to improved production efficiency, the Martin technology has fitted in well with the company’s commitment to sustainability.  Critical of how some companies ‘greenwash’ their customers with unqualified claims, Helena Kellock stresses the importance of transparency on the matter.  “We’re not perfect, but we are working hard at getting better.  We’re FSC certified, have a ‘zero to landfill’ policy, run a fleet of electric vehicles, have solar panels on the factory roof, and have reduced our gas usage to zero”.  All of which are appreciated by Label Apeel’s customers, and its testimonials verify.

Hamillroad Bellissima DMS ultra-high definition flexographic screening technology applied to Asahi AWP™ CleanPrint water-wash flexo plates delivers a previously unobtainable level of flexo image reproduction

Tokyo, Japan & Brussels, Belgium, September 01, 2023. Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, today reported that it has partnered with Hamillroad Software to implement Bellissima DMS (digitally modulated screening) ultra-high definition flexographic screening technology with its AWP™ CleanPrint water wash flexographic plates. The partnership delivers best-in-class image reproduction, combined with one of the most sustainable approaches to flexographic platemaking on the market.

A Hamillroad representative will be present on the Asahi Photoproducts stand during Labelexpo Europe to answer questions from visitors about Bellissima DMS screening, about this partnership and its benefit to the flexographic industry. The show is scheduled for 11 to 14 September in Brussels. Asahi Photoproducts will be located on Stand 5A34 at the show.

“We first engaged with Hamillroad as a result of an Asahi customer who wanted to use their screening technology with our plates but could not. That inspired us to pursue the Hamillroad plate qualification program, which validated that we could deliver even better quality by making this screening technology available with our CleanPrint plates”, said Dieter Niederstadt, Asahi’s Director of Technical Marketing. “By implementing Bellessima DMS screening with Asahi AWPTM CleanPrint plates, flexographic operations can take their production to a new level of quality and productivity. In addition, with our Solvent ZERO approach, they can also reduce their carbon footprint and take advantage of the Carbon Neutral status we have achieved in order to facilitate calculation of their Scope 3 emissions.” According to McKinsey, “Companies increasingly recognize the need to reduce emissions that occur in their upstream or downstream value chain—and these are sometimes referred to as Scope 3 emissions, as defined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.” Asahi’s work toward both Solvent ZERO and Carbon Neutrality will benefit companies as they strive to improve their sustainability credentials.

Niederstadt points out that this implementation also improves the ability of flexo operations to deliver high quality Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) printing, also referred to as Fixed Color Palette Printing, which uses a standardized ink set enhancing the ability to reproduce any color. This process also eliminates the need for press wash-up between print jobs, further increasing the sustainability of flexographic printing. He states, “Additionally, using ECG 7-color printing with Bellissima modulated screening eliminates the risk of creating visible rosette patterns or screen clashes due to the use of extra colors, as would be the case when using amplitude modulated screening technologies. We also believe that Bellissima screening brings the type of quality improvement that can help companies transition from gravure to a more sustainable flexo printing process by achieving the fine highlight transitions to zero as well as good solid ink densities.”

All Asahi AWPTM CleanPrint plates are water washable. The AWPTM-DEW plates are already certified Carbon Neutral in collaboration with the Carbon Trust and the AWPTM-CleanFlat plates are currently in the final stages of the Carbon Neutral approval program. Both plates are designed with sustainability in mind. They reduce waste and environmental impact by minimizing ink and solvent usage and reducing makeready time and waste. And since they are water washable, they eliminate the need for harsh chemicals in the platemaking process.

For more information about products and services from Asahi Photoproducts, visit www.asahi-photoproducts.com.

NOTE to journalists: Please join us at our Labelexpo press conference, scheduled for Wednesday, 13 September, from 10:30 to 11:00 in the press conference center. We’ll discuss Flexo Plates: The Road to Solvent ZERO, the Hamillroad Software partnership, and we will share additional exciting news. To RSVP, please contact monika.d@duomedia.com.

International prepress company Hamillroad Software announced a new partnership today with Asahi Photoproducts, a leading pioneer in the development of photopolymer flexo printing plates. The partnership is set to satisfy growing global demand from brand owners, trade shops, printers and converters for a more environmentally friendly ‘water-wash’ plate making process that delivers best-in-class image reproduction.

For more information about the new partnership opportunities, head over to the Asahi Photoproducts stand 5A34 at Labelexpo2023 in September, where Asahi and Hamillroad representatives will be on hand to answer questions and talk about the benefits of the combined technologies. You can also visit Hamillroad Software and their European Bellissima Trade Shops on Stand 11B25/Hall 11.

To find out more about how Bellissima DMS can help your business drive efficiencies, visit: https://hamillroad.com/bellissima-labelexpo or email: info@hamillroad.com.