The HP Indigo V12 Digital Press was the star of the show

Last week at Labelexpo Americas 2022, HP showcased the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press to the labels and packaging industry for the first time alongside the HP Indigo 6K Digital Press and a wide range of solutions for sustainable packaging, automation and applications propelling new business opportunities.

Many HP customers and partners, both longstanding and new, visited the HP booth. In total, 74 demonstrations of the HP Indigo V12 and 34 demonstrations of the HP Indigo 6K took place, giving attendees the chance to experience the capabilities of each press up close, and learn more about new business opportunities, including brand protection, smart packaging, sustainable packaging and diversification to flexible packaging.

Undoubtedly the main highlight from the show floor was the first public appearance of the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, which is built upon years of experience and will redefine how the printing industry characterizes label production.

The narrow web label press is the world’s first press to utilize the new industry altering LEPx technology and has the power to print at 120 linear meters per minutes, with all the capabilities of HP Indigo’s technology for label production.

Attendees were also able to hear from Massimiliano Martino, CTO, All4Labels, one of the HP Indigo V12 digital press’ first beta customers, who shared insights into why the company has chosen to partner with HP and how HP Indigo products are helping to drive their business forward and meet sustainability goals.

Following the show, the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press presented at Labelexpo Americas is set to proceed onwards to its first, North America-based beta customer.

HP Indigo’s vast portfolio of solutions for label production are allowing more and more converters to capitalize on the growing advantages of digital printing. And it was clear from the event that more and more industry professionals are looking to do just that. In fact, over the course of the show, 16 letters of intent for the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press were signed by customers around the world, 11 of which are based in North America, and 5 in Europe.

“The successful industry reception of The HP Indigo V12 is showing us a true analog to digital transformation, said Haim Levit, SVP and General Manager of HP’s Industrial Print Business. The Indigo V12 is redefining how the print industry thinks about label production and the overwhelming interest from our customers into digital solutions as they look to expand their operations demonstrates that our portfolio is moving the needle on the digital share of the market and driving forward the digital transformation.”

It is clear from Labelexpo Americas that digital is already taking centre stage, as for the first time ever there were no flexo presses at an industry show like this one. It was a digital press-only show floor and the HP Indigo V12 and 6K presses were the stars, capturing most of the attention. HP is proud to be leading the charge in transforming the printing industry. Bring on Drupa 2024!

About HP
HP Inc. is a technology company that believes one thoughtful idea has the power to change the world. Its product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions helps bring these ideas to life. Visit http://www.hp.com.

CRG’s Maraliner, WI Release Liner Facility is now ISO 9001:2015 Certified

Chicago, IL – Channeled Resources Group (CRG), a manufacturer of blank shipping labels, release liner, and the world’s largest supplier of value-priced laminated papers and films, announced that their Maraliner, WI facility; the division focused on the production of silicone release liner, has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification. This standard and certification was selected specifically to strengthen CRG’s ability to exceed customer quality expectations, and requirements and to foster organizational growth with supporting systems.

ISO 9001:2015 is a globally recognized quality management standard developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The certification provides a model for companies of all types and sizes to use in building an effective quality management system. The standard is based on several quality management principles, including having a strong customer focus, involvement of high-level company management, an outlined process-based approach, and ongoing improvement.

The path to certification began for CRG in early 2022, led by Quality Manager – Maraliner, Chad Rhode. CRG recognized the need to formalize its processes, and documentation, to support its organizational goals of continuing to provide high-quality products to its customers. According to Rhode, “CRG had many of the items necessary for ISO certification already in place, obtaining certification was a way to formalize our processes and documentation.”

ISO 9001:2015 certification is a 3-year certification, with annual observation audits to ensure certified companies are continuing to follow their established processes.

About Channeled Resources
Channeled Resources Group (CRG) was founded in 1978 in order to purchase and process secondary fibers for the paper industry. With facilities in Chicago, Wisconsin, Indianapolis, and Ontario Channeled Resources Group (CRG) manufactures release liner and blank shipping/warehouse labels and has become one of the world’s largest suppliers of value priced pressure-sensitive label stock.

To learn more about CRG visit www.channeledresources.com

Leading Midwest Label and Tag Manufacturer Chooses Epson UV Digital Label Printing Equipment to Impress Customers and Cater to New Markets

Los Alamitos, CA – Epson has announced Palco Industrial Marking and Labeling Inc., a leading Midwest manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labels and tags, has installed its second SurePress® digital label press. Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, Palco chose the SurePress aqueous inkjet label press as its first digital printing solution in 2019 and recently onboarded the SurePress L-6534VW UV press to support the surge in client demand.

“We originally chose Epson because it was a great prime label solution for entry into digital. It’s economical, high-quality and was able to help speed up some of our jobs by taking pressure off our flexo equipment,” said Tony Lasauskas, president of Palco. “The surge in business required us to meet faster delivery times while still providing customers with exceptional quality prints so we turned to what we trusted.”

Palco serves clients in many industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, wine, spirits and craft, industrial manufacturing, and pet and animal products, with print jobs ranging from 200 to 30,000 labels per job. “We’ve had some big wins because of our digital capabilities – especially with our customers who require high-quality and consistency,” said Lasauskas. “These clients depend on repeatability and need the same label to be precise with every print; it must be the same color, font and quality today that it is six months from now.”

Lasauskas noted Palco has been able to enter new markets because the labels produced by the SurePress L-6534VW production label press have outstanding durability and can withstand certain environments with harsh conditions. “With the Digital Varnish capabilities of the SurePress L-6534VW, we have been able to expand our business in the wine, spirits and craft space. Craft customers love that we can enhance their labels with textures and sophisticated effects.”

“Epson’s production label presses are tailored to support big businesses with large print volumes,” said Mike Pruitt, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc. “We are proud to see the SurePress deliver the technology features, reliability and capabilities to help usher new opportunities for growth and profit, as they have proven to do so for Palco.”

“Our customers are happy, which is the key to success,” concluded Lasauskas.

The SurePress L-6534VW is available with Digital Varnish or Orange Ink. The print heads, inks, LED pinning and curing lamp units, media feeding, and control system are all developed, serviced and manufactured by Epson. For additional information, visit www.epson.com/surepress. For inquiries in North America, contact:

– Western Region: Mark Elsbernd, 818-620-2730 or mark.elsbernd@ea.epson.com

– Central Region: Bob Ochalla, 630-710-6005 or bob.ochalla@ea.epson.com

– Eastern Region and Canada: Frank Connelly, 615-585-9058 or frank.connelly@ea.epson.com

About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. global.epson.com/

Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/epsonamerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

EPSON and SurePress are registered trademarks and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2022 Epson America, In

Diversified Labeling Solutions (DLS), a national converter of pressure-sensitive labels, is happy to announce that it has added an HP Indigo label quoting tool to the DLS Label Portal™. This new tool is an expansion of DLS’ QuoteNow™. It allows DLS distributors to receive immediate quotes for HP Indigo label print jobs, in addition to the existing flexographic quoting options. This provides immediate pricing for small to medium-sized label jobs that require high-quality print.

DLS released Label Portal™ earlier this year to provide a centralized hub for distributors to access label information and sales tools. The portal is being developed in several stages and the addition of the HP Indigo quoting tool is the second phase of development. The customer portal is available to all DLS distributors and now provides:

• Immediate quotes for HP Indigo and flexographic print jobs with DLS’ QuoteNow™

• Personalized access to custom-branded marketing materials

• Instant access to our most up-to-date Stock Catalog

• Material spec sheets to help choose the right product

• Purchase Order submittal

• Artwork submittal

Future releases will be available in the coming months and will continue to add features such as additional digital printing quotes, order tracking information and online stock label purchasing options.

Available to all DLS distributors, the new portal is designed as a centralized hub where customers can access the most-requested label information and sales tools.

“Our primary goal with the addition of the HP quoting tool is to give our distributors easy access to pricing for small to medium size label runs that require high-quality print,” noted DLS VP of Marketing, James Cirigliano. He continued, “Development has been a collaborative process, with input from customers as well as our customer service, sales, marketing and technical teams. The result is an easy-to-use quoting tool that is available 24/7. The tool will allow DLS distributors to get pricing in real time, and then easily submit their quote to place an order.”

Current DLS distributors can request their personalized portal at https://teamdls.com/Customer-Portal.htm or by contacting marketing@teamdls.com. Interested label suppliers can learn more about the portal and other benefits of partnering with DLS at https://teamdls.com/Tools-Support/Customer-Portal.htm.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of TSC Auto ID Technology Co. Ltd., DLS has been a preferred B2B supplier of high-quality, custom-printed pressure sensitive labels since 1985. All products, from blank labels to full color high-definition labels, are produced utilizing the latest in flexographic and digital printing technologies. Exemplar of their motto “We only succeed when you do,” DLS’s dedicated team is passionate about labels and is willing to share their expertise with partnered distributors to help them grow their business. With locations in five states and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, DLS is well-situated to offer products to distributor customers nationwide. To learn more about the dedicated team at DLS, its exceptional offerings and services, or to receive a quote, please visit https://teamdls.com or call 800.397.3013.

UK-based UV curing specialist GEW has reported that the company’s recent return to Labelexpo Americas has been a resounding success. After a four-year break, the mid-September event was similarly busy to the 2018 show with over 13,000 visitors.

GEW’s new air-cooled UV LED curing system, AeroLED, was of particular interest to many visitors and contributed to GEW’s stand being a hub of activity throughout the three days of the show. Robert Rae, Managing Director of Sales at GEW, explains: “With energy costs soaring globally and showing no signs of easing, we have found a dramatic increase in the level of enquiries about our LED systems and the energy savings they bring when compared to conventional UV.” He adds: “Our LeoLED water-cooled LED system has already been delivering huge savings for many of our customers since its launch in 2019, and now the even lower power consumption of AeroLED is taking these savings to another level. AeroLED has more than enough power for most narrow web applications and the lampheads are now ArcLED compatible, which means they are easily interchangeable with GEW’s conventional E2C lamps. In a nutshell, an AeroLED upgrade can be achieved in less than one day and offers the fastest, most affordable route to LED printing.”

The company also reported that a significant number of its UV curing systems were in operation at the show, with GEW lampheads running on the majority of the leading manufacturers’ presses. Marcus Greenbrook, Director of International Sales at GEW, comments: “Bearing in mind the lower-than-usual number of working presses at this year’s event, we were delighted to see an impressive range of GEW lampheads at work. In all we had 19 full UV systems in operation, across nine different press manufacturers. This represents by far the highest number of UV systems on show by any supplier, and is testament to the quality and dependability of our equipment.”

He concludes: “It was great to be back meeting customers and industry friends again after four years. We didn’t know what to expect with this being the first Labelexpo for some time, but for us, this was a great show and our new AeroLED product launch was warmly received with great interest. It’s good to be back!”

About GEW
GEW is the market-leading manufacturer of both UV Arc and LED systems for the labelling, narrow web and sheetfed printing industries. The company has world-class production facilities at its UK headquarters, subsidiaries in the USA & Germany, and an extensive network of worldwide distributors.

GEW specialises in the design and installation of UV LED systems, having introduced its latest UV LED product, AeroLED, in early 2022. Representing the next generation for UV LED curing, AeroLED eliminates the need for a chiller by air-cooling from a single remote fan to bring UV LED within affordable reach for all. LeoLED, released in 2019, is GEW’s water-cooled solution, delivering maximum power and UV dose for more demanding applications. LeoLED and AeroLED are compatible with GEW’s renowned ArcLED hybrid system.

www.gewuv.com

The label manufacturer UPM Raflatac and the industrial labeling and identification solutions provider Logopak have agreed on a collaboration, which provides their customers the first robust linerless solution in print and apply labeling. With linerless labeling, omitting the label liner significantly increases the running length and capacity of the label rolls, saves costs, and benefits the environment by reducing the CO2 footprint in production and logistics. As a first step the collaboration will improve especially the automatic labeling of secondary packaging.

The benefits of the collaboration for customers are realized through the excellent compatibility between Logopak’s linerless labeling technology and UPM Raflatac’s Linerless Opticut™ label material. Logopak has tested the functionality of the linerless printing with more than one million cuts with UPM Raflatac’s OptiCut material without any significant pollution or major abrasion of the cutter. This remarkable result is proof that together Logopak and UPM Raflatac can provide a labeling solution that takes automatic linerless labeling to unprecedented level of speed, accuracy and reliability tackling the challenges linerless labeling has conventionally faced.

The Logopak’s fully automated Logomatic 410 Linerless labeling system provides sustainable, flexible, and budget-friendly labeling of secondary packaging and shipping cartons. The Logomatic enables cutting the labels, which are coated with active adhesives, to individual sizes, which optimizes both the material input and economically efficient use of Logopak’s innovative eco labeller.

UPM Raflatac’s Linerless Opticut is a labeling material that prevents paper jamming and provides excellent adhesion with minimal adhesive build-up. The solution minimizes service time and offers customers maximum uptime of the labeling system with reduced need for roll changes, lower material costs and improved sustainability with FSC certified (FSC-C012530) raw materials and requires less raw materials than standard pressure-sensitive label materials. UPM Raflatac’s linerless range is also certified as a CarbonNeutral® product against the CarbonNeutral® Protocol by Climate Impact Partners.

“We have been determined to develop linerless labeling to new heights to drive both sustainability and efficiency. By joining the forces with Logopak we can accelerate these advancements and offer first class solutions also in the field of automated labeling,” says Ville Pollari, Business Segment Director, Paper Laminates EMEIA, UPM Raflatac.

“Our vision is to make industrial labeling consistently sustainable in order to improve the eco-balance in an efficient way. By close cooperation with UPM Raflatac, we achieve a perfect interaction in the field of linerless labeling technology which enables us to offer complete solutions for our customers, from machinery and software until consumables. This underlines our mission to make business “Faster. Safer. Greener.“, says Patrick Petersen-Lund, Product Manager, Logopak Systeme.

UPM Raflatac
UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labeling through our innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. We offer high-quality paper and film label stock for branding and promotion, informational labels, and labels with functionality. We operate a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. Our company employs around 3,000 people and made sales of EUR 1.7 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2021. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM. Find out how we are labeling a smarter future beyond fossils at www.upmraflatac.com.

New blank linerless DT labels eliminate liner waste and improve productivity for converters and end users 

 Mentor, OH – Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials today introduced a new direct thermal (DT) linerless label platform for variable information labels used in e-commerce, food delivery and pickup, quick serve restaurants, weigh scale, and transportation and logistics applications. By providing a DT linerless solution for these growing, technology-enabled applications, the company has eliminated the liner waste associated with label printing while offering converters a DT labeling solution that reduces matrix waste and improves process efficiency and productivity.  

The new platform uses emulsion adhesives to support semi-permanent and removable applications and ensures consistent adhesive and silicone coating. Plus, it’s 32% thinner than linered labels, and features up to 50% more labels per roll. Available through a flexible service model with roll widths from 4 to 60 inches, the platform reduces the number of SKUs converters must stock and eliminates die cuts by offering one roll for every label length. With more labels per roll, converters also benefit from fewer changeovers and higher productivity.

“The move to linerless labels is essential to reducing waste in the labeling industry and this new platform expands the use of these labels to a wide range of applications while offering multiple benefits to converters and end users,” said Kelli Messer, senior marketing director at Avery Dennison. “By eliminating the liner, our self-wound rolls of direct thermal labels deliver up to 50% more labels per roll, resulting in fewer roll changes, faster operations, and more efficient storage and transportation.” 

To learn more about Avery Dennison’s new DT linerless label platform, visit the Avery Dennison web site. 

About Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and manufacturing company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio-frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs approximately 32,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2020 were $7 billion.

Elk Grove Village, IL — SCREEN Americas announces a new high-opacity white mode as an option for its Truepress Jet L350UV SAI S. The new printing mode allows for reduced transparency when applying white ink on clear substrates. The upgrade provides additional value for label manufacturers, particularly those in the beverage industry whose labels are printed on transparent substrates intended for green and brown bottles.

Since color accuracy is imperative for a brand’s image, the new high-opacity white ink printing mode is expected to give owners of the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI S an edge on their competition. “It’s important that the colors in a brand’s logo are not altered due to the label being placed on a bottle, box, or other material that is already colored,” said Mark Schlimme, vice president of marketing for SCREEN Americas. “Furthermore, the overall quality of the image on a package or bottle can have an impact on whether or not someone decides to purchase that particular product.”

The ink configuration of the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI S is CMYK plus white. Owners of the press have the option to add orange and blue to the arrangement. The standard speed using the CMYK+W configuration is 98.5 feet per minute with the option to upgrade to 165 feet per minute.

For printers who did not have the opportunity to see the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI series in action at Labelexpo Americas in Rosemont, Illinois, they can see it in booth number N1625 at PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, from October 19 to October 21, 2022. Additionally, registrants of the SCREEN User’s Group will have a private, advance opportunity to experience the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI series during the PRINTING United UX event which is scheduled to be held just prior to the convention’s opening hours.  

About SCREEN Americas
SCREEN Americas, a SCREEN Graphic Solutions group company established in 1967, is a leading provider of digital inkjet technology serving the commercial, publishing, direct mail, transactional, packaging, and label industries. In 2021, SCREEN Americas relocated its headquarters to Elk Grove Village, Illinois, with an upgrade that included a 14,000-plus square-foot Inkjet Innovation Center.

Diversified Labeling Solutions (DLS) announced today that Jim Kersten, Chief Executive Officer, will retire at the end of 2022 following nearly 12 years of service to the company and a 44-year career in the print industry. As part of an orderly and planned leadership succession process, current Chief Operating Officer, Bill Johnstone, will succeed Kersten as CEO, effective January 1.

Kersten will continue to lead the company until his retirement. He will work closely with Johnstone and the DLS senior leadership team to support a smooth and organized transition that builds upon the company’s momentum in areas of customer solutions, production capacity, and operational excellence.

“Jim has shaped DLS’s purpose, culture and transformation with a relentless focus on creating long-term, sustainable value for customers and employees.” said James Cirigliano, DLS VP of Marketing. “He has built and led an experienced team that has consistently executed a successful business strategy with solid underlying fundamentals. He has helped build a world-class label converting organization with a robust customer base, strong financial position, excellent customer and supplier partnerships, and a talented diverse workforce. Jim has strengthened the business and positioned DLS well for the future.”

While Jim will continue to serve DLS for a few more months, the entire executive team expresses its deep gratitude for his years of dedication, service, and values-driven leadership. “Having worked closely alongside Jim for many years building DLS’s vision for the future, I have seen firsthand his strategic leadership, in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the business, and astute financial acumen. The future for labels is bright and there are significant opportunities ahead.” Cirigliano concluded.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better team of professionals to be part of,” says Kersten. “I am so proud of everyone and all that we’ve accomplished together. When I brought Bill Johnstone on board in 2021 to prepare for this transition, I knew I had the right person to lead DLS to the next levels of success. We pride ourselves on taking care of customers, being efficient, and finding creative ways to grow our business. I am confident that Bill will carry the torch and continue serving all DLS stakeholders well by creating sustainable value both today and for future generations.”

Jim Kersten joined DLS as CEO in January of 2011. He guided the company from $36MM in annual sales to being on track to achieve over $100MM in annual sales in 2022. He played an integral part in building a strong management team, adding automated production capacity, migrating to a new ERP system, expanding the company’s geographic footprint, and building new customer relationships. Jim also brought a strong marketing effort to DLS by hiring talented people and helping cultivate a marketing team that now has best-in-class marketing tools to provide to the company’s distributor base.

Jim is looking forward to new adventures, both personally and professionally. The entire Diversified team thanks him for his leadership, guidance, mentoring, and never-ending support – wishing him all the best in the future. He will be greatly missed.

With decades of combined leadership experience, DLS’s senior leadership team has the breadth and depth to continue to lead the company forward under incoming CEO, Bill Johnstone’s stewardship.

About DLS:
A wholly-owned subsidiary of TSC Auto ID Technology Co. Ltd., DLS has been a preferred B2B supplier of high-quality, custom-printed pressure sensitive labels since 1985. All products, from blank labels to full color high-definition labels, are produced utilizing the latest in flexographic and digital printing technologies. Exemplar of their motto “We only succeed when you do,” DLS’s dedicated team is passionate about labels and is willing to share their expertise with partnered distributors to help them grow their business. With locations in five states and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, DLS is well-situated to offer products to distributor customers nationwide. To learn more about the dedicated team at DLS, its exceptional offerings and services, or to receive a quote, please visit https://teamdls.com or call 800.397.3013.