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.