By Cassandra Balentine
Part two of three
While entry-level machines are a great starting point for many brands and print providers looking to move to digital label production, once volumes are established it is time to upgrade.
In the last part of this series we highlighted the benefits, challenges, and solutions for entry-level label production. Now we tackle mid-range solutions, which we’re loosely defining the category as 1,000 to 10,000 labels per run.
It is important to note that there are many ways in which to segment the digital label space, and average run size alone should not be the only consideration when looking at solutions.
Small- to Medium-Volume Runs
Jason Koyama, advisor, production solutions, Canon U.S.A., Inc., sees demands for affordability, reliability, ease of use, sustainability, and adaptable business models that meet the evolving needs of label converters as demands in the mid to high area.
Shops that fall in the small- to medium-sized segment of digital label production are looking for compact solutions that accentuate existing rotary processes or as a second system to add on to high-end digital solutions, says Juan Kim, CEO, Valloy Inc. “There is lack of choice in mid-level solution less than $100,000 budget,” he admits.
Sustainability is in demand for this segment, as is customization, personalization, faster turnaround times, shorter run lengths, improve color consistency, and file quality, lists James Thomas, head of sales and business development, Focus Label Machinery Ltd.
Davis agrees, adding that there’s an increasing need for personalized labels that engage consumers with unique, data-driven designs. “Each label can include various information, images, or codes, boosting engagement and meeting regulations. Fast turnaround and just-in-time printing are essential for brands to quickly adapt to market trends. Overall, the industry is shifting toward flexible, high-quality, data-driven solutions that support sustainability and personalization objectives.”
Mike Pruitt, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc., believes the latest demands for this market segment require presses to support high-end, low-volume labels as well as versioning, supporting 10,000 of each sample labels with small text or graphic differences to support version numbers or SKU requirements. “Supporting versioning can be critical to a print shop’s performance, as it can expand operations by allowing the print shop to accommodate orders from larger clientele that are required to differentiate products, track variations and meet regulatory or market-specific requirements.”
Efficiency improvement is a key driver of automation and hybrid printing, which Michael Matthews, product manager – DP Colour, Domino Printing Sciences, says is one of the fastest growing areas in label printing. “Businesses looking to maximize production efficiency turn to automated hybrid printing lines to enable single-pass production—from priming to printing and finishing—without manual intervention. This saves time and labour, as well as reducing operating costs and waste. Being able to retrofit digital printing technology into existing processes can also help converters save money and give a new lease of life to potentially under-utilized flexographic equipment.”
Another growing trend in the label printing sector is the adoption of advanced variable data printing and code verification capabilities, driven by the global transition from retail barcodes to quick response codes powered by GS1 at the point of sale, Sunrise 2027. “Packaging converters are adding monochrome printers to their analogue packaging lines to support the transition, with code inspection and verification technology often deployed to provide reassurance that all individual codes generated and printed are valid,” adds Matthews.
Challenges
Color management and quality control are among the biggest concerns when it comes to digital label production in the mid-volume segment.
“With the increase in production and features offered on these mid-level solutions, the biggest challenge printers face is increasing orders to justify the investment in equipment,” advises Pruitt. “This can take time, and eventually many of these medium sized jobs can be lucrative, especially if the label producer has a sales channel and the personal to operate the machine and accommodate the workflow.”
Kim points out that cheaper solution often offer poor software solutions. “However we are providing professional RIP software for daily calibration and professional ICC profiling for full coverage of color management.”
Koyama believes one of the biggest hurdles includes overcoming past disappointments with digital technology, and finding scalable, cost-effective solutions that meet the growing demand for high-quality, short-run labels.
“If a manufacturer is going to bring their label production in-house they want the same or better quality than from online suppliers,” points out Jennifer Loegering, director of marketing, Primera Technology, Inc. “Manufacturers don’t want to sacrifice quality for the convenience of making their own labels. They also need printers that are easy to use and support and are an overall good value.”
Kevin Davis, CEO, SnapPress (company of Allen Datagraph Systems, LLC), points to managing rising costs in materials, labor, and operations while still delivering high-quality results as ongoing challenges. “Uncertain regulations add another layer of complexity, as compliance can be costly and unpredictable. Supply chain consolidation by manufacturers and brand owners also puts pressure on printers, making it crucial to remain agile and cost-effective despite these constraints. Achieving this balance requires printers to adopt efficient, flexible technologies that can adapt to evolving demands without compromising profitability.”
Matthews sees the biggest challenge for converters in adopting digital printing technology as the initial investment required. “In recent years, label converters have faced financial challenges on two fronts: following supply chain issues, high costs for substrates, fluids, and energy remain a challenge for many converters; while lower overall demand for print has increased competition between businesses, causing additional pricing pressures.”
In this economic climate, Matthews adds that many converters looking to explore the benefits of digital can’t afford to invest in a new roll-to-roll digital, or hybrid printing presses. “This is one of the reasons why we developed the N610i-R retrofit module. To offer a simple, cost-effective solution, that delivers full hybrid printing capability for a fraction of the cost of a brand-new hybrid printing press.”
Thomas adds food safety, low migration inks, initial capital outlay, and return on investment are challenges facing the adoption of digital systems in this label segment. “Understanding the digital market space and pricing accordingly.”
Ben Luly, product manager, Mark Andy, adds for customers new to inkjet, the learning curve associated with understanding all of the capabilities, range of materials, and routine maintenance associated with digital inkjet technology can be a challenge.
Target Users
Mid- to high-volume digital label presses are often end users or small and medium printing shops. “More demands for short and micro runs of labels can be handled for both targets,” shares Kim.
For mid-range, Luly says the cross-over point to digital is around 8,000 feet or, with a standard-sized label, about 50,000 labels. “The user persona for this type of equipment is typically a small to medium sized converter. Applications are a wide range including food and beverage labels, promotional tags, lidding, durables, prime pressure sensitive, seasonal and health and beauty. As with all digital equipment, the focus is on shorter run lengths, perfectly suited to many jobs in the label space.”
Pruitt says many mid-level label providers are producing for clients in the alcohol/craft beer, cannabis, cosmetics, food, and small retailer/candle markets.
Target users include brands that require versatile printing for short-to-medium runs with options for variable data and customization, allowing them to produce personalized labels for limited editions, regional variations, or seasonal promotions. “Additionally, manufacturers needing fast, reliable turnaround times to meet dynamic market demands will benefit from the speed and efficiency SnapPress LP-1 provides,” says Davis.
Players in this space want to take control of their label inventory by producing only what is needed at a particular time, eliminating waste. “Manufacturers who offer dozens of SKUs see the benefits of producing shorter runs for their various products featuring different scents, flavors, etc. Moreover, the ability to be nimble in the market and to update a label on demand or even print and digitally die-cut a label in any shape on the fly are key benefits. For service bureaus, our desktop color label printers are an excellent way to produce shorter runs of labels without having to set up a larger press and finishing system. This is a great service to provide to customers who only need a few hundred up to several thousand labels printed for prototypes, test marketing, etc.,” shares Loegering.
Falling in the mid- to high-volume segment, Koyama says its target users include in-house manufacturers, commercial printers bringing label production in-house, and label converters looking to replace or supplement their existing equipment with a digital solution. Key applications include both prime and industrial labels.
Canon U.S.A., Inc.
The Canon LabelStream LS2000 is a water-based inkjet digital label press designed for converters seeking a reliable, flexible, and high-performance solution. It excels in producing short-run, diverse self-adhesive labels, offering both productivity and versatility.
Domino
Converters looking for a Domino digital color inkjet label press have the choice between our N610i and N730i label presses, both of which feature clever i-Tech features to enhance operational efficiency.
The company’s flagship N730i 1200dpi press prints at speeds of up to 70 meters per minute (mpm). The N610i label press prints with 600dpi resolution at up to 50 mpm, with up to 70 mpm possible at lower resolution. Both are available as roll-to-roll models, as well as integration modules that can be incorporated into any flexographic process. The N610i is also available as a retrofit module, the N610i-R, which can be fitted above flexographic lines to add digital hybrid printing capabilities within the line’s existing footprint.
Epson
For a mid-level customer, Epson offers the SurePress L-4733AW and the SurePress L-6534VW presses that produce roughly 50,000 to 2,000,0000 square feet per month and offer higher levels of print quality, consistency, flexibility, and value for label converters.
Focus Label Machinery
D-Flex and D-Pack HI-Q Hybrid digital inkjet technology.
Gallus
The Gallus One is designed to deliver exceptional flexibility, versatility, and reliability in the production of small to medium-sized digital label production. Initially launched as a fully digital reel-to-reel label press, the Gallus One offers a cost-effective entry into the digital label market with the lowest total cost of ownership. Its advanced smart features and high level of automation ensures optimum efficiency. Today, the Gallus One is fully flexible, allowing customers to evolve from an all-digital press to a hybrid solution. As mentioned, it does this by incorporating conventional units from the Gallus Labelmaster platform. Businesses can then tailor their Gallus One to meet specific production requirements, while maintaining the agility to expand and evolve alongside their growing needs and opportunities.
The Gallus portfolio also includes the Gallus Labelfire 340, designed with flexibility in mind, and prioritizing high availability and uptime for continuous production of high volume label jobs. The Gallus Labelfire 340 seamlessly integrates digital printing with advanced finishing options such as varnishing, laminating and die-cutting. Its compatibility with different ink sets enables the production of a wide range of applications, including conventional labels, low-migration labels and foldable packaging such as tubes and cartons. This versatility makes it a powerful solution for a wide range of production needs.
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta offers two products in the categories of mid-level and high-end digital label printing. The AccurioLabel 230 was Konica Minolta’s first entry into the digital label production market. The press was truly disruptive in nature as it provided a viable and affordable production-capable machine with exceptional print quality, reliability and ease of use. Designed for the CMYK pressure-sensitive label market, the AccurioLabel 230 prints at 77 feet per minute (fpm) on standard flexographic substrates (no precoat required).
Konica Minolta surrounded this print engine with an eco-system of suppliers, tools, education and services to make the transition into label production quick, easy and profitable. The AccurioLabel 400 expands the applications companies can offer.
Based on Konica Minolta’s proprietary CMYKW dry-toner technology, the AccurioLabel 400 prints on additional substrates such as clear and metallic BOPP. The opacity of Konica Minolta’s white toner is widely considered exceptional, and with only a single hit required, allows for increased throughput and ease of use. The AccurioLabel 400 prints at 131 fpm in CMYK mode and 65 ft/min in CMYKW mode on the same standard flexographic substrates.
The LabelStream LS2000 falls under both mid/high-end sectors so the answers pertain to both areas.
Mark Andy
Mark Andy’s mid level digital products include the Digital Pro MAX, The Digital Series iQ, and its new Digital Series iQ-R.
The MAX is an integrated toner machine, able to be configured in a roll to roll, or as a fully hybrid press with flexo and semi-rotary converting, or anything in-between
The MAX is CMYK+W capable of speeds up to 130 FPM, and in hybrid configurations, is capable of bypassing the digital module and running up to 500 FPM.
The MAX is VDP capable, 1200 DPI, achieves 70%+ of the pantone range, and can use the flexo print stations to achieve those specific spot colors for brands. With inline white toner, it can achieve tight registration of white text down to 2pt.
The Digital Series iQ is our integrated mid-market inkjet machine with our partner Domino as a fully hybrid press with flexo and semi-rotary converting.
The Digital Series iQ is available in CMYK+W or expanded gamut, capable of speeds up to 230 FPM
The Digital Series iQ-R can be installed on existing Mark Andy presses.
Luly says the entry point for crossover from digital to flexography is about 5,000 linear feet, or if using a standard label size, about 30,000 labels.
Primera
Primera’s LX600, LX610, LX910, and new LX4000 label printers offer a range of benefits for mid-sized manufacturers. These printers provide the highest print-quality in the industry at 1200 x 4800 dpi with options for both dye and pigment inks, ensuring the highest quality prime labels featuring vibrant colors and durability. Unique to the industry, the LX610 Color Label Printer features a built-in plotter/cutter for digital die-cutting of custom label shapes.
Primera’s newest label printer, LX4000, offers high print quality, fast printing, and large ink tanks for our lowest cost per print. With Primera printers, manufacturers can streamline their label production process, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency.
SnapPress (company of Allen Datagraph Systems, LLC)
The SnapPress LP-1 inkjet label press is designed to be the easiest in its class, combining high-quality output with user-friendly operation. Capable of printing labels up to 12 inches wide at 90 fpm, it uses an exclusive Xitron RIP and a proven HP FI-1000 print engine to ensure each label meets our high standards for quality and durability.
VALLOY
Valloy’s BIZPRESS13R is mid level 13-inch digital roll label press, using laser toner engine. With 7.3 mpm speed in 1,200×2,400 dpi, 5,000 labels can be produced within 30 minutes.
There is no warming up delay between batches so quick changeover of jobs can be done. The company is selling this together with Valloy’s DUOBALDE WX digital finisher as a set.
Check out parts one and three of this series.
Jan2025, DPS Magazine
