By Olivia Cahoon
Part 1 of 2
Labels are printed on both wide and narrow format equipment. Wide format is typically used for short-run stickers and decals while narrow format machines—like desktop label printers—offer a more traditional approach to label production.
Digital desktop label printers are designed to reduce label costs, increase operational efficiencies, and quickly produce high-quality color graphics. These devices are typically compatible with a variety of label stocks and support a maximum print width of 13 inches.
Desktop label devices are common in office and manufacturing settings looking to control label prototyping and production.
Labels for Natural Health
Founded in 1993, Watershed Wellness Center started as a bottled water business in a 100 square foot workspace in Dewitt, MI. It originally bottled premium natural water to convenience stores and supermarkets throughout the state.
Over the years, the business established itself as a natural health products leader. Today, it sells a variety of herbal extract products and dietary supplements, specifically chlorella and spirulina.
With eight employees, the business operates from an 11,000 square foot facility in Lansing, MI. Its products are available worldwide for a variety of health concerns, including brain health, energy, joint support, and weight loss.
The majority of Watershed Wellness Center’s products require some form of labeling and identification. In 2009, it started digitally printing labels with a QuickLabel ZEO! color label printer.
The business upgraded its digital printing technology in May 2018 with an Epson ColorWorks C3500 color label printer. “We chose this model because of the affordable price point and because it was able to fit our need of printing labels in smaller quantities,” comments Bob McCauley, CEO/founder, Watershed Wellness Center.
The Epson ColorWorks C3500 is an inkjet label printer designed to reduce label costs and produce high-quality, durable labels on demand. Reaching speeds up to four inches per second, the device handles widths of 1.2 to 4.4 inches. It utilizes Epson’s MicroPiezo inkjet technology and automatic nozzle checking to produce easy-to-read text and barcodes. The ColorWorks C3500 is ideal for a high mix of low-volume applications.
Watershed Wellness Center primarily uses the digital desktop label printer to create its herbal extract supplement labels. Approximately 20 percentage of its labels are completed on the ColorWorks C3500.
According to McCauley, implementing a desktop label printer offers several benefits including flexibility and small run printing. “Changes can easily be made to labels without dealing with wasting large quantities or having to make major commitments,” he explains. “If we need to re-create a label due to product changes, we can easily print another batch of labels without worring about wasting money.”
The wellness center currently uses Epson ink and a variety of label stocks depending on the product. “We do not prefer third-party ink cartridges because often the quality is not as good,” offers McCauley. The labels are designed in CorelDRAW and printed directly from Windows or Google Drive.
Dr. Bob’s Naturals
Launched in 2015, Dr. Bob’s Naturals brand offering ranges from water bottles and herbal extracts to supplements like chlorella and spirulina. The products require a variety of short-run labels specific to the exact herbal supplement type. Labels are typically 3×3 or 4×4 inches and feature multiple colors.
Watershed Wellness Center uses the Epson ColorWorks C3500 to produce its Dr. Bob’s Natural labels. Compared to previous label runs, McCauley says the desktop label printer produces labels much faster than its previous QuickLabel ZEO! printer. “The labels are stunning—the colors are vibrant and lively—and they print exactly how we want them to,” he says.
The wellness center typically doesn’t experience challenges with its desktop label printer although it occasionally has trouble lining the labels for bleed. For the most part, McCauley says the ColorWorks C3500 is very easy to use.
The Watershed Wellness Center and Dr. Bob’s Natural customers are satisfied with its current label production setup. The business continues to use digital printing technology to take advantage of short-run, high-quality labels.
Short-Run Printing
A variety of businesses—from print providers to product manufacturers and importers—benefit from the use of a digital desktop label printer. It provides businesses like Watershed Wellness Center the ability to produce a range of short-run labels to make product changes as-needed without waste.
In part two, we feature a print provider with nearly 70 years of experience in the printing industry.
Click here to read part two of this exclusive online series, Technical Labels.
May2019, DPS Magazine
