Producing Quality Labels Faster & Cheaper

Quality packaging is a critical element in a companys success. Whether selling vitamins, energy drinks or high fiber cookies, nothing impacts a companys image as much as the product label. For example, customers instinctively distrust the contents of any package with faded colors, peeling edges or any other defect.

Alas, quality labels have always been so expensive to produce that many companies have sacrificed quality for a lower price. Label salesmen have clung to the adage: Theres good, fast and cheap. Pick any two!

Fortunately, new technologies mean companies dont have to choose just two out of three. Digital technologies and a customer-centric business focus indicates the industry is benefiting from a major breakthrough in packaging efficiency, which means quality labels with fast turnaround times and fixed prices.

Technologies such as the multiple HP Indigo digital printing presses, multiple ABG Digital finishing and converting presses, and the state-of-the-art servo-driven UV Flexographic Printing Press from Nilpeter make it possible to produce high quality roll or sheet-fed, full-color labels that meet quality requirements for virtually any packaged good. These services are perfect for fast-turn, short to medium runs that can fulfill customers needs from prototypes, test markets and low-volume to high-volume production demands.

In addition, as advanced digital technologies make it possible to deliver quality labels with both fast turnaround times and low prices, printing and label suppliers are also realizing the importance of taking care of their customers. Businesses with extensive labeling experience and a customer-first business philosophy make ideal partners. For example, it should be expected that a customers calls are answered by a live person with years of experience, who can offer first-rate technical support, assess the customers needs and develop custom-tailored solutions.

Customers are valued business partners and it is important to develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with them.

A case study can illustrate this confluence of technological innovation and customer-focused service. Profitime, a company servicing restaurants and hotelwith at least 70 different products requiring labelingoriginally bought all of its labels from a flexographic label supplier. As a result, Profitime carried a huge inventory of label rolls for up to 70 different SKUs. Lead times from its supplier were up to three weeks, and the print quality negatively impacted Profitimes brand image.

One solution presented involved redesigning labels and printing them at Labeltronix (using Lean Labeling) as seven masters with our flexographic press. Profitime was then given training to use a Zebra thermal printer to print the variable information in-house. The ability to print variable information on demand helped the company improve flexibility and reduce inventory requirements, nearly eliminating obsolete labels.

Overall label costs were reduced by roughly 40 percent, inventory costs by about 50 percent and label waste by approximately 92 percent, while time to market decreasedfrom three weeks to one day or less. 

John Trail is the president of Labeltronix, a producer of high-quality labels for packaged products. A 20-year veteran of the label industry, Trail remains focused on making Labeltronix (www.labeltronix.com) an ideal business partner for customers and a great place to work for employees.