Second annual packaging & label conference

The Second PLGA Conference opened with a brief address by Dick Chesnut who predicted that after the millennium, because of rapid technological developments, two printing methods will begin to emerge and dominate the packaging and label field – digital printing and gravure, or a form of gravure. The two processes have similarities because of their digital nature from artwork to finished print and basic simplicity.

Several presentations were made by package and label printers, recognized leaders in their product/market sectors, outlining their accomplishments as well as their views on the ‘perception’ problem that gravure has in the industry. Other sessions covered new press technology, prepress technology as well as advancements in inks and substrates.

The open format type of meeting generated numerous exchanges between presenters, panellists and floor delegates on topics such as misconceptions by the package/label user about the process and the continued need for gravure to innovate lower cost systems. The conference was attended by a broad cross section of the industry, ranging from wide web printers to smaller narrow web firms. There were also several delegates who use competing processes and who attended the conference because they are considering adding gravure to their printing capability.

The delegates suggested that future PLGA conferences continue to provide speakers who help clarify the issues creating misconceptions about gravure, highlight to advances in gravure technology that continues to make it the bench mark packaging/label printing process and perhaps even add speakers from other printing disciplines.

Another highlight was a presentation of plaques to each of the original twenty-two founding members of PLGA. Following this, new officers were elected including David Spence of Graphic Packaging as president, followed by a list of six directors and Bill Klein as the executive director for March 2000 also in Florida.

Artwork for Label Printing

If you are just getting involved with label printing or are considering outsourcing your label printing needs to a professional, you have probably already encountered a few industry-specific terms with which you may not be entirely familiar. One such term is “artwork.” Artwork is completely unrelated to your favorite museum pieces and does not necessarily refer to “graphical” elements, either. Let us look at what artwork for label printing is all about.

In the simplest of terms, artwork refers to the layout of a label’s design. That includes factors such as the actual words used (referred to as the “copy”) and any images that might be involved in the design, as well. In essence, the artwork for label printing is the complete “look” of the label, including all of its components. Artwork is finalized prior to the label printing company’s creation of printing plates or negatives.

Depending upon the label printing company with whom you work, artwork may be your responsibility, their responsibility, or a joint effort. In all cases, the label printing firm should provide you with samples, or mock-ups, of your labels before turning the artwork into a final product.

Label printing experts often employee design specialists to help with artwork. In some cases, they will actually create the label’s artwork after a discussion with the client and then submit it to the buyer for approval. In other situations, a bare-bones label printing team may require you to provide finished artwork.

Understanding the vocabulary of label printing is an important way to make sure you get what you want from the printer. Artwork, which refers to the collective whole of your future label, is an expression with which you will need to be familiar.

Apollo applicator for small delicate labelling

New from the creators of EASYLABEL has announced the introduction of the Apollo 1, a new label printer that features an optional label applicator designed for small, delicate, high-precision print and apply applications like electronic components and printed circuit boards. Like others in the Apollo Series, the Apollo 1 will also offer the stand-alone feature that allows label printing with or without a computer attached.

The Apollo 1 applicator is a tamp-type unit that provides delicate, high precision application of small labels with an accuracy of +/- 0.02 inch. Field tests for placement accuracy have recorded a best of 0.008 inches and a worst case of 0.031 inches. The smallest label end-users are currently applying is five wide by two inches high. The applicator attaches to the front of the new Apollo 1 thermal transfer label printer and provides a very small overall footprint.

The new Apollo 1 features 300 dpi print resolution running at eight inches (200mm) per second with a 4.2 inch (108mm) print width. The Apollo 1 comes standard with an internal rewind and ribbon saver, as well as a high-speed 32-bit processor with 2MB of RAM. The Apollo 1 also features three printer-resident scalable typefaces, and supports the primary bar codes including UPC/EAN, Code 39, Code 128 and Interleaved 2 of 5, and two dimensional symbologies such as PDF417.

High speed print & apply

A company has launched a high speed print and apply solution for variable information labelling. The ALX 720 is suited to the print and application of information such as pricing, ladder or picket fence barcodes, stock numbers, batch codes and general promotional labelling. It prints and applies up to 250 labels a minute, depending on label size, and has a label stop accuracy of ± 0.5mm. The system uses the latest thermal transfer, near edge, 300dpi print head technology to produce high resolution output in a choice of 17 fonts, including OCR/A and OCR/B, as well as two scaleable fonts. Digitised drawings and logos can be imported for incorporation in print designs. Applying labels to the top, sides and base of a variety of cartons, containers, packages and products, the ALX 720 prints at speeds of up to 300mm per second and labels at speeds of up to 30 metres/min. The company says that, unlike 1:1 print and apply systems – where label application is limited by print speed – the ALX 720 has a label buffer between the print head and dispensing edge. This, it says, enables greater flexibility and optimum speeds to be achieved at both print and apply stages. The unit features the company’s automatic product speed following technology as standard. This ensures accurate labelling through the continuous monitoring and automatic adjustment of the labelling speed to much product presentation to the labelling edge, says the manufacturer. Print and dispense functions are controlled through individual membrane keypads, located on the front of the cabinet, with system status visible on integral LED displays. The control system incorporates 1 Mb of dynamic RAM memory as standard, with an RS 232 serial interface also included. This enables print data to be generated and controlled from a linked PC, mini or mainframe computer system if required. An optional RS 485 interface is also available.