Pack Expo 2013

From September 23 to 25, I exhibited in Las Vegas at Pack Expo 2013 (http://www.packexpo.com/), the premier packaging show.

At the show, I saw more companies showing print on-demand color labels than ever before.  Let me give you a sample of what I saw.

The biggest surprise was all of the companies showing color label printers utilizing Memjet (http://www.memjet.com/) technology.  Afinia Label (http://afinialabel.com/), ColorDyne (http://www.colordynetech.com/), Trojan Label (http://trojanlabel.com/) and Xante (http://www.xante.com/). 
 
Afinia is a division of Microboards (http://www.microboards.com/)  from Minneapolis, MN who specializes in DVD duplicators and printers. 

Like the other printers using the Memjet printhead, the L-801 label printer produces beautiful print quality at speeds up to 12” per second.  Plus this printer includes an 8” unwinder and media cover, which is important to protect the media and printhead from dust. 

With the printer, Afinia includes BarTender from Seagull Scientific (http://www.bartenderbarcodesoftware.com/label-software/welcome.aspx), for producing variable data labels. If you need to match colors precisely, Afinia partners with Wasatch (http://www.wasatch.com/softripmain.html), to provide a RIP (raster image processor) software.  Finally, Afinia sells the lowest cost printer of this group, with a list price of the basic printer at $8,995.  For companies just starting to print in-plant prime labels, the Afinia label printer is a good option.

In addition to the Afinia printer, I saw the Trojan label printer.  

This Danish company with US headquarters in Alabama sells the most “aesthetically pleasing” label printer in the Memjet group of partner companies, utilizing a stainless steel cover.  In addition, Trojan label provides a browser-based application to connect to the printer.  Here, Trojan showed an Android device connected to the printer.

In addition, Trojan offers the capability to connect to the printer via VPN.  This connections allows Trojan tech support to configure, train and troubleshoot printers anywhere in the world.  As on-site support is an issue with the Memjet partner companies, the VPN connection could be a very valuable capability to consider when purchasing an in-plant prime label printer.

If you prefer thermal transfer printers but need to comply to the GHS label requirements, CAB Technologies offers a two-color label printer; the XC series.

CAB Technologies worked with Mactac (www.mactac.com) and ITW Thermal Films (www.itwthermalfilms.com) to produce a thermal transfer 2-color, printing solution.  With the ribbon saver and precise heat settings in the printhead, this printer produces BS5609 certified labels requiring black and red colors.

To see more, check out my video from Pack Expo 2013 by texting “Guy” to 28748 or my post on You Tube: http://youtu.be/XiDbRKJlYLI.

If any of these printers fit your requirements, contact Color Label Solutions.

Guy Mikel

info@colorlabelsolutions.com

855-962-7670
www.colorlabelsolutions.com

Juice Your Marketing (Using Color On Labels)

After reading Tom Shapiro’s, “3 Ways to Juice Your Marketing Results Using Color” (http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2013/11665/three-ways-to-juice-your-marketing-results-using-color?adref=nlt091713),  I decided to repost this article. 

In the story, Tom makes 5 statements about the use of color that works for labels.  Even a “functional” Shipping label, as well as Prime, Secondary, Industrial and Decorative labels accrue significant benefit by adding color.

#1:  We experience the world through colors. 

Imagine how different our life would be if we saw the world in only black and white.    Colors add context that you don’t get with only black. 

#2:  Color increases brand recognition by a whopping 80%.

If you’re involved with an organization selling something, anything to customers, you should be working to identify ways to increase your brand recognition; even on lowly shipping labels.

#3:  People make subconscious judgments about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds, and up to 90% of that assessment is based on color alone!

When your customer sees a monochrome label, what assessment of your company do they make?  What assessment would they make if they saw your labels with color?

#4: 85% of shoppers cite color as a primary reason behind their product purchase decisions

You may say that “shoppers” don’t purchase our products; we sell to businesses.  But Buyers, Operation Managers, Shippers and others inside organizations are people too that make decisions about your products.  Do they see color!

#5:  Color helps people remember brands longer and decide what to buy.
What do customers remember about your company after seeing your labels?  If you want to leave them with a positive image, move to print on –demand color.

If you use monochrome labels anywhere in your operation, ask yourself, “What is the response when our customer’s see a monochrome label?” 

Then ask, “Would our customer’s respond differently if they saw our brand, an image, color text or color blocks on our labels?”

I believe that once you ask yourself and your Marketing colleagues this second question, you’ll see how obvious and how important the decision to move to color on your labels is.  Below is my shipping label.

Talk to your Marketing colleagues about adding color to all of your labels.  If you want to start adding color to your labels, contact me.  I’ll help you get started “juicing” your Marketing with print on-demand color labels.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com 
www.colorlabelsolutions.com

First Of Many

TD Laser (www.tdlaser.com) is a manufacturer of toner cartridges for lasers and copiers.  To protect customers, TD Laser guarantees all products will perform equal to the original cartridge.  In the unlikely event of one of their products causes’ damage to the printer or copier, TD Laser will repair or replace the machine.   In addition, TD Laser is one of the first users of the new TM-C3500 printer.

When asked why he wanted to move to color labels, Tony Drenth, owner of TD Laser, said, “I wanted to clean up our labels.  We had been placing color “dots on our labels to identify the correct toner color.

Tony continues, “By moving to color, we can add a color identifier easier than the manual “dot” process as well as make our labels look better.”

I approached Tony earlier about moving to print on-demand color labels.  However, he wanted to wait until an affordable printer was available that had 4 separate ink cartridges.  With 4 separate ink cartridges, lower ink costs and an affordable printer cost, the TM-C3500 was a good option for Tony.

In addition to purchasing a printer, TD Laser needed a means to cover up previous labels on a portion of the boxes they used.  To meet this requirements, we provided a label with opaque adhesive.  This label insures the previous label does not show through the new label.

If you want to begin adding color text, images, and highlights to your labels like TD Laser, give me a call.  We’ll make it easy and affordable for you to do.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com

www.colorlabelsolutions.com