I Love This Printer!

Since the inception, the goal of Good Heart Catering (https://goodheartcatering.com/) has been to develop a company that could directly impact those less fortunate in the greater Los Angeles community. The history of this goal dates back to when the founder of Good Heart Catering, Jon Tokas, joined the revitalization and renovation efforts of downtown Los Angeles nearly 13 years ago. Jon founded his company after growing up working in his family’s deli serving the Jewelry district in Los Angeles.  Now, Good Heart Catering partners with local food banks making donations who in turn feed those who are in need.

Jon contacted us when needing a labeling process that would fit their POS system and food preparation process.  According to Jon, “we need a printer that can produce color labels affordably and easily as well as in variable lengths.  We’ve been using Avery sheet-fed labels and a desktop printer; but find it difficult to do what we want.”

Sheet Fed Labels

Jon continues, “As we sell many different items, we don’t want to use preprinted labels.  Also, we like to use Kraft paper if possible as it would match our containers.  Finally, we’re moving to a new point of sale system (POS); and need the printer to work with this system.”

After speaking with Jon, I recommended the C3500; especially given the printer can cut labels in variable lengths.  To help Jon decide, I printed and sent samples, even on Kraft paper, as well as determined the estimated ink costs.  For one of the basic round labels, I estimated the ink cost at $0.014/label.

C3500 Estimated Ink Cost

For the 15” label, I estimated the ink cost at $0.051/label.

C3500 Estimated Ink Yield

Based on the label samples and estimated costs, Jon purchased a C3500 printer and labels.  After working with Tim, our Support Manager, Jon was printing labels quickly and easily; sending me a picture of his first label printed on the material that comes with the C3500.

C3500 Printed Label

Unlike most customers, the real work for Jon started after he was printing labels.  Jon needed to make sure label printing fit into the processes and systems he wanted to put in place.

Continuing, Jon says, “We built a process using our new POS.  Each day, we select in our POS system the items/labels we need to print for the various orders.  For example, one order may have 10 different items.  Based on the items selected, the POS system produces a PDF using the variable images and text in our database.  Each page of the PDF becomes one of the inner:

Package Inner Label

Or outer labels:

Package Outer Label

of the item in the order. Each label is automatically cut based on the page length; the Color Label Solutions support manager Tim showed us how to select this setting.  No longer do we need to select multiple labels from sheets; we just apply the labels printed for each order picked.  I LOVE THIS PRINTER; it’s perfect for a small business like ours.”

C3500 Label

Learn more about Good Heart Catering's community participation here:

https://goodheartcatering.com/blog/good-heart-blog-1/post/community-participation-3 

The story of Good Heart Catering is very gratifying for me on several levels.  First, we helped a new customer start printing color labels on demand.  Second, we helped a small business develop and implement an outstanding, highly productive new process that saves time and money.  Lastly, we supported an organization committed to the greater good of their community.

If you want to create or improve your labeling process, contact us.  Hopefully, you’ll love your printer too!

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com

Purchase the C3500 Here:  https://colorlabelsolutions.com/product/c3500-inkjet-label-printer/

Continuous RIP: Coming This Fall

This week, I had the opportunity to get a “Sneak Peak” at an exciting new technology coming this fall.

C7500G Printed Using a RIP

If you attended Pack Expo in Las Vegas last year, it may not be so new.  Epson America and Wasatch Computer Technology (https://www.wasatch.com/softripmain.html)  demonstrated an early prototype of a RIP (Raster Image Processor) for the C7500.  Since Pack Expo 2015,( http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2015/10/pack-expo-2015.html), these two companies have made significant changes to their early prototype. Let me tell you more.

As background, a RIP is defined as “a hardware or combination hardware/software product that converts images described in the form of vector graphics statements into raster graphics images or bitmaps.”

To read why Wasatch believes you need a RIP, read this page:  https://www.wasatch.com/whyrip.html

According to the Epson technician that demonstrated the new software, “the Wasatch RIP enables you to control the colors and amount of ink over your entire label.  This control enables you to match colors precisely; and to automatically replace colors with the corrected RGB or CMYK color.  Overall, the Wasatch Rip enables much better print output; like much more expensive label printers provide.”

The image above was printed using the RIP on the C7500G on gloss paper.  Based on this print output, I believe the C7500G will produce outstanding/beautiful labels.  And print these images easily, reliably and more affordably than any other on-demand color, digital printer.

In addition to managing color, the Watsch RIP and updated firmware will enable the C7500G to print on continuous label material.  Currently, the C7500G requires either die cut or blackmark labels.  See these labels in the C7500G using the updated firmware don’t have either means to find top of form.

C7500G Using Continuous Labels

C7500G Using Continuous Labels

By combining the RIP software with continuous media, printers and manufacturers can produce full-bleed digital labels using the same workflow as companies running million dollar presses.  By printing the label on continuous media; and then using a post-printing finishing process to die cut and then laminating/coating the labels.  In this video, I feature the Scorpio+ finishing unit from DPL that shows the machine laminating, die cutting and weeding the matrix from the label to produce professional grade labels easily. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiVD74MtD4I

I see the new RIP and continuous capabilities of C7500 or C7500G combined with a finishing unit as a great option for printers, converters or larger manufacturers with print shops who want to produce their own professional, full-bleed labels.  It’s a very low cost way to produce short-run digital labels.

Epson says they will show the new RIP and continuous capability at Label Expo this fall.  Learn more about this show here:  http://www.labelexpo-americas.com/.  I attended two years ago; and will attend again this year on September 14^th and 15^th, 2016.  If you are attending, let me know so we can meet.

If you are a printer, converter or manufacturer with a print shop, contact us to discuss how you can use the C7500G and the new RIP to expand your business or improve the look of your labels.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com 

Color Tone Matching

All the time, I get questions concerning color matching.  Or more specifically, I get questions about matching PMS colors.

According to an online dictionary, color matching is a method of specifying colors for a print job in which a book of color swatches is used for matching colors with standard inks used in commercial printing. The most popular CMS is Pantone Matching System.

In the past, this issue has been difficult to answer; primarily because of the difference between RGB used in color monitors and the pigments used in color printing as well as the differences among label media.  Here what I wrote about color matching some time ago:  http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2012/07/red-is-not-always-red.html

  

Recently, however, Epson released a Color Tone Matching Assistant (CTMA) that I first noticed with the availability of the C7500G.  You can download this application from the Epson website under Utilities:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?UseCookie=yes&oid=281787&prodoid=63103340&infoType=Downloads&detected=yes&platform=OSF_W_7-64 

The CTMA makes it seemingly easy to match a color relatively closely.  I say relatively, meaning matching by the human eye.  Delta-E (dE) is a single number that represents the 'distance' between two colors.  The idea is that a dE of 1.0 is the smallest color difference the human eye can see. And please remember; the eye's sensitivity to hue, chroma, and lightness differ between people.  As I am not a graphic artist, color differences are hard for me to determine.

To use the CTMA, the only difficulty is insuring your drivers have the word “Epson” in them.  To have the correct printer listed in the CTMA options, I had to rename my drivers to add the word “Epson”.  Then the application worked perfectly.

Epson Color Tone Matching Assistant

Once launched, the CTMA prints a range of colors and their RGB numbers similar to a selected RGB color.  To use this application, I first needed a target color; PMS 7406:

Which I needed to convert to a RGB number.  To convert, I used Encolorpedia; http://encycolorpedia.com/ , which provided me the RGB (227, 186, 18).  Once entered, the application prints a color chart from the printer on the label media selected:

Color Tone Print Output

For this number, blocks of yellow are printed with either more or less Magenta and Cyan added.  Directly in the middle is the target color.  I printed this chart using the C7500G on gloss paper.  I also printed the same chart on the C7500 using matte paper, the C3500 using matte paper (continuous matte paper cut for each groups of colors:

C3500 Color Tone Matching

And even the LX2000 after renaming the printer to add the word Epson:

LX2000 Color Tone Matching

Once printed, I compared the target color printed originally on a press to the target RGB printed by the CTMA.  On the gloss, the color seemed spot on; see how it compares below:

Matching PMS Colors using RGB

I then printed a sample label using BarTender by adding the RGB numbers to select color I wanted.  Matched perfectly to my eyes.

BarTender Printed Color Match

One interesting point to me, I could even tell the difference in colors produced using the gloss and matte paper labels (gloss on top; matte on the bottom) below.

Matte vs Gloss Color Differences

Label media makes a big difference in print color output.  Be sure to expect differences among the labels you use.

After this exercise, I found the Color Tone Matching Assistance an intuitive, easy to use and potentially valuable application for producing color labels on demand.  Contact us if we can help you with producing or matching colors for your labels.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com