Label Expo Europe 2017

This week, I attended Label Expo Europe in Brussels for the first time.  Although I had attended Label Expo in the US several times before, I found this session much more valuable.  Let me share with some of the new, exciting technologies I saw in the print on-demand color world.

Guy Mikel at Label Expo Europe 2017

The most exciting new technology I saw at Label Expo did not involve labels; rather corrugated.  Beautiful, On-Demand, Color Corrugated.

Inkjet Coated Corrugated Printed with the NS Multi

New Solution (www.newsolution.eu) was showing inkjet coated corrugated printed with the NS Multi Corrugated printer.

http://newsolution.eu/ns-multi

At approximately $100,000, this printer is not inexpensive.  The NS Multi uses 5 Memjet print heads to print up to 42” wide corrugated; very quickly.  Watch this corrugated printer in action:

Here is a picture for the loading table:

NS Multi

Using the inkjet coated corrugated created by New Solution, you can now produce cartons for all of your products on demand.  To make this system work, you flood-coat print the boxes with the inkjet coating, then form the box, and then print.  Box manufacturers should be able to produce the inkjet coated material as it’s no different than flood coat printing.  Once the box is coated, the NS Multi produces great looking boxes.  I was very impressed.

NS Multi Printed Box

For those regular readers to this blog, you may remember our work in print on-demand corrugated:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2016/09/label-expo-2016.html

This new technology opens packaging to the same drivers as on-demand color label printing.  With all the SKU’s, now you can produce the boxes you need, when you need them.  On-demand cartons offers significant cost savings in both reducing obsolete inventory and improving processes.

In addition to the new corrugated technology, Okidata launched the new Pro1050 color LED label printer.

Okidata Pro1050

The Pro511 uses new technology to print compared to most LED and laser printers.  This technology offers better color registration and narrower/shorter labels as well as no waste of label traveling through the printer at the end of a print job. 

• .83” to 4.95” Print Width
• .5” to 52” Print Length
• 6” per second
• 1200 x 1200 DPI
• 60 KG (no on-demand demonstrations at this weight)

Plus this technology produces great looking blacks and even white colors on a wide variety of substrates. Notice how black is the print. 

Pro1050  Black On Clear Film

Pro1050 White on Clear Film

Pro1050 on Silver Metallic

Pro1050 on Antique Beer Label

Now, very clear film, metallic, bright gloss synthetic, inexpensive films and other materials will be available for on-demand color printing.  And the printer toner costs will be priced competitively to inkjet ink according to Okidata.

However, Okidata will not make this printer available in North America initially.  I will keep you informed as I learn more of their plans.

Although we’ll not be able to sell the new Pro1050, we’ll start selling the new L501 as soon as it’s available approximately February 2018.

L501 Color Label Printer

With an estimated list price of approximately $3300 (official price has not been set as yet), this 8.5” wide color label printer produces great looking labels; in both dye and pigment-based inks.  The L501 offers great flexibility in printing by changing the consumable printhead.  Need bright colors; use dye-based inks.  Need durable prints; use pigment-based inks.

Watch the L501 print wide labels here:

Normal mode on the left; and draft mode on the right

The L501 is very comparable to the LX2000; but from my perspective better design in both the hardware and software.  The L501 uses a newer generation of HP print engine compared to the LX2000.  I’m very hopeful for the L501 for those companies who must print wider than 4.25” labels.  Compared to the LX2000 from Primera, the L501 should offer a better design, faster printing and maybe lower ink costs according to Afinia.

As the L501 gets closer to market, we’ll keep you informed on the availability of this new 8.5” wide label printer.

For professional printers and in-plant print shops, we saw the perfect companion device to the C7500GE at Label Expo; the Eclipse Mini Finishing Station from Impression Technology Europe:

http://www.eclipselabelequipment.com/label-finishing-equipment/the-eclipse-mini/

Mini Finishing Station

At approximately $10,000, the Mini Finishing Station can laminate and die cut label up to approximately 4” wide at a price point much less expensive than other finishing stations available on the market.  Most of the other finishing stations start at approximately $25,000.  With the Mini, you can now print continuous labels, laminate and then die cut to the specific size you need.  No more ordering a wide variety of die-cut label sizes and then printing.  You can keep only one size in inventory.

Watch it run here:

https://youtu.be/5PUmzmvbMys

 The Mini uses knifes (plotter type) to cut labels and not dies.  But given the mini is only 4” wide, the speed is not too bad.  Not fast; but not excessively slow.

With the Mini, you can now purchase inexpensive media; and then laminate to add durability or glossy finish.  And the Mini should enable you to lower your label costs.  Combined with the C7500GE which offers the Wasatch RIP for better color control, the Mini makes entry into the digital printing market easy for most any professional printer.  At a fraction of the cost of a digital press.

Another new hardware technology available at Label Expo came from Memjet; and both New Solutions and Trojan Label showed new versions of the above the web (media path) printhead technology.  The Atom from New Solutions:

Adam Color Label Printer From New Solutions

And the T2C from Trojan Label (now a part of QLS).

 

T2C from Trojan Label

Both of these units are high speed label presses; but in a smaller footprint.  And as I understand, both use the same above the web (media path) Sirus printheads making maintenance much easier than earlier designs.  I have a lot to learn about how these printers work before I comment more about the technology.

These new industrial designed color label printers will seem to produce thousands of beautiful labels. More interesting to me, is that I learned Memjet has launched a new print technology offering longer printhead life and pigment ink.  Read the press release here:

https://www.memjet.com/press-releases/memjets-next-generation-printhead-technology-brings-inkjets-benefits-high-volume-print-markets/

By next spring, we should see pigment-based printers from Memjet OEM partners; in a variety models.  With this type of great, new technology coming to market, the print on-demand color label business will continue to grow.

At the Neuralabel booth, I learned they were making a big change with their 300x color label printer.

Neuralabel 300x

According to Ken Lund, President, Neuralabel will begin selling a version of the 300x with a straight paper path.  In the past, the 300x has had troubles with label media jamming as it goes around the 3 turns in the printer.  By adapting the printer to use a straight paper path, the 300x should become a much better option for 8” wide label printing.  Perminate printheads, fast speeds and high resolution are key capabilities of this printer if the new design can prevent jamming in the printer. Read this earlier post on the 300x here:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2016/03/300x-color-label-printer-top-10.html

In addition to new hardware, I found many new types of media for print on-demand color labels.

Wine labels that print great even with the low resolution C831 printer:

C831 Wine Labels

Imagine how nice these labels will print with higher resolution printers.

Or inkjet coated fabric labels for mattresses and carpets:

Inkjet Coated Fabric Labels for Carpets

Inkjet Coated Mattress Labels

And some great new material from my friend Franz Walter Pohlhaus. Die cut, matte paper visitor badges with adhesive backing that fold at the perf to form a thicker, stiffer badge:

Adhesive Backed Badges

Inkjet coated parking stickers with on-board lamination to protect from UV rays:

Inkjet Coated/Laminated Parking Stickers

Or inkjet coated, heat-sealed paper labels that form a package after printing:

Heat Sealed, On Demand, Inkjet Coated Package

Print On-Demand Direct Thermal POS Paper

Inkjet Coated POS Paper

Watch the C7500 print the back of direct thermal POS paper here:

Overall, the trip to Label Expo was very informative; and well worth my time and money.  All this new technology makes me excited by the prospects for print on-demand color labels.  Contact us if we can help you with any of this new technology.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com 

LX2000 vs C7500

Recently, I’ve been asked, “What are the differences between the C7500 and the LX2000?”  Frankly, this question is coming from people who do not want to spend the $8500 or more on the C7500; but want good print quality.  The LX2000 is a lot less expensive and can print up to 8" wide labels.  In this post, I’ll explain my view of the 10 biggest differences between these two color label printers.

Before I start, you may find my initial post on the LX2000 of interest:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2015/06/lx2000-full-bleed-color-label-printer.html

On our blog, I found 38 different posts on the C7500.  Here is my first post on this printer:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2014/09/first-review-tm-c7500-at-label-expo.html

Now the 10 biggest differences between the LX2000 and the C7500

Print Quality:
With a max print resolution of 4800 DPI (https://www.primeralabel.com/lx2000_specs.html), 

the LX2000 can print great looking labels.  At the highest settings, you can produce great lookihng labels.  But with 1200 x 600 resolution

(https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Label/ColorWorks-C7500-Inkjet-Label-Printer/p/C31CD84011),  

so can the C7500.  Top is C7500 and bottom is LX2000; both are at the standard settings.  See how the blue in the top of the picture (C7500) is darker, richer.

C7500 (Top) vs LX200 (Bottom) Print Quality Comparison

Ink Cost:

The ink cost in the LX2000 is much higher; but not as much as I expected for this artwork at normal settings.  Using this label artwork, the LX2000 ink cost is estimated at $0.069/label versus $0.049/label for the C7500.  $0.02/label more. These estimates are at normal settings.  To get a higher print quality, many companies would be forced to run the LX2000 at a higher print quality setting.  Therefore, I believe in reality the ink cost difference would be much higher.

LX2000 Ink Cost/ 4" x 6" Label

C7500 Ink Cost/4" x 6" Label

Yield per cartridge.

LX2000 vs C7500 Ink Cartridge Comparison

The LX2000 ink cartridge is much smaller than the C7500.  Therefore, yields are much lower.  In the above example, you would get 1094 labels/LX2000 Cyan cartridge and 9,085/C7500 cartridge.  Almost 9X more.  Magenta and yellow are about the same difference.  Black is only 2X as the black cartridge is larger in the LX2000.

Printhead:

The LX2000 uses consumable printheads.  You’ll need to spend $250+ for a printhead occasionally when printing large volumes.

Speed:

The LX2000 is very slow compared to the C7500.  Watch how long it takes to print one label.  In the video, the printer just finished cutting one label. Overall it took about 5 minutes to print 10 labels for the ink calculation at the normal setting.  At the high print quality setting, the speed would be much slower.

And here is the C7500 printing 10 copies of the same label artwork:

Relatively, the C7500 prints much faster than the LX2000.

Rewind:

The C7500 offers a built in rewinder; the LX2000 does not.  Watch the C7500 print and rewind 100 4” x 6” labels in 1 minute.

Button Push:

The LX2000 uses a series of button pushes that I still don’t understand.  I believe you can get 20+ different actions based on these three buttons.

LX2000 Buttons to Push

Design:

The LX2000 is a HP printhead inside of a metal box. I find the design finicky.  In fact, I cut my finger printing the 10 labels required for the ink calculation.

Inside the LX2000

The inside of the C7500 is well designed; especially the media path which prevents side-to-side movement of the label media.

C7500 Media Path

Label Roll: the LX2000 has a max OD of 6”.  The C7500 has a max OD of 8”.   Larger rolls mean fewer changes and lower label costs.

Support:

You’ll get a lot more support from us.  Here is an example of the type of support we provide that I published earlier:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2017/07/1-solution.html

FULL DISCLOSURE: I find Primera difficult to work with.  For sure, Primera does not want resellers like us as partners as they prefer to sell direct to consumers.  For our customers, we’ll provide technical support; and we’ll help you negotiate the repair processes of our vendors.  We work hard for our customers.

I hope these 10 aspects explain our view of the differences between the C7500 and the LX2000.  I understand hardware cost is important; but you sometimes get more value by investing a bit more money.

If you have questions comparing label printers, call us. We’ll be happy to gain an understanding of your requirements and recommend the best label printing solution for your organization.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com 

New CA Prop 65 Requirements

For those of you doing business in California, have you seen this symbol?

New CA Prop 65 Icon

Beginning August 2018, you will begin seeing this symbol everywhere in California with the implementation of the new Prop 65 warning labels.  Proposition 65 (California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986) was implemented as a so-called right-to-know statute that requires everyone in the chain of commerce to ensure that California consumers receive “clear and reasonable” warnings prior to being exposed to a growing list of chemicals—now numbering more than 900.  In 2018, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has defined “clear and reasonable” to include the above warning symbol.  You’ll notice the difference.

New Prop 65 Label Requirements

To see the latest 900 cancer or reproductive compounds on the list, visit here:

https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/p65single07072017.pdf 

Having worked in the crop protection industry for many years, I recognize many of the compounds.  However, one of the compounds on the list was surprising to me:

Marijuana smoke: 

https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/fact-sheets/marijuana-smoke

With the changes coming to the cannabis business in January, I wonder how this warning will affect labeling prerolls, etc. in California.

Or aspirin:

https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/chemicals/aspirin

A list of all the published fact sheets on each compound are here:

https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/fact-sheets

Also interesting to me, the new Prop 65 labeling requires specific font size for the warning; no smaller than 6 point font and/or no smaller than the largest font for consumer information on the label.  For more specific answers to questions, see this link:

https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/art6businessqa.pdf

You may say this new Prop 65 warning does not apply to us as our company does not sell directly to consumers.  In this situation, the manufacturer of a product that contains a compound on the list must notify their customers of the requirement.  Given the notification requirement, I don’t know if they’ll decide to place the warning on their labels as well.  That’s a question for the regulatory experts inside each company.

For our customers already meeting the requirements for GHS labels, printing this new warning symbol on-demand and in color will not be any big deal.  On our blog, www.colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com,  we have 59 different posts covering GHS.  One of my favorite post covering GHS labels involved NIC Industries:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2016/06/c7500g-whiz.html

And Engineered Lubricants:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2015/01/ghs-needs-erin.html

If you need assistance printing labels for products covered by Prop 65 and/or GHS contact us.  We can help you print color labels on-demand.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com