Label Expo 2018

Last week, I attended Label Expo 2018 in Rosemont, IL (https://www.labelexpo-americas.com/)  and saw 3, relatively new, label printer ideas that I wanted to share with you.

First, Neuralabel introduced their newly available, straight paper path version of the 300x.

Straight Paper-Path 300x

With this version, the paper path changes from having 3 turns to straight through.  In the previous version, labels may pre-dispense (come off the liner) and get stuck inside.  If the label was synthetic so it would not rip, no big deal.  If the label was paper, it was almost impossible to remove the shredded label.  This change makes the 300x much more usable.  Watch it print fanfold labels here:

(FYI: you may notice the paper path is opposite from the previous version as well).

In addition, Neuralabel has developed a very unique solution for fixing plugged inkjet nozzles: cleaning solutions:

300x Inkjet Nozzle Cleaning Solution

According to Neuralabel, the cleaning solution can fix simple plugged nozzles.  Having dealt with this issue many times in the past, I think this simple solution is a great idea.  It could cure a major portion of the service calls around inkjet label printers. 

The new straight paper path 300x offers high resolution, and very fast printing.  And the new 300x does not require the operator to move the printer when changing print widths.  This printer costs about $10,000, and still requires blackmarks on the labels (no gap sensor).  Further, I still have concerns about printing full-bleed as it requires .25” gaps.

I see the 300x as a good option for chemical companies wanting to upgrade the print quality and speed of their GHS label printers.

Second, I saw again the latest prototype of the Okidata LED-based label printer.

QL-300 LED Label Printer

Okidata has selected AstroNova to sell this printer in North America; and will sell it under the model number QL-300. 

Okidata has solved some of the key issues with LED/laser printers with this new technology:  Wasted labels on every print job, large label minimum widths and lengths and color registration.  With this printer, you can print down to a 4” minimum batch length with down to .5” minimum label length.  And it prints down to a 1” minimum width.

QL-300 LED Label Printer

But the big reason to use this new printer is the availability of white toner, matte black color and the ability to print various materials including foil labels.  White toner, deep blacks and good results on foils, clear films and vinyl will make this new printer fit many customers. 

Silver Foil and Clear Film Printed on the QL-300

AstroNova has yet to announce the price of the printer, but has said the toner cost per label will be comparable to existing inkjet. I still need to test to insure the actual results match the claims; and I hope to get one in the 1^st quarter of 2019.

Finally, I got the chance to study the Trojan T2C, the first available “Mini-Press”.

T2C Mini Press

During this deep dive, I learned three key aspects of this Memjet-based press.  First, the printer has only one consumable item in addition to the ink: a cleaning roller.  It makes this version of Memjet printers easier to maintain.

Second, the T2C uses 8 liters of ink:

T2C Uses 8 Liters of Ink

That’s a lot of ink and labels; and a lower ink cost than most other on-demand color label printers.  It may be the lowest ink cost per label!

Third, I found the new Niagara ink from Memjet, Purell resistant:

Purell Resistant Memjet Ink

In addition, I tested the ink once I returned with 70% IPA on gloss paper.  And it withstood the IPA fairly well.  After soaking for about 1 hour, the ink did smear slightly.  No bad for paper and dye-based inks; and a big deal for companies needing alcohol resistance on their labels.

Alcohol Durable, Dye-Based Memjet Ink

The T2C costs about $30,000; therefore, this printer is designed for companies printing thousands per batch.  You can pay $40,000 and save about 33% on all future ink purchases as another option.

After Label Expo 2017, I wrote about the T2C and the Okidata LED printer:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2017/09/label-expo-europe-2017.html

And here is the summary of Label Expo 2016:

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

And Label Expo 2014:

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

And Label Expo 2012 #1:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2012/09/label-expo-1-epson-family.html

And Label Expo 2012 #2:

http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2012/09/label-expo-2-more-merrier.html

Things have changed in the last 6 years.  Some printers have hit it big; and other not so much.

Let me know if any of these ideas presented in this summary of Label Expo 2018 could fit your business.  Look forward to hearing your feedback.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com

Holy Grail

For a long time, I’ve been searching for the holy grail of on-demand color label printing; and I think I’ve found it.

Not the famed cup; rather alcohol resistant gloss label media.  And I use the word “media” as it’s more than a gloss synthetic, rather others as well.  Let me tell you what I’ve found.

First, water and alcohol resistant Gloss Poly.

C7500G Alcohol-Resistant Gloss Poly

I received this week, a few 8.5” x 11” samples of a new gloss poly label which should become available next month.  I printed not only the samples using the C7500G (see above-I thought they printed great), but also tested them in water.

Water Resistant Gloss Poly

After running them in water, I tried to rub off the ink; and found no smudging.  Currently, we have splash resistant gloss poly; but not bullet-proof water-resistant gloss poly.  This material seemed to perform better.

In addition, I poured 50% IPA on the gloss poly; and found none of the ink came off:

Gloss Poly with IPA/Alcohol

These results are exciting to me.  After testing probably 50 to 100 different gloss poly materials, I think I found a material that is actually resistant to alcohol.  I’m sure that if you rubbed the material sufficiently hard, you may get different results.  But this version of the material appears much more resistant to alcohol.

This new gloss poly should work well in applications such as medical devices and GHS where alcohol resistance is required.  In addition, the material should work well in applications with liquids where more durable water resistance is required.  This new label should help many different companies.

In addition to the gloss white synthetic labels, I tested a new clear film label:

C7500G Printed Clear Film

I thought this new material printed great!  In addition, this material seemed water proof as the ink did not smudge after soaking for some time:

Water-Resistant Clear Film

And this material was resistant to 50% IPA as well:

Alcohol-Resistant Clear Film

The alcohol made the material curl, but the ink would not come off with easy rubbing.  Again, I can imagine that this material would not resist all attempts to remove the ink; but the initial tests are very encouraging.

This new clear film would seem to fit applications where a more durable clear film is required; beverages, devices and even some chemicals.

Finally, I tested an inkjet coated silver which is another material we searched for over the years.  We did sell some silver, but it was expensive and the ink came off easily in water and alcohol.

Not only did this silver film print great,

Inkjet Coated Silver Film

 But the material was water resistant:

Water-Resistant Silver Film

And 50% IPA resistant as well:

IPA Resistant Silver Film

As my IPA tests do not follow a specific protocol (I basically poured IPA on them and rubbed), you may see different results.  But I’m encouraged by what results I did achieve.

Silver film should fit higher value markets: such as cannabis and cosmetics.  It’s a great new material to utilize.

As background, I printed each of these labels using a C7500G given all three of these materials had a glossy finish.  C3500 and other pigment color label printers may have slightly different findings.  Once I get more materials, I’ll test them using dye-based inks as well.

Based on my discussions with the manufacturers, these new materials should be available next month.  I hope to start selling them shortly.

One potential watchout: I don’t have pricing as yet.  As with all new products, these labels could be expensive.  So we’ll need to compare how our existing gloss, film and silver labels compare both in terms of performance and cost for each of our customers.

I think these results are a big deal.  It’s not the holy grail, but something we’ve been searching for a long time.  If you want durable gloss poly, clear film or silver film, contact us to discuss how these new labels fit into your operation.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com 

14ers

14er Boulder, http://www.14ercannabis.com/#, produces the highest quality, most novel and pure cannabis flowers, extractions, and genetics found anywhere in the world.

According to Dan Seidman, Operations with 14er Boulder, “for a long time, we have worked hard to develop and grow the best strains possible, including many different hybrids.”

After visiting 14er’s operation, I can tell you that I was impressed; brand new and very clean operation.  14er has one of the best facilities in the cannabis business that I’ve seen.

When 14er first contacted me a long time ago, they were having issues with a C3500 label printer that was purchased elsewhere.  Although I don’t recall the specific issue, we solved the problem quickly and began selling 14er labels and ink.  We even began producing for them a custom size label for their nitrogen packed cans:

14er Label Design

And it wasn’t long after we started shipping ink and labels, 14er upgraded to a C7500.  According to Dan, “the C7500 is a beast and very important to our operation.  In fact, the C7500 has become a critical part of our operation.  Using Nicelabel, I’ve designed all of our artwork; which makes all of our product labels easy to print.”

C7500G 

And you can purchase a C7500 also here:  https://colorlabelsolutions.com/product/c7500-inkjet-label-printer/

 And after purchasing the C7500, we had to change the design of 14er’s labels.  As the C7500 has a ~2” minimum width and 14er places the rolls on an applicator, we had to shift the narrow label to 1 side.  This change enabled the printing and application of a narrower label.

14er N2 Can Labels

As a regular reader of this blog, you may remember an earlier post with similar issues around placement of a narrow label on wider liner to apply with an applicator: http://colorlabelsondemand.blogspot.com/2017/07/1-solution.html

14er Product Labels

Working with good people like Dan and 14er’s is why I started Color Label Solutions; and makes me happy.  Contact us if we can support your label operations as well.

Guy Mikel

855-962-7670

info@colorlabelsolutions.com