Digital market scene

21 February 2011



Press installations and technical developments chart digital printing’s progress.


Primera proves positive for Dacar

Dacar Digital Printing is the first large format printing company in Belgium to use the Primera CX1200e digital colour label press. This toner-based label printer is designed especially for the automatic production of short-run labels and tags. Cutting and laminating take place on a Labelfinishing System 1200, a digitally controlled roll-to-roll cutting system that eliminates diecutting of shapes.

Based in Rijkevorsel, Dacar’s label business is growing substantially and the company recently went looking for a fast, reliable and affordable solution for printing and finishing labels. It had been doing this with an inkjet printer and cutting plotter, but this was too slow to keep up with the growing demand.

Head of the company Erik van der Lingen recalls: “We had a number of points on our wish-list. Printing and finishing labels had to take place quickly, fully automatically, demand little or no maintenance and be inexpensive. The image quality had at least to be equal to the quality of the labels we produce with our inkjet printers.

“TA&Co, our house supplier, informed us that Primera had a new label printer that met our needs. However, we would be the first in Belgium to use it. Thanks to the support of TA&Co and Primera, the teething problems were quickly remedied.”

The 1,200dpi resolution of the CX1200e ‘guarantees perfect image quality’, and with a print speed of 5m/min on a width of 210mm, an order of 20,000 medium-sized labels is ready in less than one hour. The standard integrated imposition software is also said to be easy to use. Based on the layout, it determines the best classification for maximum web-occupation. The exact production cost per label is also displayed.

For finishing, the Labelfinishing System 1200 processes material widths to 254mm at 3m/min, matching the speed of the Primera press. It also laminates the labels for extra protection.

Mr van der Lingen enthuses: “The unique feature of this device is that no diecutting shapes are needed, which provides substantial flexibility and cost savings. The PC-controlled cutting machine cuts any theoretical shape, and several shapes in the same job are also possible..”

He concludes: “Thanks to this investment we have a profitable label solution in-house with excellent quality. Label-on-demand has never been easier.”

Scandinavian show for Xeikon’s star performer

Xeikon showcased its flagship 3500 digital label press for the first time in the Scandinavian region at Print 2011, Stockholm, Sweden, this month. In live demonstrations, the ‘most productive digital press in its class for labels and folding cartons’ produced and finished inline a range of store and display packaging and promotional products. The complete industrial production line included the UCoat inline converting unit.

Xeikon launched the 3500 in May 2010, as a solution to the need for more capacity by offering a wider print width up to 516mm.

“The Xeikon 3500 enables the cost-effective production of volumes beyond the 4,000 linear metres using digital technology,” explains Filip Weymans, Business Development Manager Labels & Packaging. “Before, digital printing still had capacity limitations compared with traditional label printing, and we filled this productivity gap. Plus the press is opening up new application opportunities with the same proven quality of our Xeikon 3000 Series presses in diverse market segments.”

Capable of handling web widths from 250mm up to 516mm and printing at a speed of 19.2m/min – regardless of the number of colours used or the size of labels – the 3500 label press is claimed to be almost twice as productive as the closest competitor system.

Equipped with a high-precision LED-based imaging head, the system features the ‘unique’ combination of 1,200dpi resolution and 4 bit variable dot density. The result is said to be an excellent image quality with vibrant colours, sharp details and subtle contrast for high-impact labels.

Like all Xeikon 3000 Series presses, this model is capable of printing on an extensive range of substrates including self-adhesive films, unsupported film, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard with weights ranging from 40 to 350g/m2.

Epson entry is short-run surety

At IPEX 2010, Epson launched the SurePress L-4033A, a ‘highly versatile’ short-run digital press designed to meet the growing demand for fast turnaround, low volume, and multiple version label jobs.

The SurePress is aimed at label converters taking the first steps into digital printing or expanding their existing digital printing capacity, as well as general commercial printers looking to add digital label printing to their portfolio of services. It prints on papers and film up to 330mm wide and at speeds up to 5m/min.

Web system suits security printing

Security printers are promised increased productivity and ‘guaranteed zero error rates’ with the Digiline Web 300 system from Atlantic Zeiser. The modular, fully integrated system is claimed to print results comparable to offset in terms of quality and production speed.

The Digiline Web is said to be ideal for printers needing to code and serialise tax labels, lottery and event tickets, or travel tickets and labels. The complete system comprises a modular continuous feed unit, digital inkjet printers, curing technology, control units with an ink supply, and a camera-based verification system with an automatic splice station that detects, marks and splices printing errors within the production process.

Modular design ensures that configurations for various applications can be set up according to requirements, even with late stage customisation and just-in-time production.

Metallic ink capability

Color-Logic has released a digital version of its process metallic printing system. Previously available only for offset litho, the system enables licensed printers to produce ‘striking metallic effects’ on certain digital presses produced by HP Indigo and Xeikon.

Color-Logic Director of Sales and Marketing Mark Geeves comments: “The digital version has undergone extensive testing by several digital printers and has produced outstanding results on labels, folding cartons and collateral literature printed digitally on several different press models.”


Xeikon 3500 Epson SurePress

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Xeikon
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Color Logc

Epson SurePress Epson SurePress
Xeikon 3500 Xeikon 3500


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