SWITCHING TO DIGITAL LABEL PRINTING
switching to digital label printing a step by step guide KicK-starting the digital implementation process Increased demands for low-quantity print jobs, cheaper pricing and faster delivery times have urged traditional label converters to look for alternatives for the traditional flexographic or offset printing press. Digital production means printers can now offer shorter lead and faster delivery times for a wide range of products, at a very competitive price. With this kind of success, it is fair to say that digital label printing has become mainstream. However, this doesn't mean that going digital does not present its own unique challenges. In the following pages we will present a step by step guide for all label printers who are thinking of going digital. You will find a checklist of things to do prior to the arrival of your digital printing press as well as a comprehensive guide containing everything you need to kick-start the implementation process.
1
successfully tackling the digital transformation Switching to digital is an investment in the future of you company that requires careful consideration and planning. It entails a lot more than simply buying a digital printing press – in fact, it will transform your entire company.
With digital printing, your initial focus will probably be on shorter run jobs. No doubt you will be relying on your sales people to leverage your existing customers, but you will need a plan to get business from new customers as well. You will need to find a way to integrate digital printing into an existing converting operation. Using exactly the same systems as you do with your flexo press will result in a lot of wasted time and resources. The trick is to implement the new system from top to bottom – from sales all the way through to rewinding and shipping. Third, incorporating a new technology means finding the right people. If you expect your flexo operator to jump in and operate your new digital press with eas, you will be disappointed. That said, any operator should be able to print digitally in a matter of weeks. The real challenge he or she will be facing is in resolving problems, such as managing colors adequately or integrating finishing options for your digital press. That could take up months. As you can probably tell, you will invest a lot of time and effort into your digital press, but in the end the switch will be worth it. Why? Because with digital label printing you will encounter new business opportunities, cut costs and be more flexible than ever before.
2
step 1: defining your goals Before you start investing in new technology, it is a good idea to list all the things you wish to achieve with your digital press. Try to answer the following question: “Why do I need a digital printing press?”
There are many reasons why a label printer may opt for a digital press. Maybe you want to increase volume, revenue, or profit? Or perhaps you require digital printing for short runs only so your flexo press can focus on long runs? Whichever reason you have, it is important to come up with a plan so your digital press will have enough profitable business to fill the press time.
3
step 2: eXploring the market volume
pricing
Remember that one of the biggest benefits of digital label printing is the ability to produce limited quantities with maximum custom variations at a very low cost! Have you thought about the minimum production volumes your digital press requires to be profitable? Analyzing volumes, can you distinguish any trends? When grouping together, for example, the volume distribution with the total number of jobs, what is your conclusion? Has the demand for complex full color labels increased in recent years?
Are you targeting big or small companies? Wholesalers or resellers? Think very carefully about your pricing model. Keep in mind that resellers will want nice margins on their labels so make sure that you are up for it if you want to gain business.
new business opportunities
customers Next up, your customers. Who are they? In what field are they active? This is essential information that you need to know in advance. Health and beauty labels, for instance, require a one-pass opaque white that is printed in a productive, consistent and affordable way. Not every press is up for that task so make sure to make the right decision beforehand.
4
The digital press might be the perfect reason to explore new grounds and penetrate new markets. Try to come up with answers as to why you are missing out on certain types of business. Does your sales team need to refocus, or are your current presses simply not up for the job?
step 3: substrates and finishing What substrates will run through your digital press? Most substrates need to be specially coated for the ink to adhere properly. Does your substrate vendor offer the materials you have in mind? Alternatively, you could coat the material yourself on a flexo press, although that in itself will involve a lot of trial and error. Furthermore, the substrate used can have a big impact on print quality. Paper labels for wine bottles, for example, require a specific approach preventing the ink from staining. Apart from substrates, there are plenty of print finishes to choose from. Varnishing, embossing, lamination, foil stamping, … Depending on the type of customer and the market you are serving, choose which finishing equipment is right for your business.
3500
5
going digital: checklist Here’s a handy checklist containing everything you need to guarantee a smooth transition into the digital printing world.
step 1: ‘defining your goals’ Why is switching to a digital press necessary for me? What do I want to achieve with my digital press?
step 2: ‘exploring the print marKet’ Analyze printing volumes (volume distribution vs number of jobs) Who are your customers? (size, market, reseller?) Which types of business are you missing out on and why?
step 3: ‘substrates and finishing’ List the label printing materials. Which type of finishing equipment do you need?
6
Xeikon’s digital label presses: the technology of the future for today’s customers In their search for new ways to deal with small print runs of customized and serialized labels, Austria-based Ulrich Etiketten found Xeikon’s digital label presses to be the perfect solution. Since the introduction of the Xeikon CX3 the company has seen a spectacular expansion of capacity.
In other words, going digital doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose out on traditional, long run, print jobs. Digital presses today are well-advanced so they take on virtually any job. It is this type of unrelenting flexibility that is winning over a lot of companies.
“We are seeing customers increasingly demanding short response times and smaller runs,” Rainer Ulrich of Ulrich Etiketten says. “So for us, digital printing is the technology of the future. The overall cost ratio combined with the extremely high printing speed of the Xeikon CX3 encouraged us to invest in the new Xeikon system.” Ulrich Etiketten isn’t an exception. In fact, most traditional label converters switching to digital see an increase in short run jobs, as they discover more of the benefits of digital printing. Some companies, such as CS Labels, ultimately abandoned flexo printing altogether, focusing exclusively on digital. “Over the past few years we have led the way when it comes to helping companies make the switch from traditional flexographic printing to digital, and this technology means that we can make even bigger inroads into a rapidly growing marketplace and changing landscape”, CS Labels’ Managing Director Simon Smith explains. The company believes so firmly in digital technology, they even use it for larger print runs: “We have seen a real growth in demand for larger print runs, culminating with an order for 50,000 linear meters at the end of December 2014 which ended our next record breaking year on another high”, Smith says.
7
how may we help you? As an innovator in digital label printing technology Xeikon designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital color presses with excellent print quality, scoring systematically better than competing products in productivity and cost effectiveness.
3000 series As the largest range of digital label press offerings on the market today, the Xeikon 3000 Series delivers 1200 DPI imaging quality and print on an unrivalled range of substrates without pre-coating or pre-treatment. Based on full-rotary printing technology with variable repeat length press, speeds are not affected by label size and/or the number of colors used.
toners Xeikon’s QA-I toner has been specifically developed based on the requirements of label and packaging converters. Innovative, market-driven research and development ensures it is continually improved, so the Xeikon users can meet ever-rising quality and productivity standards.
total solutions Xeikon also offers total solutions that respond to the need for application-dedicated printing lines. In collaboration with our Aura Partner Network we have developed a set of solution suites for some of the fastest growing digital printing niches: Self-Adhesive Label Suite Heat transfer Label Suite In-Mold Label Suite
service At Xeikon we think service is an integral part of what we do. Therefore, we offer guidance and advice throughout the entire purchasing process – beginning to end. The goal? Making sure you aren’t missing out on business opportunities when switching to digital. To guarantee a smooth transition process we develop an implementation process that meets your specific needs. This plan can include pre- and post-finishing equipment as well as specific software and hardware developments.
Find out more about our service here.
8
1
successfully tackling the digital transformation Switching to digital is an investment in the future of you company that requires careful consideration and planning. It entails a lot more than simply buying a digital printing press – in fact, it will transform your entire company.
With digital printing, your initial focus will probably be on shorter run jobs. No doubt you will be relying on your sales people to leverage your existing customers, but you will need a plan to get business from new customers as well. You will need to find a way to integrate digital printing into an existing converting operation. Using exactly the same systems as you do with your flexo press will result in a lot of wasted time and resources. The trick is to implement the new system from top to bottom – from sales all the way through to rewinding and shipping. Third, incorporating a new technology means finding the right people. If you expect your flexo operator to jump in and operate your new digital press with eas, you will be disappointed. That said, any operator should be able to print digitally in a matter of weeks. The real challenge he or she will be facing is in resolving problems, such as managing colors adequately or integrating finishing options for your digital press. That could take up months. As you can probably tell, you will invest a lot of time and effort into your digital press, but in the end the switch will be worth it. Why? Because with digital label printing you will encounter new business opportunities, cut costs and be more flexible than ever before.
2
step 1: defining your goals Before you start investing in new technology, it is a good idea to list all the things you wish to achieve with your digital press. Try to answer the following question: “Why do I need a digital printing press?”
There are many reasons why a label printer may opt for a digital press. Maybe you want to increase volume, revenue, or profit? Or perhaps you require digital printing for short runs only so your flexo press can focus on long runs? Whichever reason you have, it is important to come up with a plan so your digital press will have enough profitable business to fill the press time.
3
step 2: eXploring the market volume
pricing
Remember that one of the biggest benefits of digital label printing is the ability to produce limited quantities with maximum custom variations at a very low cost! Have you thought about the minimum production volumes your digital press requires to be profitable? Analyzing volumes, can you distinguish any trends? When grouping together, for example, the volume distribution with the total number of jobs, what is your conclusion? Has the demand for complex full color labels increased in recent years?
Are you targeting big or small companies? Wholesalers or resellers? Think very carefully about your pricing model. Keep in mind that resellers will want nice margins on their labels so make sure that you are up for it if you want to gain business.
new business opportunities
customers Next up, your customers. Who are they? In what field are they active? This is essential information that you need to know in advance. Health and beauty labels, for instance, require a one-pass opaque white that is printed in a productive, consistent and affordable way. Not every press is up for that task so make sure to make the right decision beforehand.
4
The digital press might be the perfect reason to explore new grounds and penetrate new markets. Try to come up with answers as to why you are missing out on certain types of business. Does your sales team need to refocus, or are your current presses simply not up for the job?
step 3: substrates and finishing What substrates will run through your digital press? Most substrates need to be specially coated for the ink to adhere properly. Does your substrate vendor offer the materials you have in mind? Alternatively, you could coat the material yourself on a flexo press, although that in itself will involve a lot of trial and error. Furthermore, the substrate used can have a big impact on print quality. Paper labels for wine bottles, for example, require a specific approach preventing the ink from staining. Apart from substrates, there are plenty of print finishes to choose from. Varnishing, embossing, lamination, foil stamping, … Depending on the type of customer and the market you are serving, choose which finishing equipment is right for your business.
3500
5
going digital: checklist Here’s a handy checklist containing everything you need to guarantee a smooth transition into the digital printing world.
step 1: ‘defining your goals’ Why is switching to a digital press necessary for me? What do I want to achieve with my digital press?
step 2: ‘exploring the print marKet’ Analyze printing volumes (volume distribution vs number of jobs) Who are your customers? (size, market, reseller?) Which types of business are you missing out on and why?
step 3: ‘substrates and finishing’ List the label printing materials. Which type of finishing equipment do you need?
6
Xeikon’s digital label presses: the technology of the future for today’s customers In their search for new ways to deal with small print runs of customized and serialized labels, Austria-based Ulrich Etiketten found Xeikon’s digital label presses to be the perfect solution. Since the introduction of the Xeikon CX3 the company has seen a spectacular expansion of capacity.
In other words, going digital doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose out on traditional, long run, print jobs. Digital presses today are well-advanced so they take on virtually any job. It is this type of unrelenting flexibility that is winning over a lot of companies.
“We are seeing customers increasingly demanding short response times and smaller runs,” Rainer Ulrich of Ulrich Etiketten says. “So for us, digital printing is the technology of the future. The overall cost ratio combined with the extremely high printing speed of the Xeikon CX3 encouraged us to invest in the new Xeikon system.” Ulrich Etiketten isn’t an exception. In fact, most traditional label converters switching to digital see an increase in short run jobs, as they discover more of the benefits of digital printing. Some companies, such as CS Labels, ultimately abandoned flexo printing altogether, focusing exclusively on digital. “Over the past few years we have led the way when it comes to helping companies make the switch from traditional flexographic printing to digital, and this technology means that we can make even bigger inroads into a rapidly growing marketplace and changing landscape”, CS Labels’ Managing Director Simon Smith explains. The company believes so firmly in digital technology, they even use it for larger print runs: “We have seen a real growth in demand for larger print runs, culminating with an order for 50,000 linear meters at the end of December 2014 which ended our next record breaking year on another high”, Smith says.
7
how may we help you? As an innovator in digital label printing technology Xeikon designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital color presses with excellent print quality, scoring systematically better than competing products in productivity and cost effectiveness.
3000 series As the largest range of digital label press offerings on the market today, the Xeikon 3000 Series delivers 1200 DPI imaging quality and print on an unrivalled range of substrates without pre-coating or pre-treatment. Based on full-rotary printing technology with variable repeat length press, speeds are not affected by label size and/or the number of colors used.
toners Xeikon’s QA-I toner has been specifically developed based on the requirements of label and packaging converters. Innovative, market-driven research and development ensures it is continually improved, so the Xeikon users can meet ever-rising quality and productivity standards.
total solutions Xeikon also offers total solutions that respond to the need for application-dedicated printing lines. In collaboration with our Aura Partner Network we have developed a set of solution suites for some of the fastest growing digital printing niches: Self-Adhesive Label Suite Heat transfer Label Suite In-Mold Label Suite
service At Xeikon we think service is an integral part of what we do. Therefore, we offer guidance and advice throughout the entire purchasing process – beginning to end. The goal? Making sure you aren’t missing out on business opportunities when switching to digital. To guarantee a smooth transition process we develop an implementation process that meets your specific needs. This plan can include pre- and post-finishing equipment as well as specific software and hardware developments.
Find out more about our service here.
8
