The company demonstrated a range of workflow software solutions from Esko, and digital label print and cut technology from Primera and Mimaki at Label Summit Africa 2012, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 19-20 March 2012. The applications and processes demonstrated by GSW were of particular relevance to visitors, interested in learning more about the growing trend towards incorporating digital technology into label and print production.
Software expert Celal Cilingiroglu from Esko was on hand, performing live demonstrations of various software capabilities. The world-renowned Esko software heralds a new era in packaging design, prepress, colour management, proofing and more, to improve efficiency, save time and cut costs. The Esko software is so popular for packaging and label production, it is used worldwide, with 88% of all packaging being ‘touched’ by an Esko workflow solution. Whether for digital production of labels, offset, flexo, gravure or screen-printing methods, Esko solutions help to optimise cost, streamline workflows and improve quality and consistency.
Esko have mastered label and tag pre-production: from design over prepress and workflow automation, proofing and colour up to the printed job, and beyond. Also on the stand was Mimaki’s CJV30 large-format digital printer cutter machine, run by colour-critical RIP specialist ColorGATE. The CJV30 Series provides an excellent solution for small run label printing together with the ColorGATE RIP software, which includes features such as barcode creation, personalisation and silver ink handling. The CJV30-60 machine on the GSW stand, equipped with eco solvent metallic ink, demonstrated high quality label printing and cutting with stunning metallic effects.
Available in four sizes (60cm, 100cm, 130cm, and 160cm), the CJV30 series offers users a complete high performance print and cut solution. The product range is packed with highly reliable features, such as high-speed continuous crop mark detection, Mimaki’s original Half-Cut function, integrated print and cut capabilities, superior media handling and unattended print features. The affordable CJV30 wide format printer/cutters achieve stunning results across a wide range of applications in addition to label printing, including signs, banners, posters, vehicle graphics and wraps and packaging prototypes.
Roberto Franco, Managing Director of GSW said, This is our third time exhibiting the Mimaki CJV30 printer cutter solely for label printing at a show and the brand is really beginning to resonate with the market as the adoption of digital wide format inkjet for label printing begins to gather momentum. The Label Summit expo was very busy and we got many strong leads because people really are keen to look at new ways of doing things and reduce costs with more efficient working.
The star of the show was the Primera label printing range. Primera Technology, Inc., a leading manufacturer of digital colour label presses and colour label printers, is a frontrunner in the market for short run label printing solutions, and is currently the most affordable and flexible way to produce labels. Digital full-colour label printing has a wealth of significant benefits but until now, digital label presses have been an expensive investment in both time and money. Primera identified this gap in the market and provided simpler, more cost-effective solutions.
Primera’s LX Series Color Label Printers utilise the latest in thermal inkjet technology to produce full colour product labels at up to 4800 dpi – about 240 times higher resolution than flexo. Colour inkjet is typically better suited to short runs versus medium runs since ink capacities are lower and speeds are slower. However, print quality is not at all sacrificed. In fact, colour inkjet printing is among the best available of any competing technology.
GSW offers a range of solutions for customers who are already in digital label and packaging production, or are looking to enter the market. Small desktop label printers such as the Primera LX Series, provides a perfect low-cost entry solution into the label printing industry. Starting from around R8000 including software, you can start printing labels immediately, with no training or installation required, said Franco.
For the short to medium run colour laser printing jobs, Primera offer the CX1200e digital colour label printing press and FX1200e digital cutting, finishing and laminating unit. Primera’s CX1200 Digital Colour Label Press is the leading product in the category of colour laser label printers. Using a straight paper path, it eliminates virtually all of the issues previously associated with the technology for printing onto self-adhesive label materials.
The CX1200e allows companies to produce labels that rival the cost and quality of virtually any other process, regardless of equipment cost, and it prints at speeds of up to 5m (16 feet) per minute – the fastest in its class. This allows much higher volumes of labels to be printed in a much shorter period of time. Together, the CX1200e and FX1200e give any company the ability to produce their own high-quality, low-cost labels at speeds that satisfy almost any short-to-medium label run requirements.
The Primera label printers on the GSW stand produced a great deal of samples of interesting and unique labels to engage visitors and demonstrate the quality of the Primera label printing.
