The Label & Print show is a growing segment of Packaging Innovations
The year’s big print show in Germany may still be some months off, but don’t let those spirits droop, there’s a far more accessible shop window here and now for UK-based brand owners, retailers and converters. Des King looks forward to the Label&Print show.
Print has been allocated a dedicated focus within easyFairs’ Packaging Innovations event for the past six years. What was initially styled the Print for Packaging Zone graduated into becoming the Label&Print show in its own right in 2015, and this February it will boast over 40 exhibitors, plus a healthy sprinkling of additional print companies traditionally located within the larger event, to represent all aspects of the ways in which text and graphics are employed across the retail packaging supply chain.
As a key component of a series of shows-within-a-show under the Packaging Innovations umbrella, Label&Print has been directly instrumental in expanding the event’s visitor base. Whilst the high proportion of brand owners, retailers and marketing creatives regularly attending the NEC show has been its most significant point of differentiation from other print and packaging events, the number of printers and converters visiting has also steadily increased over the past few years; in 2015 accounting for over 11% of the total 6585 registered attendance. It is a proportion that looks likely to further increase this year, despite the event being sandwiched in between two overseas heavyweights within the space of less than nine months: Labelexpo last September and drupa this coming May/June.
‘We set high standards for Label&Print because it’s an area within packaging where there’s just so much scope and so much opportunity, and it’s one that we are committed to growing,’ said event director Gerry Sherwood. ‘Clearly given its timing this year there is an awful lot of demand on many of the equipment and technology suppliers, so it’s particularly pleasing that the take up of exhibition space has been so positive – indeed, we even have a digital press running at the show, which is a first for us at Label&Print – and a response that bodes extremely well as a platform for future expansion.
‘Equally encouraging is the extension of the visitor base across all the key links within the supply chain. The show has always been a strong draw amongst brand owners, retailers and the creative marketing community. We are now also seeing a steadily increasing attendance from within the UK based printing industry – not least converters and PSPs assessing partial migration into the packaging space – which has, of course, always been traditionally under-represented at those major offshore events.’
Show highlights
Visitors planning not to travel outside of the UK for their exhibition fix this year have every possibility of successfully meeting their requirements during the course of two days spent at the NEC on 24 and 25 February. Here are some of the most notable products and services on show:
API (stand K58) In addition to demonstrating its Fresnel Lens PET Laminate – with particular appeal to the premium and luxury end of the market – API will also be showing its new TA cold foil solution. This is available in nine different shades, providing exceptionally fine detail (down to a 3 point font), and has the capability to cover large solid areas and achieve high quality gloss effects for text and graphics across a wide range of substrates.
CS Labels (stand H22) Following a lengthy series of trials on behalf of the online health foods retailer Graze, CS Labels has now formed a separate division to expand its reach into the pouch sector. Whilst the print is being channelled through its Xeikon 3500 press, the actual pouches are being produced by co-exhibitor Nottingham-based Surepack (stand B42). Also new is a direct heat transfer release technology ideal for customised promotional items.
Dantex (stand K30) With an increasing number of converters and PSPs attending the exhibition plus a growing number of brands latching on to the potential benefits of bringing some production in house, the point of entry PicoColour II digital inkjet system (making its UK exhibition debut) has every chance of stealing the show. The press incorporates Xaar printheads that runs at 35 m/min in CMYK mode and delivers 1031 dpi resolution. At an installed cost of around £180,000 on-site sales are a very real possibility.
Epson (stand G30) will be demonstrating a number of its ColorWorks desktop colour label print systems targeted at applications across the manufacturing, logistics, retail and healthcare sectors including the C7500 for colour label printing onto matte media; the C3500, with print speeds of up to 103 mm/sec and individual pigment ink cartridges, and BS5609 compliant for printing GHS chemical labels – as is the industrial-strengthC831for labels up to 203.2 mm width at a running speed of 91.7 mm/sec.
Esko (stand L35) Ease of third-party integration underpins all of Esko’s software solutions, at the heart of which sits the customer-facing WebCenter that specifies packaging requirements, manages packaging assets and oversees the entire design and production process. Other key solutions being demonstrated are Equinox that reduces waste by cutting the number of special inks used for printing packaging; Studio that enables 3D product design to be seen from all angles with a 360-degree rotation facility; and Store Visualizer which shows how the product will fit on the shelf.
Fujifilm (stand H36) As well as showing the Acuity LED 1600 II hybrid printer for prototype packaging and labels, Fujifilm will have the new Flenex FW waterwash flexo plate in focus, along with samples of labels and decals printed with its UVivid Flexo JD UV ink system. The new Flenex plate eliminates the need for solvents in the platemaking process and minimises the number of replacement plate sets required on longer running or repeat jobs.
Gallus (stand M43) In addition to focusing upon its flexo platemaking and mounting technology, and also consumables, Gallus will be marking its second successive showing at the NEC event by focusing attention upon the premium quality of 1200 dpi reproduction achievable via its recently launched DCS340 digital inkjet press. Now commercially available within the UK, the single-pass press has an optimal outputting speed of 50 m/min, and draws on eight colours (including white as standard) supported by the addition of special brand colours and flexo varnishes as required.
Printers and converters made up 11% of the visitors in 2015
Impression Technology Europe (stand H20) will be focusing attention upon its range of small footprint professional inkjet and toner digital label printers including the Vortex and Compress brands, which can be complemented by its range of Eclipse finishing systems.
Label Apeel (stand G24) With a string of ‘best in class’ industry awards added to its bow over the past three years, the Leicester-based label printer is using the show as a platform from which to launch The Apeel Institute: a new initiative aimed at sharing the company’s experience of best practice, creativity, marketing and sales experience. The Institute is all about offering training and mentoring courses to new apprentices and also people already working within the print and packaging industry.
X-Rite (stand L36) Providing complete colour management solutions, X-Rite will be demonstrating ColorCert 2.6, a cloud-based specifications solution that enables an easy exchange of colour data in real time among brand owners, printers and PSPs. Also on show will be PantoneLIVE that gives label and packaging printers the level of colour accuracy brand owners demand while the Pantone Certified Printer Program reviews and analyses every aspect of colour operations.
Xeikon (stand H24) is linking up with co-exhibitor Glossop Cartons (stand D36) to distribute personalised cartons printed on its 3500 digital system. A significant additional point of focus will be on demonstrating examples of work produced on the 330 mm width CX3 press based on Xeikon’s Cheetah technology and with a running speed of 30 m/min.
Other stands to look out for include Alexir Packaging (G38), BFS Pressroom Solutions (H25), Denny Bros (G42), Hamilton Adhesive Labels (M45), Herma UK (G13), Hybrid Software (J38), IST (UK) Ltd (H30), Leading Edge Labels & Packaging (H27), National Flexible (D44), Parkside Flexibles (L55), Royston Labels (E44), Skanem (G34), tesa (J33), The Label Makers (G10), UNI Packaging (D48) and Whitmar Publications (L40).
Listen and learn
Whilst at the show be sure to take some regular breaks away from the stands in order to tune in to the two-day programme of seminars in the Label&Print learnShop theatre.
Not least amongst these is The Flexo Debate (Thursday 25 February, 10.30-11.00) during which a panel of print and pre-press experts including Dave Daniels (technical director National Flexibles), Nick Smith (managing director, Parkside Flexibles), Tim Warner (technical director, MPH) and Steve Donegan (managing director, Graphic Republik) under the guidance of FlexoTech editor Neel Madsen will consider how the industry is meeting the challenges faced in today’s market with demands for faster turnaround, increased print quality, less waste and improved colour management.
Whichever side of the digital vs conventional divide your sympathies (and your investment strategy) lies, be sure not to miss the Big Print Debate straight afterwards, where Andy Abbott (general manager, Dantex UK), John Bambery (chairman, BPIF labels), Douglas Hutt (global packaging manager, SAB Miller) and Marian Stefani (CEO, IPIA) will give their views as to whether analogue can survive in a digital world. Audience participation is an essential component of this popular show fixture, so be sure to have your own questions and comments ready.
And if that wasn’t lively enough, there’ll be yet more debate an hour later when Stefan Casey, business innovation manager at The Retail Institute, leads a panel discussion on the role of print in a changing retail landscape. Taking part are Peter Aldous (Elmwood Design) and Sean Moloney (Sun Automation).
Additional seminars include end-user case study presentations sponsored by Esko, Impression Technology Europe and X-Rite, and a further panel discussion led by the CPI that will demonstrate there being more to corrugated than its retail-ready application.
