Label-on-demand

WITH THE PRIMERA CX1200e DIGITAL COLOR LABEL PRESS

acar Digital Printing, based in Rijkevorsel, is the first large format printer company in Belgium that has had the Primera CX1200e Digital Color Label Press for the past number of months. This toner-based label printer is extremely suited for the completely automatic production of short-run labels and tags. Cutting and laminating take place with the help of a Labelfinishing System 1200. This digitally controlled roll-to-roll cutting system makes die-cutting shapes superfluous and laminates labels for extra protection against scratches.

Dacar Digital Printing is a ‘genuine’ family firm. Fons van der Lingen, his wife Connie and sons Erik and Dennis each have their specific task within the company. The firm offers a series of services, ranging from lettering, printing boards and panels to car-wrapping, stickers and labels. The label business in particular is growing substantially and the company recently went looking for a fast, reliable and primarily affordable solution for printing and finishing labels. By then this was still being done with an inkjet printer and cutting plotter, but this solution was too slow and work-intensive to keep up with the growing demand for labels.

Fast and fully-automated

Erik van der Lingen offers a further explanation: “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 to use. The image quality had at least to be equal to the quality of the labels which we produce with our inkjet printers. TA&Co, which was already our house supplier, informed us that Primera would bring a new label printer that met our needs in the market. However, we would be the first in Belgium, so there was not much experience with this new printer. In practice there were a number of features open to improvement, but thanks to the support and TA&Co’s and Primera’s attentive ear, these teething problems were quickly remedied.” The resolution of 1200 dpi guarantees perfect image quality and with a print speed of 5 m/minute on a width of 210 mm, an order of 20,000 medium-sized labels is ready in less than one hour. The standard enclosed imposition software is also an example of ease-of-use. Based on the layout it determines the best classification for maximum web-occupation. The exact production cost per label is also displayed for a predictable price calculation.

Any type of cutting

Fast printing is one thing, but you still have to get it finished on time. To do this, Dacar invested in a Labelfinishing System 1200. This innovative roll-to-roll cutting system processes material widths to 254 mm at a speed of 3 m/minute and thus fits perfectly in with the Primera CX1200e. Dennis van der Lingen: “The unique feature of this device is that no die-cutting 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. Once calibrated, which incidentally takes place completely automatically, you no longer have to look after things. Laminating labels at the same time is also possible and we do this always to increase scratch-resistance. But you don’t have to take other steps for better light-authenticity, because a three-year warranty is more than sufficient for the average customer.” Thanks to the inexpensive purchasing price, linked to low operating costs, stability and ease of use, the Primera CX1200e Digital Color Label Press and the Labelfinishing System 1200 are the ideal solution for the fully automated printing and finishing of short-run, full colour labels. Fons van der Lingen concludes: “Thanks to this investment we have a profitable label solution in-house with excellent quality. Label-on-demand has never been easier.”