Design for Best Printing – Better Quality, Better Price

by admin | Nov 16, 2012 | Customers/Examples, Technical

This is a great example of a customer that was willing to work with us to make her labels run as efficiently as possible on press.  By making slight changes, without compromising the design intent, we were able to create a beautiful label that was a joy to print.  Making your design press-friendly allows the job to run faster, with less waste.  This means less waste in the landfill, and a lower price for the customer.

We are lucky to work with many talented designers that aren’t afraid to take our suggestions. 

Before and After

One of the hardest things to do on a label press is to reverse (or knock out) text and images from a 4C photo.  On the left, the swirly white border is actually made by NOT printing any ink in that area – the ink is removed to reveal the white paper underneath.  The problem with this is that if one of the 4 colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK – CMYK) are slightly out of alignment, that beautiful border looks fuzzy.  On a long press run like this, there will always be some slight movement, which requires much more attention from the press operator, more waste, and ultimately a more expensive, lower quality label.

On the Right, the design is much better for printing.  The white border is replaced with a black key-line around the interior of the image to define the edge and also to cover up or ‘trap’ any slight movement in the 4CP image surrounding it.  Further, we were able to replace the red PIZZICATO text with the company logo color, orange.  This color was already in use on press on a third label in this series, so using this color saved the cost of an additional plate and kept the series of labels more consistent.

Before and After

The same general design changes were applied to this label as well.  The job ran perfectly on press, and the customer was pleased with the cost effective, high quality label we produced.

If you want solid advice on how to bring your label vision to reality, in the most efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly way, please call us today.

Let our more than 190 years of combined experience work for you!

Oregon Beer Growler – B.I.N.G. Article – Why Bottle Your Beer?

by admin | Aug 16, 2012 | Customers/Examples, Technical

This month I published an article on behalf of the Beverage Industry Networking Group (B.I.N.G.).  The Oregon Beer Growler is a wonderful new publication that highlights the Oregon Craft Beer industry.  Our group contributes a column each month that talks about the ‘business side’ of running a beverage business.  This month, I made the case for why you should diversify your distribution and not just sell you beer in kegs or at your own brewpub.

Click here to download the full article text in PDF format.  Click here to visit the Oregon Beer Growler online.  Thanks for supporting Craft Beer in Oregon.

Here is a brief summary of the article:

• Everything works a little – you need a mix of marketing tools
• Great Beer labels in the store allow you to show off your logo and build brand awareness
• Bottles allow you to ship your product to other geographic areas to find more customers

Once you decide you want to bottle, be sure to consider these issues:

1. Proper material – specifically designed for a glass bottle
2. Coordinate with your bottling service up front
3. Confirm delivery time – schedules are often very tight
4. Be sure to get the proper government approvals

If you want to learn more about the benefits of bottling, call us today.

Pressure Sensitive Labels are Growing in the Craft Beer Industry

by admin | Aug 16, 2012 | Customers/Examples, Technical

Package Printing Magazine reported in its July 2012 how the many benefits of pressure sensitive (adhesive backed) labels are taking market share away from other label technologies.  Many older breweries that had been using cut and stack wet glue labels (CS/WG) are now moving to roll labels.  Years ago the roll label print quality wasn’t good enough for retail beverage products, so the older brewers didn’t have the option, but now they do,

Here are some of the benefits:

• Better Print Quality
• More Label Materials to Choose From, including foils and clear stocks
• Foil Stamping and Embossing Options
• Improved Line Efficiency
• Elimination of Glue Setup and Cleanup
• More Flexible Applicator Options for fast Bottle Size Changes

The biggest benefit of all, many brewers say, is the ability to run many different SKUs in small quantities.  This is much more practical with roll labels – and as the number of great new beers continues to grow, the quick delivery and fast changeover of roll labels will seem better and better.

If you want to make the move from Cut and Stack labels to rolls, please call us today.