Queensland label printer Rotoprint has installed its first ever digital printer – a new Epson SurePress – as demand for short runs with tight turnaround grows.

The Gold Coast self-adhesive specialist has relied on flexo printers for its 12 years of operation, but as runs get shorter it needed to add different technology to its production.

Managing director Danny Bogatie says the search for a digital machine began in response to customer demand for shorter runs at cost effective prices, particularly when launching new products in low volumes.

“Our current flexographic process is most economical for longer runs, and so we were looking for a digital solution that could save our customers on set-up costs.

“We looked at a number of digital machines and the Epson SurePress L-4033A was a clear cut winner from the start.

“Buying the machine was going to be a major investment on our part and we did a lot of research to ensure we were getting the best machine to meet our needs.”

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Bogatie says stand out features for the SurePress are colour accuracy, its ability to handle short runs economically with no click rate restrictions, and colour and data manipulation features.

Bogatie says the kicker for Rotoprint, which provides full colour printing, laminating, varnishing and custom diecut labels to customers in the beverage, food and health supplements industries, was the printer’s ability to print short runs at an attractive cost.

“The SurePress L-4033A has opened up a whole new business opportunity for us. We were not able to offer this service to our customers before, particularly new customers, who often want to start off with a smaller volume,” he says.

“Now we use the SurePress L-4033A for this short-run work and turn it around for them incredibly fast at a great price.”

Bogatie says the ability to do variable data on the L-4033A is also opening new market areas for Rotoprint. “We can now offer our customers the option within a short production run to have a number of variations on their label, such as different flavours, without them incurring the setup costs of multiple production runs,” he says.

“The SurePress has the ability to personalise individual labels with variable data and it is helping us build great relationships with new customers who then go on to use us for their longer production runs as well.”

Another unexpected advantage is the synergy between the short-run capability of the SurePress with Rotoprint’s long-run flexographic machinery.

“Typically there would be a big variance in label appearance when switching from a digital machine to a flexographic process but with the colour coding features of the SurePress L-4033A, differences are minimal,” he says.

“In addition, our existing paper stock can be used on the SurePress without needing to be coated as is usually the case with other digital machines.”

The L-4033A does not require a full-time operator; he says, “We set the printer to the specifications required and go off to do other work. The job is done to perfection when we return.”

The machine uses SurePress AQ Ink, which consists of pigment colour particles coated with a high-density resin that Epson says promote quick drying and strong bonding to uncoated and coated paper and film substrates.

It says AQ Ink was developed to improve image quality above analogue printed labels, maintain water fastness and rub resistance, and is engineered to dry quickly to increase productivity.

The six colour aqueous pigment ink set – cyan, magenta, yellow, green, orange, black and matte black –  provides a wide colour gamut capable of reproducing specific corporate and natural colours.

The L-4033A has 15 six-colour print heads that produce thousands of labels per hour aiming to create smooth tonal gradations, remarkable colour and sharp detail for easy barcode readability, plus crisp small type and line work.

The heads use Epson’s Variable-sized Droplet Technology (VSDT) for smooth tonal gradations and accurate colours, and to help improve print speed over large single colour areas.

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