Digital Labels
Digital Printing for High-Quality Labels at Low Prices.
Digitally printed labels offer a fast, cost-effective alternative for your customers. Without the need to create plates, digital printing is perfect for small and medium print runs (as low as 100 labels) or when your customers require a quicker turnaround. Digital printing also allows for variable data for printing barcodes, multiple versions or consecutive numbers.
Digital Printing at Genuine Supplies
We can help you build your short run business with our fleet of digital presses including HP Indigo 6900, Colordyne aqueous inkjet and INX UV inkjet equipment. Your customers can benefit from exceptional print quality with up to 7 color process printing and Pantone® matching options. We can provide high-quality, digitally printed labels in almost any length or shape, with thicknesses from 0.5 to 18 pt., up to 13.39" wide. And with our wide variety of face stocks, adhesives, laminates and varnishes, we can provide labels to suit all of your customer’s needs.
Digital printing is perfect for a wide variety of uses. With Genuine Supplies’ digital print options, you can provide your customers:
- High Color Prime Labels: High resolution and clarity for vibrant color, crisp type and photo-realistic imagery.
- Small to Medium Size Label Orders: No setup cost for plates leads to reduced cost-per-unit.
- Unique Shapes: Provide unique shapes with laser or magnetic semi-rotary die-cutting.
- Variable Imaging: Produce labels that include barcodes, personalized verbiage and consecutive numbering.
- Versions: Produce multiple versions of similar labels.
- Test Label Production: Cost-effective samples with no set-up
- Durable Labels: Laminate or UV print on many substrates
- Promotional Labels: Short turnaround and lower quantities for sales or time-sensitive promo labels.
- Flexible Packaging: Combine container and label in one efficient solution.
Our Digital Printing Technologies
HP Indigo Liquid Electrophotography
HP’s proprietary Liquid Electrophotography (LEP) process uses HP ElectroInk, a special electrically charged liquid ink. The electrical charge controls ink placement onto a photoconductor plate. The image is transferred from the plate to a specially designed heated blanket. The image dries completely on the blanket and is then transferred onto the media. The rubbery blanket conforms to the topography of the media so the final image mirrors the texture and sheen of the label stock. The result is very high print resolution and quality regardless of the media.
Inkjet Technology
With inkjet printing, the label image is created when drops of ink are sprayed onto the label stock. Four-color process printing (CMYK) is used to produce a color spectrum. In some instances, it is also possible to create a label using matched PMS ink colors. There are two types of inkjet processes that vary in how the ink dries or is cured:
Hybrid Printing
We utilize a hybrid analog/digital label converting system engineered by Mark Andy and Colordyne. This allows us to add full color digital inkjet printing capabilities to existing flexographic presses. With this system, digital options such as variable printing can be added to flexographic print runs.
Aqueous – In this process, the image is air dried with heat applied to adhere the image to the stock. Not all papers and films are compatible with aqueous printing. The face stock must be receptive to ink which is most often accomplished by using a coated stock or applying a primer during the printing process. The image is often also laminated or varnished to provide additional protection and durability.
UV Inkjet – This process allows for a wider selection of face stocks because the ink is cured to the label stock using exposure to a UV light. This creates a more durable image than aqueous inkjet production.
Die Cutting and Finishing
Laser Die Cutting – With in-line precision laser die cutter, there is no need to create dies. We can produce even complicated shapes literally at the speed of light. Perfect for those unique labels that would have been too costly to produce in the past.
Sheeting – We can sheet labels to create single labels or fan-folded labels instead of a typical label roll.
Traditional and Flexible Rotary Dies – In addition to our laser die cutting capabilities, we are equipped with flexible semi-rotary magnetic dies and a vast collection of traditional dies. No matter what shape label your customer needs, Genuine Supplies can help you provide an affordable die cutting option.
Embellishments and Finishing – Using the Grafotronic DCL2 modular digital finisher, we can enhance your customer’s labels with options including: spot varnishing and color, lamination, cold foil application, and slitting.