Even in the face of a global pandemic, the label industry has not slowed down. If anything, it has speeded up. Consumers have been panic buying since the onset of COVID-19 causing brand owners to be busier than ever, especially in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors. As a result, brand owners’ suppliers have been busier too.
Label manufacturers are producing record numbers of labels and getting them out the door as quickly as they can. In turn, the adoption of Digital Printing has become more important than ever for fast, efficient production as brand owners continue to utilise multiple SKUs and require more variable data printing (VDP) for their labels and packaging.
How does variable data printing work?
Variable data printing (VDP) enables brands to deliver unique, personalised marketing messages to their customers, increases response, provides brand protection and allows traceability of products. This is achieved by digitally printing variable information. Domino's Digital Printing Solutions can print from simple alpha numeric text and sequential numbering, to a wide range of industry standard machine-readable codes and graphics that require high resolution printing at speeds of up to 200m/min. During Covid, the need for printing barcodes, QR codes, sequential numbers for serialisation, track and trace, security, brand protection, and anti-counterfeiting is even more important and critical than ever before.
“COVID-19 has potentially accelerated e-commerce by 5 years,” says Gary Peterson – Variable Data Solutions Manager for Domino North America. “With people working from home and staying at home, the need to purchase items online has grown dramatically. And as families experience the benefits of e-commerce with easy online ordering and delivery to their front door, they are adapting it to their normal routines…much of which will continue even after lockdown restrictions ease up. This e-commerce surge has created an immediate increase for pre-printed barcode labels in the logistics supply chains. Domino’s customers have seen a 40 – 50% increase in demand for variable data label printing and believe this trend will continue,” adds Peterson.
The perfect fit - the Domino K600i digital UV ink jet printer
The Domino K600i is the perfect answer for this need. A tried-and-tested digital UV ink jet printer with hundreds of global installations, the K600i is a proven, trusted and reliable solution for variable data printing.
Available in single bar and dual bar configurations in various widths, the Domino K600i print technology enables label manufacturers to choose the best fit for their need. The K600i prints seamlessly across the entire web-width and can be integrated onto flexo presses, rewinders or finishing systems. The single bar prints at 75m/min (246ft/min), and the dual bar at up to 150m/min (492ft/min) with optimum density, enabling label manufacturers to react to this VDP opportunity and providing profitable, efficient, on-time delivery to their brand owner customers.
What are the most common Variable Data Applications?
- Track products throughout the logistics supply chain
- Traceability for food safety and product authentication
- Shopper engagement and feedback tools / programs
- Loyalty, gaming and marketing campaigns
- Security applications for brand protection, diversion and anti-counterfeiting
What markets are served by variable data?
- Logistics & Reverse Logistics
- Food Safety
- Track and Trace
- Promotional gaming & loyalty
- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Integrations
- Security, anti-counterfeit and brand protection
Learn more about the productivity and quality Domino can deliver
Gary Peterson demonstrates the K600i dual bar, dual speed digital UV ink jet printer. What stands out is the high speed and high quality of the K600i dual bar system and how this can help label manufacturers make more profit whilst meeting customer demands and exceeding expectations. Watch this video and discover how the productivity of this system can benefit your business.
"What we are producing here is a tracking barcode that is commonly used on Amazon packages. We are running it at 600 x 600 dpi resolution at 492 feet per minute. This allows you to produce over 29,000 linear feet per hour. Running that on the 13” wide K600i dual bar enables 650,000 bar codes printed per hour. And the dual bar system is also available in other size configurations. We have a 17.55” wide unit (which would integrate on a 16” press), that will produce over 826,000 bar codes an hour. Also available is a 21.96” wide unit (which would integrate on a 20” press), which will produce over one million bar codes in an hour.”
Peterson concludes, “The Domino K600i dual bar, dual speed unit will allow you to double your production speeds, reduce your hourly cost of operation, allow you to put other jobs on your press with the increased capacity you will have, and most importantly, it will allow you to make more profit on your existing assets.”