New York Label & Box Works Headlines

New York Label Attracts Crowds at EastPack Expo

2011-06-17

�Brand Remedies� Promotional Product Continues Tradition of Innovation

Islandia, New York � One of the highlights of the EastPack trade show held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center June 7�9 was the participation by New York Label & Box Works�. The premier packaging company offered a �Brand Remedies� promotional product to attendees, attracting a great deal of attention. Featuring original artwork and copy that simulates a 19th�century style, the promo has a 21st�century twist, replete with QR code and high-tech labels.

The graphics on the outer folding carton are blue and gold on a white surface, with a profusion of hand-illustrated flowers and retro banners and scrolls. The �Brand Remedies� headline, set against a mortar and pestle graphic, sets the tone for the copy, which is evocative of old-fashioned apothecary products. The labels affixed to the cobalt blue bottle inside represent the specialty services New York Label provides. The multifold label on the cap shows how extended content can be managed within a compact area. An elegant rotary screen label demonstrates the kind of high-end service for which the company has become renowned over the course of its 130-year-plus history. Similarly, the resealable label on the opposite side of the bottle illustrates how New York Label has continued to innovate while staying true to its core standards.

�Apply directly to your product and watch your sales grow!� is prompted within one of the banners, replicating the advertising style that was popular when New York Label was founded in 1878. Elsewhere, customers are urged to improve their brands� �complexion� with a formula that is �efficacious in curing chronic sales and marketing fatigue.� The convincingly vintage effect of the promo is complemented by a QR code on the bottom of the carton, blending tradition and the latest technological advances.

Traffic at the New York Label booth at the EastPack expo was brisk, with many attendees lingering to discuss the wide array of what the promo text refers to as an �unsurpassed blend of packaging services and technologies� offered to manufacturers. Samples of the company�s many products included piggyback, booklet and coupon labels, films and foil stamping. To learn more about New York Label�s specialty services, visit�www.since1878.com�or call (800) 257-2300.

HBA Global Expo: A Successful Event for New York Label & Box Works

2007-10-12

This year, New York Label & Box Works was able to effectively showcase and demonstrate the remarkable release, seal and printing of its new Resealable Label. The top layer of a resealable label can be peeled back to reveal additional content printed inside, and then resealed for future reference. This product proved timely at the show, as the health and beauty sector is experiencing an ever-increasing push to market in many different languages, while still observing stringent governmental requirements to include specific regulatory copy. An official statement released by New York Label & Box Works illuminates its enthusiasm regarding its reception at the show, “We are very pleased with the degree of quality attention our new resealable labels received…We connected with several quality leads, and look forward to continued success from this participation.”Another timely solution that New York Label & Box Works enthusiastically promoted at the show was its folding carton and label combination. Because the company prints both folding cartons and labels, and draws from communicating prepress technology and staff to prepare the files for print, a unique offering of this company is folding cartons and labels that match. This seemingly simple idea can be difficult to achieve when purchasing these printed materials from separate vendors. Submitted by Elizabeth Anselmo, Sales Training & Development, New York Label & Box Works. Elizabeth can be contacted at Liz@nylabel.com.

New York Label & Box Works Welcomes 5th 10" Mark Andy 2200 to the Pressroom!

2007-10-12

To accommodate this new press, which is the fifth addition to the company’s impressive 10” Mark Andy 2200 fleet, and the group’s second eight-color Mark Andy 2200 press, the production team rearranged its existing presses, relocated and revamped its ink department, as well as refinished the shop floor. The company has also installed a special lighting system above the presses to ensure the best on-press color reproduction. Conscious of its employees and environment, all New York Label & Box Works construction meets OSHA specifications.

New York Label & Box Works, an industry leader in the printing of pressure sensitive labels and folding cartons, has successfully conducted business since 1878, which is no small feat in the highly competitive manufacturing industry. Among other factors, New York Label & Box Works attributes its continued success largely to its ability to evolve with and to adapt to the needs of its marketplace. Today’s consumers call for high quality, durable, and lasting products at a reasonable price. To meet these requirements, New York Label & Box Works continues to grow an effective team, expand upon its quality control, introduce innovative products, and invest heavily in advanced software and hardware. The new Mark Andy press is a testament to New York Label & Box Works’ commitment to growth and excellence in product and service.

Submitted by Elizabeth Anselmo, Sales Training & Development, New York Label & Box Works. Elizabeth can be contacted at Liz@nylabel.com.

New York Label & Box Works, Packaging Company, Announces Resealable Labels!

2007-08-15

Islandia, NY, August 2007- New York Label & Box Works, leader in high quality, narrow web, flexographic label printing & offset folding carton printing, is excited to announce its new & improved Resealable Labels. The top layer of a resealable label can be peeled back to reveal content on two inside panels, and then resealed for future reference, thus yielding up to 200% additional print area within the same dimensions.

In its rich 129-year history, New York Label & Box Works has discovered that its secret to lasting success is to not only provide world-class customer service and advance technologically with the industry, but to also be responsive to shifts in market demand. With a growing global economy that compels brands to advertise in several different languages while still adhering to stringent FDA requirements, today’s cosmetic company requires more printable area on its labels without the hassle of increasing the size of its product. Enter New York Label & Box Works’ Resealable label.

New York Label & Box Works’ research and development team invested nearly a year in the creation of its resealable label. The team tested various inks, stocks, adhesives, and release coatings before arriving at the current construction. New York Label & Box Works maintains that this effort has enabled them to produce the most high quality, efficient, and durable product with a special adhesive between the top and inside panels that permits both easy peel away to open and strong enough adherence to close and remain sealed after multiple references to inside copy. Due to the unique composition of this particular resealable, New York Label & Box Works is currently partnering to obtain a patent with its global paper supplier, UPM Raflatac.

In addition to the reasealable labels, an exceptional offering of New York Label & Box Works is the label and folding carton combination. Drawing from the same state-of-the-art prepress department and digital direct-to-plate technology, this company provides labels and folding cartons that match with accurate repeatability. New York Label & Box Works is headquartered in Islandia, NY with an additional label division in S. Hackensack, NJ, a folding carton division in Ronkonkoma, NY, and a design branch out of Manhattan. For additional information, visit www.since1878.com or contact Liz Anselmo in the Islandia office. Obtain samples and learn more at Booth #1570 at the HBA Global Expo.

New York Label Fairs Well at Golf Outing

2007-08-01

Clients, vendors, and staff united for New York Label's fourth annual golf outing at the Hamlet Wind Watch Golf and Country Club in Hauppauge last week. "Relationships are very important in business today. It is great to get everybody together for an enjoyable day," said Chris Freddo, vice president of New York Label. Sponsors of the event included: Kodak, Robert Eckhardt & Co. Accountants, DuPont, Pitman, Mactac, Graphic Paper, Cook, Hall, & Hyde, Avery Dennison/Fasson, and Raflatac/UPM. "I'm proud to be associated with a company that is not only a leader in its field, but so obviously cares about relationships," remarked Mike Martin of Raflatac, lead sponsor for the event.

Attendees enjoyed breakfast and lunch in the Hamlet's dining room, as well as snacks along the course. In addition, each player received a gift and eligibility in a raffle. While it may have rained on other parts of Long Island, the course remained dry and accommodating.

Anatomy of a Label

2007-07-31

Flexography is the preferred method for producing pressure-sensitive labels. The process consists of a series of operations designed to apply a variety of coatings to a continuous moving web or roll of material. The final construction will be made up of a minimum of two or as many as four separate layers that are laminated together.

Pressure-Sensitive Sandwich

The pressure-sensitive product derives its name from the way the adhesive works. Unlike other types of adhesives that form a body with the surface they are applied to through evaporating or absorbing a solvent to form a solid material, pressure-sensitive adhesives stick to the substrate through the use of slight pressure.

The total construction consists of a variety of layers, each with a specific function and purpose. The typical layers include top coating, face stock, primer, adhesive, release coating, release liner, and anti-block coating. For most applications, the material will contain one face stock, adhesive, and release liner. However, in some applications, multiple layers can be added to produce a label on top of a label, or what is called a piggyback product.

Face stock is the term used to describe the label material. It is the portion of the pressure-sensitive construction that will contain the graphics and be applied to the final object. The face stock will always be the layer with the adhesive permanently bonded to it. Face stocks are available in a variety of materials. They can be made from paper, plastic, metal, and specialty materials such as cloth or embossed, metallized foils that give the effect of a prism. The physical requirements of a face stock are dependent on both the end use and converting requirements of the finished label, as well as the need to pull the web through the coater during manufacturing.

Adhesive is the portion that allows the label to adhere to the final object. Adhesives are available in a variety of formulations to provide the desired performance. Pressure-sensitive adhesives are classified in three ways: Coating technology (hot melt, solvent, emulsion), chemistry (rubber-based, acrylic), and the type of adhesive (permanent or removable).

A pressure-sensitive adhesive functions as the name implies. It is generally a soft, viscous material that is sticky to the touch. When applied to a substrate with slight pressure, it will begin to flow into the pores of the surface and develop a specific level of adhesion. Differences in the surfaces of the substrate, the conditions the label is applied under, and the properties of the adhesive will affect the ultimate performance of the label.

Permanent vs. Removable

Pressure-sensitive adhesives may be permanent or removable. A permanent adhesive is designed to adhere to a substrate without edge lifting, which cannot be removed without damaging either the label or the substrate. A removable adhesive is designed to adhere to a substrate without edge lifting, and can be removed without damage to either the label or the substrate.

The definition of a permanent or removable adhesive is clear and understandable; however, classifying an adhesive is not so easy. A variety of factors—including the composition of the substrate, the length of time the label is applied, and the conditions the label is exposed to during its life—affect the performance of the product. In addition, permanence or removablility is a subjective evaluation that can vary from person to person.

In many cases, customers require an adhesive that maintains some short-term ability to be removed before becoming permanent. This is sometimes incorrectly referred to as repositionability, as the label is rarely reapplied. This feature is desirable when labels are misapplied and set aside until, sometimes hours later, it can be removed, and the bottle replaced on the line for processing. The length of time the label remains removable will vary from adhesive to adhesive and from substrate to substrate.

Some adhesives may be further categorized according to special end-use requirements. For example, dairy label adhesives are designed specifically to adhere to polyethylene milk jugs. Freezer-grade adhesives are for substrates that are used on products as cold as -20� F.

Release coating is a material that is applied to the top side of the release liner, which prevents the adhesive from adhering to it. The release coating is a silicone-based material, which is applied either prior to the manufacturing process or in-line with the adhesive coating operation. Release coatings are available in both solvent and solventless versions.

Label application is the process of removing the label from the liner and applying it to the final object. Self-adhesive labels can be applied in a variety of ways. The simplest and sometimes the most practical method is by hand, whereas for high-speed, high-volume applications an automatic applicator may be employed.

Finishing Process

Labels can be finished in rolls, sheets, or fanfolded. As with any printed material, printed labels could be processed in any bindery postpress operations.

Roll labels are often made into master press rolls, which are then run through inspection equipment before packaging into final form. Inspection equipment will wind roll-to-roll, often employing a strobe light and an optical counter to aid the operator. Rewinding can be done either on cores or coreless. Finished rolls of labels can be used manually, or for automatic dispensing. Roll labels can also be placed in dispenser boxes where a label is dispensed by pulling on the liner.

Sheeted labels can be used as inserts to a product, packaged for resale, or for sheet-fed printers. Sheeted labels may be packaged on-press or palletized for later packaging.

Waste around a sheeted label can be removed immediately on press. The critical aspect of sheeted label production is keeping trim and sheeter dust to a minimum. Edge standards need to be established and monitored so that tooling can be replaced when needed.

Fanfolded labels are typically used in a computer printer, where this is the traditional form of print media. Fanfolded labels may also be used in automatic labeling equipment to provide a "non-stop" supply of labels—the lead edge of a fanfolded stack can be taped to the tail edge of the previous stack to extend running.

Unlocking Your Potential

2007-06-21

Current economic conditions and the implications of 9/11 have combined to create a pessimistic business climate in many areas of the printing industry, at least in the short term. Such a climate breeds considerable uncertainty and anxiety regarding a business’s future growth and success. During the past few years, the printing industry has experienced difficult times. Overseas competition, rising production costs, and over-capacity are just some of the challenges facing the industry today. How should we react when facing these pressures and negativity? Learning to handle defeat and set back is a key factor in the success of your career. The question is, why do some people give up when they have a set-back, while others keep positive and work through it? Why do some people remain successful in difficult times, while others are not?

Most people start out in life with talents and abilities that are just average. Most, who achieve great success in some field, do it by developing their nature talents and abilities to a very high degree in a special area of interest. To get something great out of ourselves, we must work on our special talent or interest.

A person with average inborn attributes and average acquired attributes can still perform at a higher level if they have a very positive mental attitude. What is a positive mental attitude? It is a way of responding to life.

You can tell the type of attitude you have by observing how you react when things go wrong. Your attitude is determined by your expectations. If you expect things to go well, you will have a positive attitude. If you believe something positive is going to happen today, your attitude will be positive and optimistic. You will be primed for success.

Self-Concept
There is a direct relationship between your self-concept and your level of effectiveness. Our self-concept is made up of three parts. The first is your self-ideal. The description of the person you would most like to be. This is made up of all the qualities you like and admire in yourself and other people. High performing men and women have very clear self-ideals toward which they are striving.

The second part of self-concept is your self-image. Self-image is the way you see yourself in your minds eye, and the way you think of yourself minute by minute.
The third part of self-concept is self-esteem. This is how you feel about yourself. It is the foundation quality of high performance and personal effectiveness. Your level of self-esteem is determined by how valuable and competent you feel.

While current economic conditions and implications of 9/11 have combined to create pessimism in the printing industry, how we react can greatly affect the outcome. Will you be positive and take responsibility during tough times or will you cave into challenges? The choice is yours.

New York Label & Box Works Steps Up Its Quality Program

2007-05-01

New York Label & Box Works, industry leading flexographic label and folding carton company, has brought in Deming-based consultant, Kelly Allan and his team to insure continued customer and employee satisfaction as well as foster positive results for the company as a whole. Kelly Allan, whose client base also includes successful car manufacturer Toyota, has studied the philosophy of Dr. Deming in detail and found it to be quite effective in improving company performance and driving desirable results. It is not uncommon to hear Dr. W. Edwards Deming referred to as �The Father of the Quality Revolution,� for the lasting lessons he developed when he revolutionized the manufacturing industry in post-war Japan.

Through its 129-year history, New York Label has evolved to stay current in an ever-changing marketplace. With any advancement, there comes a point where a company must decide what to bring forward and what to leave behind. Relying on positive results of comprehensive research, the growing Quality Team at New York Label has decided to carry forward the Deming philosophy it has referenced for a number of years. With the guidance of Kelly Allan�s team, New York Label hopes to continue to improve quality and production, and continue to provide and improve upon its great customer service.

New Multi-Seal Extended Content Label

2007-04-02

New York Label Box Works is a dynamic label, tag, and box printing company, boasting an over-a-century-long history. Aged, but not a dinosaur, New York Label discovered many years ago that longevity in any industry is a challenge demanding constant evolution and growth, two characteristics that require an efficient, knowledgeable and creative group of employees. The New York Label & Box Works team is a group of over 80 individuals fitting this description, and committed to a common goal: delighting the customer. As Steven Haedrich, third-generation president of New York Label, recollected at a recent company luncheon, "My father hit the nail on the head when he told me, 'The customer is the most important element of the equation.'" Drawing from this successful school of thought, New York Label keeps customer needs in the foreground of all company decisions.

One method of delighting the customer that has yielded motivating results is New York Label's dedication to evolving technologically with the industry. Through steady investments in state-of-the-art equipment and continual research and development, New York Label has remained, throughout the years, current and able to deliver new and custom high-quality products to its valued customers. Coupled with this devotion to development, New York Label's customer-centric attitude takes an "ear to the pavement" approach, always receptive and sensitive to customer needs to steer the direction of its research.

Technological advances have not only allowed New York Label to grow and serve; on a global scale, advances in technology have fostered business growth around the world. More and more frequently, companies are expanding their target markets to span several countries and ethnicities, translating to a growing necessity for multi-lingual packaging. In addition, governmental labeling requirements have also left marketers with an overwhelming task of somehow squeezing more information onto a printed piece than both aesthetics and dimensions allow for.

Enter extended content labels. These multi-seal, multi-paneled labels allow for overflowing information to be printed on the inside of a label, giving the consumer the ability to easily access inside panel information and reseal for future reference. In typical New York Label fashion, the company rose to the occasion to develop and produce this highly coveted product.

New York label was well versed in multi-seal technology when approached by a long-time client inquiring about fitting additional information on a fixed sized label. This client had a responsibility to provide its consumers with required FDA information and desired also to add multilingual information to its labels as an expanding market called for it; however, the given size of their labels did not physically permit this.

Having already been producing multi-seal labels for a number of years at this point, New York Label was not only able to suggest a simple and appealing solution, its savvy Research and Development team was able to custom tailor the labels to fit the client's specific adhesive and construction parameters.

It was a win-win situation for client and vendor, a situation familiar to clients of New York Label who have grown to rely on New York Label?s innovative team to help make their projects work.

Box Works division is up and running!

2007-04-02

Our new folding carton plant is conveniently located in Ronkonkoma, about 10 minutes from our label plant in Islandia. Our Heidelberg Press can run up to 6 colors plus coating on 8 to 20 pt. stock. In addition, we also have computer to plate technology, and an in-house finishing department with die cut and gluing.

We proudly offer full service package printing with graphic design, labels and folding cartons. One stop shopping for all of your packaging needs! Let us help you by providing �brand consistency� with your labels and folding cartons.

I am enclosing some recently printed samples for your review. Check out our website and call Karen Cavanaugh at 631-467-6500 ext. 101 for further information or to set up an appointment. Don�t forget to ask us about our limited time only rebate incentives to all new customers�

Thanks, we look forward to working with you on all your packaging needs!!

Leadership: The Power of a Positive Attitude

2007-01-29

Current economic conditions and the implications of 9/11 have combined to create a pessimistic business climate in many areas of the printing industry, at least in the short term. Such a climate breeds considerable uncertainty and anxiety regarding a business' future growth and success. During the past few years, the printing industry has experienced difficult times. Overseas competition, rising production costs, and overcapacity are just some of the challenges facing the industry today. How should you react when facing these pressures and negativity? More and more research shows that how you think determines how well you will deal with tough issues that come your way.

Learning to handle defeat and setback is a key factor in the success of your career. Absolutely no printing business goes through its life without setbacks. The secret is to learn from mistakes and spend as little time as possible lamenting them. When a setback hits, your first reaction is to become emotionally upset-often so much so that you fail to learn the lesson that every defeat contains.

Lessons from the Sky

Printing industry executives can learn a valuable lesson from another familiar industry: air travel. Everyone knows the often-quoted fact that air traffic is the safest form of long distance travel; however, you also all know that air accidents occur. How the airlines and FAA react to these unfortunate accidents is what printers could stand to learn from. Teams of experts piece together the causes of the accident and months of intensive study are devoted to finding solutions to any mistakes that may have been made so similar accidents do not occur in the future. The result is that even though more flights are flying into more airports, the safety record of the airlines continues to improve.

There are countless examples in the printing industry of the benefits of this approach to setbacks. The message is clear: before discouragement sets in, before your negative channels take over, examine your situation. Look at the setback as objectively as you can. Learn from your mistakes. Have the courage to face your setbacks, and the resolve to do something about them. Make up your mind to learn something from every setback.

It is not easy to close out your emotions when things are not going well. Remember that defeat is a state of mind. One of the best tools to use against negative emotions and thoughts that go along with setbacks is persistence.

The American Inventor

If you persevere and continue to believe in yourself, your business model, and your people, you can overcome any obstacle. The next time you experience difficulties or a setback of some kind in your printing company, think of Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison is credited with being one of America's most persistent scientists and inventors. He conducted literally thousands of experiments before he perfected the electric light bulb. He tried out almost every substance known to science before he hit on the one that would work for his light bulb's filaments. Thomas Edison combined persistence with experimentation. He persisted in his goal to develop a working electrical light, but he made that persistence pay off by blending it with experiments. When one idea failed to bear fruit, he backed off, examined his setbacks, and tried again with something different. Persistence, blended with experimentation, yields success.

Thoughts are magnetic. As soon as you tell yourself that you are beaten and negative thoughts are drafted, then each of these thoughts helps convince you that you are wiped. Instead, believe that there is a way to solve any problem. Positive thoughts will flood your mind to help you find the solution. It is the belief that there is a way that is important. You are what you think you are. By managing your thoughts, you can take a large step toward success.

Here is another anecdote: Two young men, born 18 months apart, had a father who spent a lot of time in prison for robbing and stealing. A study was conducted on young men in America, and these two men were interviewed because of how they were born and raised. When one of these men was interviewed, he was in prison, as well, for stealing. The reporter asked, "How did you end up this way?" He responded, "Well just look at my father, what did you expect?" The other man interviewed was working in a hospital, on his internship to become a doctor and the reporter asked him the same question, "How did you end up this way?" The man responded, "Well just look at my father, what did you expect?" This exemplifies the power of positive thinking.

Another article, "Killed by 30 years of Thought," about tennis star Jem Gilbert, teaches much of the same. When Jem was a little girl, she went with her mother to the dentist. The mother, while being operated on by the dentist, had a heart attack and died in the dentist's chair. From that day on, Jem would not go to the dentist.

While the dentist had nothing to do with her mother's death, as it was her bad heart that was the cause, for 30 years, Jem avoided the dentist because she believed that as soon as she went, she would have a heart attack and die. Finally, her teeth got so bad that she had to go to the dentist. She brought along her minister, doctor, best friend, and sister. The minute the dentist put that drill to her teeth, she died of a heart attack. The obituary read, "She died of 30 years of thought-she died of 30 years of the contemplation of disaster." While this is an extreme case, examine your own life. What are you thinking now? What have you been contemplating? How you respond to them defines your character, the quality of your life, and how successful you will be in your career.

Therefore, while the current economic conditions and the implications of 9/11 have combined to create some pessimism in the printing industry, how you react can greatly affect the outcome. Will you be positive during tough times or will you cave in to the challenges? The choice is yours.

Flexography & Packaging

2006-11-20

You do not get a second chance to make a first impression, and first impressions mean a lot. Just ask milk manufacturers. Through a marketing study conducted jointly by the Milk Processor Education Program, Prairie Farms, and the St. Louis Dairy Council, "The St. Louis School Milk Test," milk manufactures were delighted to discover the huge difference great packaging makes. This marketing study showed increased sales of an average of more than 12 percent per school, partly through the use of colorful, new packaging, most of which was printed using flexographic technology.

The test, which involved about 165,000 students at almost 300 area schools during the second half of the 2005 school year, experimented with different flavors, marketing programs, and milk cartons using one through four-color flexographic and four-color offset printing to determine what products were most popular with children.

If you applied these findings nationally, the results would translate into 600 million more unit sales of milk each year, which works out to 11 more units of milk for each student each year.

A good box and label vendor understands that the success of its client's product is directly related to the quality of the packaging.

The test determined that enhanced packaging could significantly increase school milk sales. The flexo printed cartons helped boost sales a few percent higher than the offset cartons, and the one-color old style carton actually showed a one percent sales decline. When you add that in terms of cost (offset was more expensive than flexography), you see how beneficial it can be to use flexography for your packaging.

Flexography (flexo) is a popular process used to print packaging materials. Flexo is used to print milk and beverage cups and containers, folding cartons, multiwall sacks, plastic bags, labels, tapes, envelopes, newspapers, and wrappers.

In a typical flexo printing sequence, the substrate is fed into the press from a roll. The substrate is pulled through a series of stations or print units, die cutting stations, and finishing stations, all inline so that in most cases you start off with clean paper at the beginning of the press and find a finished product at the other end. One reason that flexography presses are used for boxes is because flexographic presses are capable of producing great quality packaging on many different substrates at the least expensive cost.

A wide variety of boxes are manufactured utilizing flexo technology. Ranging from the typical corrugated box, which is manufactured on a conventional flexo folder-gluer press, to the world of auto-lock bottom boxes, as well as four- and six-corner trays, displays and the like; all can be manufactured on highly sophisticated multi-color flexo presses.

Find the Perfect Match

Print buyers understand that the time and resources required to obtain matching labels and cartons can be excessive. Most often the challenge lies in the fact that the label printer is different from the carton printer, using entirely different manufacturing processes.

You can experience the benefits of a streamlined prepress department for both cartons and labels. Some firms draw from the same state-of-the-art prepress equipment and experienced technical staff so there is no guesswork involved in producing labels and cartons that match. You can take comfort in knowing that the same technology will be used to prepare your cartons and labels; guaranteeing consistency in branding.

Just as a better quality milk carton with enhanced graphics can greatly improve sales, the right packaging sells a product. A good box and label vendor understands that the success of its client's product is directly related to the quality of the packaging.

Manufacturers Pushing Label Limits

2006-09-04

A picture is worth a thousand words. These days, manufacturers are using both words and pictures on product labels to increase sales and help customers use the products. This approach helps eliminate consumer complaints, reduce product liability issues, and ensures peak product performance.

Due in part to new government regulations and market demands, products must boast more information on a label than in the past. Copy space is rapidly diminishing as labels are cluttered with regulatory, multilingual, instructional, and promotional information. With this constant stream of new required information, labels are running out of space.

To adhere to more stringent and specific listings of contents, more verbiage and larger text sizes are required. Government agencies are calling for more information to be on a label, which in turn decreases the possible room for the advertising portion. Sales information is often decreased in size or left off entirely because it has been displaced by required legal copy.

There is ever more need for multi-lingual instructions, especially for those companies looking to expand internationally. Major retailers in the United States are actively pushing to add Spanish and other translations to their labels to reach out to the multi-lingual sectors within this country and beyond. More than likely, this trend will spread as the Spanish and other speaking populations in the United States continue to grow and emerge as powerful buying segments. In many cases, the additional copy space required is more than the conventional label can accommodate. What is a manufacturer to do in this situation?

There is no doubt that manufacturers need more real estate on their labels. An economical option is to use extended content labels. An extended content label is achieved through a unique manufacturing process where multiple pages with a pressure sensitive base are available to reveal additional product information to the consumer. Extended content labels are available in many different looks and constructions.

The most popular copy expansion label is called a booklet label. It is comprised of a booklet or pamphlet married to a pressure sensitive label. There are many other types of extended content labels—multi-seal, onserts, foldout labels, and multi-page labels. Do not be confused by the names; they essentially do the same thing—provide more space on the label.

Creating Space

There are many benefits of extended content labels. They allow unlimited pages for required information in a compact area. Adding pictures or illustrations to product directions is a great way to increase the chances that a product will be used correctly. By expanding copy space, you gain freedom to tell your customers more about your product. An extended content label can eliminate the need for an outer printed box, a separate back label, neck hanger, auxiliary pamphlets, booklets, instruction sheets, or sleeve labels, greatly decreasing packaging expenses.

These labels can be printed on a wide variety of substrates and printed in multiple colors, including four-color process. They can be applied to products by hand and with standard automatic labeling equipment. Just about every market has a need for extended content labels. These markets include but are not limited to: cosmetics, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural.

Offering new products is an excellent way to increase sales. Labels are everywhere. Walk up and down the aisles of your local grocery store or home improvement center and you will see products with labels of every imaginable size, shape, and color.

In today's marketplace, where one-stop shopping and customized pieces are commonplace requirements, specialty-printing applications, and specifically labels, are a lucrative opportunity available to printers.

While the world is shrinking through multiple channels of communication, the demand for more information for the consumer is expanding. Extended content labels are an excellent way to produce an attractive label that has all the information you need. A picture is worth a thousand words, and now it is easy to fit them all onto your label.

Customer Service Is Key to Success

2006-06-19

In all your years of business, did you ever hear a successful CEO, manager, or customer service representative say, "I couldn't care less about my customers?" Instead, you probably believe that satisfied customers are essential to success and of paramount importance in the mind of a company leader.

Yet, in your daily dealings with banks, stores, and some vendors, you are often left feeling that service, and even common courtesy, have taken a backseat to other business interests. If, for example, your credit card company really understood the importance of personal service, why would it install a voice mail system that does not provide the option of speaking with a live person right away, if at all? Or, if the local post office understood customer service, would it allow the staff to take lunch at the same time that you do?

Sooner or later, we all find ourselves wondering what has happened to good customer service—the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to attract many new customers, but it will not have a lasting impact unless accompanied by excellent service.

Selfless Thinking

One thing all companies that give great service have in common is that they have a genuine client-focused attitude. These firms view customer service as the most important part of their job. The very best companies in America are built on the philosophy that the customer is always right. In "In Search of Excellence," Tom Peters wrote, "the very best companies, and the very best people in those companies, have an obsession with customer service."

Worldwide, the most successful companies are those for whom the customer is king or queen, and customer satisfaction is the driving force of all activities. All decisions are made with the customer in mind. When these companies discuss products and services, they always ask themselves, "What would our customers be thinking if they were sitting here listening to us? What would the customers say? Would they approve or disapprove of our plans?"

The very best companies are committed to treating their customers well. For example, Walt Disney hires thousands of college students to work at its theme parks each summer. These students are hired mid-May and are trained for six weeks, and then only work eight weeks before returning to school.

When Disney representatives were asked why the students receive such rigorous training relative to their length of assignment, they explain that students are drilled in their positions to the point where they can perform their tasks without even thinking. The aim is to allow students to be able to pay more attention to the guests. Because the students memorize their jobs completely, and can execute them routinely, they are more conscious of the things they can do to please the visitors who have chosen to visit a Disney theme park.

The best companies invariably have the best people. These firms discovered that the people working for them would determine their success. If a business is run by good managers who treat their staff well, you, the customer, are in turn treated well. If an employee of a company treats you poorly, you can bet you are receiving the same type of treatment that person is receiving from his or her manager.

Worldwide, the most successful companies are those for whom the customer is king or queen, and customer satisfaction is the driving force of all activities.

People are primarily emotional in their actions. This is why caring is a critical element in successful customer service and selling. You may have heard it said, "people do not care how much we know, until they know how much we care." It is also true that the more you love your work, the more caring you will be. The more committed people are to your company, and to your products and services, the more they will naturally care about pleasing your customers. Ultimately, the more you honestly care about customers, the more concerned you will be about helping them make the right buying decisions.

Fielding Complaints

Customer complaints are like medicine: Nobody likes them, but they make us better. They can also be like preventive medicine, because they provide advance warning about problems. When your customers are upset, they typically want two things—to express their feelings and to have the problem solved. Some customer service people may view customers' venting as a waste of time, because they want to move on and solve the problem; however, trying to resolve a situation without first listening to a customer's feelings rarely works. For the most part, it is only after your customer has sufficiently vented that he or she can hear what you have to say.

Business is becoming increasingly more complex and fast-paced. Customer service professionals have to know their products and services, their company information and the technology that supports it, and how to communicate all of this to savvy, demanding customers. Even a small gap in knowledge or skill could cause harmful repercussions in terms of lost business.

Giving great customer service when everything is going well is easy. The real test of your service quality is how well you handle things when the going gets tough. How you handle a problem situation with a customer will determine whether or not he or she will continue to deal with your company in the future.

When you or your company makes a mistake in any area, listen to your customer's complaints. By making the appropriate corrections, you can help recover any respect, confidence, or faith that may have been lost. Customer complaints are never easy to hear; however, if you shift from being defensive to opportunistic, complaints can become your best friend, helping you to learn and grow as individuals and successful business people. If you do not listen, rest assured the financial statement will communicate the news eventually.

Getting Great Customer Service

Answer the phone with a greeting before identifying yourself or your company. This starts the conversation off right.
Become aware of your facial expressions when a client approaches you. A smile (even when on the phone) works much better than a grimace.
Do not take it personally when a customer complains. A complaint is an opportunity to get valuable feedback from your clients. You will listen better if you do not feel threatened.
Always offer options when you cannot give customers exactly what they want.

It Pays to Please

You will spend 10 percent more for the same product with better service.
When you receive good service, you tell nine to 12 people.
When you receive poor service, you tell up to 20 people.
An 82 percent chance exists that customers will repurchase from a company they had a complaint with if their complaint was handled quickly and pleasantly.
If the service is poor, 91 percent of retail customers will not return.

Adding Value...Specialty Imaging

2006-05-01

Prior to the greatly anticipated walk down the aisle, a man and woman must be confident that they can complement each other, and be certain their union will be beneficial to them both. The same concept applies when deciding to add products to an existing line. While most businesses have the potential to increase sales simply by growing existing accounts, some might feel they are ready to take the next step in business development and add on to their product mix to boost sales and further satisfy customers. It is essential to find a product that will grow rather than detract from sales.

One product line many printers and brokers are adding is custom, pressure-sensitive labels or stickers. For printers already providing business cards, magazines, stationery, portfolios, and other printed products, it is a no-brainer to offer labels, as well. Label customers often have characteristics similar to those of an existing customer base, so in addition to attracting new business, this new revenue stream can also help develop present accounts.

According to a recent study, U.S. label shipments will grow 5.7 percent annually through the year 2008 based on new label technologies, substrates, adhesives, and coatings. The value of the North American pressure-sensitive label market in 1998 was $3.93 billion. According to the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, by 2003, the market reached more than $5 billion with a compounded annual growth of 6.4 percent. More then 98 percent of distributors expect their custom label sales to increase, as well.

Label printing is no longer a craft industry. Continuously developing and evolving, it has become a sophisticated collection of technologies, using a wide range of papers, films, and foil substrates; complex adhesive and ink formulations; sophisticated digital designs; and reproduction formats. The printing is achieved by many different processes in both sheet and roll formats with complex die-cutting solutions, and ever more creative methods of application.

Mixing It Up
New products can be the answer to building sales and transitioning your company in a whole new direction. You can take a cue from big business. Look at how Kraft added Jell-O instant pudding and multiple permutations of the Jell-O brand in order to capture new audiences and expand into previously untapped market niches. It all starts with the addition of a new line.

Think of Gillette as another example. The brand encompasses a number of product lines, including blades and razors, toiletries, writing instruments, and lighters. Individual products exist within each of these product lines. In other words, Gillette's line of blades and razors extends to Lady Gillette, Mach 3, and others. This gives Gillette a wide and diverse product mix, and a share of the profits of those various markets.

Stuck on You
Labels are everywhere. Walk up and down the aisles of your local grocery store or home improvement center and you will see products with labels of every imaginable size, shape, and color. Custom labels are a growth segment of the printing industry, and your clients already purchase them. Break away from selling a commodity. Labels are typically considered critical to a product's success or are an important requirement for meeting federal, state, or local regulations. Your customers will be looking for a value-added product from a knowledgeable and reliable vendor, not just the lowest price.

As a trade, the printing industry has some high growth markets, and some that are mature or declining. Labels belong to the high growth segment. Selling labels gives you the opportunity to increase your revenue and position yourself for continued sales growth.

Diversify within accounts by establishing relationships with key decision makers. The contacts you establish may be outside the purchasing department. You will work with product decision makers, and will gain a reputation as a problem solver, not an order taker. These same decision makers can have a great deal of influence on purchases of all types of printed materials.

The relationships you form while selling labels will give you a definite advantage when bidding on all of your customer's printing requirements. Increase the value of your average order. The average wholesale order of forms, stationery, or business cards is approximately $200. The average wholesale order for labels is more than $1,000.

Tips to Sell Labels
Study Labels
Market yourself as a label specialist. Ask to see the label in action, watching the label move throughout the organization so you can make recommendations. Who is using the label? What is it used for? What is the surface? What environmental factors exist in its application and subsequent use? Today?s labels are versatile and dynamic, and selling them requires a detail-oriented mindset. Although you can rely on manufacturers for help, you will need extensive knowledge of label stocks, adhesives, and secondary printing methods. Determining a label?s use and the conditions it will be exposed to is paramount.

Watch New Technologies
What areas of the market are new? Which areas are growing? What new substrates and adhesives are there?

Make Labels a Marketing Tool
Labels are usually used for informational purposes, but do not forget their potential as marketing tools to increase your client's product appeal.

Aim To Please
Satisfaction is achieved by adding value for your customer. Be a salesperson who researches new ideas for your client's look through new face stocks, adhesives, and constructions that will improve the label. Become a consultant. Pitch yourself to the right person. Some purchasing agents do not like to change vendors, but a manufacturing director or someone who uses the labels will.

Take It for a Test Drive
Once you have chosen a label, test it and observe its performance during every step of the process. Make sure you have the right face, liner, and adhesive type. Get samples and test them at the customer's facility, on the customer's equipment, so he or she feels comfortable with the decision.

Some clients who do not understand the label selection process may rush you. Help them to understand that a rushed job usually creates expensive blunders. Label projects can be time consuming, but once the project is up and running all you have to do is supply the order.

Distributors often say label orders are easier to keep than some other forms of print because effective applications are extremely labor intensive and most end users are not interested in testing new labels; even if it means saving money.

Provide Great Customer Service
Sell a label your customers can "stick with." Label end users often need fast answers to their label dilemmas. A plant nursery owner whose price labels fade in the sunlight is likely to treat his label vendor like a weed. By understanding your customer's needs, as in fade-resistant inks, you can prevent problems from occurring.

Team Up with Reliability
If you are going to risk the reputation you have with your customers, you need to do it with a great supplier of pressure-sensitive labels.

Speak to your customers. Do research to evaluate whether adding labels to your existing product mix is beneficial to you. Consider that nearly every industry uses labels. They perform a broad range of functions including identification, merchandising, marketing, and information transfer. If you do your homework and proceed with an analytical eye, adding labels to your present product line will increase your annual sales, profits, and help your growing print business reach new markets and build market share.

Kodak, AGC Honor Companies Using Advanced Screening

2005-05-16

ROCHESTER, NY, May 11 � Kodak, in conjunction with the Association of Graphic Communications (AGC) and AGC's 64th Annual Graphic Arts Awards, presented KODAK Technology Application Awards to L.P. Thebault Company and New York Label & Box. The honors were pesented at the 2006 AGC Graphic Arts Awards Exhibition Designers and Technical Excellence Day on May 11.

L.P. Thebault Company received the KODAK Technology Application Award for production of a BURBERRY men/s clothing catalog. The Parsippany, N.J., company used a combination of conventional screening and KODAK STACCATO screening to print on an uncoated, textured stock to create a soft look for earth toned fabrics and sharp and bold colors for accessories. Kodak and the AGC credited L.P. Thebault and Burberry for clearly understanding the value of collaboration and for applying the right technologies for the right job.

New York Label & Box Corporation of Islandia, N.Y., received the KODAK Advanced Technology Recognition Award for the production of a pressure sensitive label for ROLAIDS Soft Chews. The Long Island label and tag printer used KODAK HYPERFLEX Ready Imaging Software and KODAK MAXTONE hybrid screening to eliminate the highlight break often associated with flexo printing. HYPERFLEX Ready Imaging Software and MAXTONE hybrid screening allowed the creation of smooth vignettes while eliminating excess waste on setup. The AGC and Kodak noted that New York Label's use of screening technologies reduced creative limitations and led to greater shelf appeal.

Kodak is pleased to join with the AGC in honoring these two technology savvy graphic communications companies," said Kevin Joyce, Managing Director, United States and Canada Region, and Vice President, Graphic Communications Group (GCG). "As these award winners show, print providers have new ways to partner with their customers and to strengthen their customer relationships."

Kodak presented the awards at 11 a.m. May 11 at 245 Park Ave. in New York City.

New Locations

2004-11-01

The atmosphere at New York Label is electric. The customer base is huge. Nine flexo presses run at full tilt for 19 hours a day. At the company’s headquarters in Islandia, NY, 38,000 square feet are no longer enough. Expect news of relocation in six months. Also expect news of expansion through the opening of satellite production facilities.

“We are set up as a one-stop shop,” says Christopher Freddo, vice president of sales, “from blank labels to four color process that rivals offset. The higher end has really made us different and now our focus is on faster and more reliable delivery.”

Printing technology at New York Label moved entirely to flexography in 1984. Prior to that, the company had printed using both the offset and letterpress methods. But “prior” doesn’t begin to tell the story: New York Label has been in business for 126 years, and has been owned and operated by one family — the Haedrichs — since 1930. The leaders today are Frederick Haedrich and his son Steven.

The New York Label & Box Works opened its doors in Manhattan in 1878, supplying offset printed boxes and labels for local pharmacies. It moved to Bayshore in 1985 and to Islandia in 1995. In 1993 the Haedrichs formed New Jersey Label, across the Hudson River from Manhattan in Englewood, which operates in a 16,000 square foot plant. The two shops operate independently, but combined annual revenue is in the $12 million range.

About 70 percent of New York Label’s business is through distributors, printers, and brokers — 3,000 of them. The rest is direct sales handled by Freddo and his team of sales experts. Sales are mostly regional, he says, “although we have a great customer in Los Angeles — have had him for years — who likes our quality and delivery.”

Lately, the management of New York Label has been looking west and south. “We are in the early stages of planning satellite facilities in the US,” Freddo says. “Chicago is on our radar, and so is Florida.”

A significant contributor to the impetus behind the continental expansion is found in one of the prepress rooms in Islandia. Two years ago the company decided to switch from conventional platemaking to computer-to-plate (CTP) technology. That, Freddo says, has changed everything.

“What really advanced our quality are the Creo and DuPont prepress software and platemaking systems. With the Creo front end we have increased quality, lowered waste, and can make plates so much faster. In the old days, if we had a serious six-color job with a two-hour setup, and then we found that one plate was bad, we would lose hours waiting for the new plate. Those days are history.

Specifically, the systems and equipment that get folks at New York Label so fired up are Creo’s Prinergy Powerpack prepress management system, Creo’s Thermoflex 2630 CTP device, and DuPont’s FAST plate processing hardware. Use of these has eliminated solvent plate manufacture and hours of drying time.

Samoy Davis inspects labels on the Web Techniques rewinder. “A lot of our customers are offset printers,” Freddo observes, “and they understand what this high-end prepress technology means; they’re familiar with it. When they learned that we were going that way, it certainly helped. To be the only label company around here with this system is a real plus to our customers.

“For many of our customers in this area, fast turnaround is a critical requirement,” he adds. “We have a dedicated press and a rewinder here for only rush jobs. Being far ahead with prepress technology was certainly the right move to make.” For a small charge, the company offers a delivery guarantee. “Our press downtime is minimal,” Freddo says. “It makes such a difference in customer satisfaction.”

Joe McComski and Damaris Rodriguez check a job on a Webtron 650. In its Long Island plant, New York Label runs six Webtron 650 presses, three 10" Mark Andy 2200s (six- and 10-color), and a 16" Mark Andy 4150 six-color. Cold foil stamping is offered. (The New Jersey company operates three Mark Andy presses.) Rotary tooling — the shop has an inventory of 7,000 dies — is from RotoMetrics and Preston Engravers, and includes flexible dies. The in-plant ink lab works with inks from American Water Graphics; a computerized ink dispensing system was installed last week. Anilox rolls are from Harper; label stocks are predominantly from Raflatac, MACtac and Fasson, Freddo says. Rewind and inspection are performed on equipment from Web Techniques, PC Industries and Rotoflex.

The company is looking forward to delivery of a new machine, purchased at Labelexpo in Chicago this year: a Mark Andy LP3000 press with 10 flexo print stations and two Stork screenprinting units.

Plate evolution changes speed, quality, consistency
Anthony Masotti, the prepress manager at New York Label, runs a department of seven people. Their world changed a couple of years ago when they decided to move away from conventional plate production and take on CTP. In January 2003 the company completed the installation of a Creo Thermoflex 2630 and the Prinergy Powerpack prepress software, along with plate processing via DuPont’s FAST system.

“Our plan was to start with spot colors, and to train one operator at a time on the new equipment,” Masotti says. “We figured the training would take between six and nine months.” Wrong guess. “By April, three months later, we had all jobs running through the new system. The benefits are too great.”

Masotti says that the solvent wash platemaking process used in the old days would take up to four hours for successful production of plates. “Now, from layout to finished cut plates is between 60 and 75 minutes. Gone are the man-hours, the chemicals, the maintenance, the slow speed, and the environmental concerns. And we have reduced our prepress vendor list from four pages to one.”

The technology, he adds, provides “a nice color latitude. We now can make color density changes with a change in plate impression, instead of changing anilox rolls. And there is no variation: We have higher quality and more consistency in our plates. And the advances in software, what we call Hyperscreen, allow us to print a vignette to a zero dot.”

Because its customer base is so varied, New York Label converts for many markets. The food industry is big in Long Island, as is the vitamin business. Others include promotional, health and beauty, entertainment toy and cosmetic. “Most of it is prime label,” Freddo says, “and about 25 percent is really high end.” In the near future, he adds, the company will pursue flexible packaging and folding carton markets.

At work on a Mark Andy press For years, New York label has adhered to the management and manufacturing principles set forth by W. Edwards Deming and recently Six Sigma. “We are very much into Dr. Deming’s philosophy,” Freddo says. “It is a must in a manufacturing climate.” The Deming philosophy, formulated a half century ago, aims to cultivate a more efficient workplace and increased productivity.

Educating customers in the changing capabilities of the company is a major undertaking at New York Label. The company advertises itself biweekly in Printing News, and sends out monthly postcards and samples to its customers, informing them of advances in technologies. “We also have four major events each year, including a golf tournament. This year we had almost a hundred customers at the golf outing. We have had cocktail parties and open houses, at which we talk about the new things that we are doing.”

Taking care of employees is just as important at the company. A profit sharing plan is in place for the 75 New York employees and the 12 in New Jersey. “The management team treats people with respect,” Chris Freddo says. “We promote from within, and we have very low turnover.

“To compete for today’s customers, we must have the technology, well trained people, quality the first time, and on-time delivery.”

New York Label makes the cover of Flexo Magazine!

1999-04-05

New York Label makes the cover of Flexo, the trade's leading magazine, in addition to a five-page feature article entitled "U.V. Flexo + Labels: A Perfect Match."

Making the cover is a credit to the company's vast accomplishments, specifically the development of its U.V. printing capabilities. Shown in the cover photo are labels that have been printed by New York Label with Ultra-Violet flexographic inks. The article outlines a "checklist" of variables that a flexographic printer might encounter when delving into this challenging new technology, as well as solutions to address these variables.

Although the company had their first U.V. flexographic printing press installed in June, 1998, they didn't officially offer it as a service until January of 1999. The reason is simple: "Any new technology has to undergo research and development stages in order to be 100% certain that it works, before we can ever offer it to our customers," states lead U.V. press operator Kevin Wasner. Asked how he feels about the recognition, he replies, "As a pressman, having some of my work on the cover of Flexo is like a being a rock star on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. It's the premier magazine in the industry."

Why would printers invest in this cutting-edge technology? The article identifies benefits such as reduced highlight dot gain, consistent color stability throughout the press run (both of which result result in fewer operator adjustments), and more mileage from the ink, to name just a few advantages. In this day when variuos printing companies are rapidly changing, and adopting techniques from each other, U.V. flexo will certainly develop into a universally accepted process. The need from the print buyer for higher, more consistent quality is sure to drive its growth.�

UV Flexo + Labels = A Perfect Match

1999-04-01

Flexo printers that have made the transition from solvent inks to waterbased inks will likely remember that the process wasn't an easy one. It required changing the way everything was done, from purchasing habits to daily attitudes. Waterbased was an unknown technology at the time, one that presented many challenges. However, I'm willing to bet that after tackling the learning curve and realizing benefits such as the environmental friendliness of the inks and quicker cleanup, you would never think of going back to using solvents. The same case could be made for any new or developing technology, including UV flexographic printing. At first, the transition may be daunting, but with careful planning, the adoption of UV-flexo technology allows you to provide a higher quality product for your customers and thus make you a more successful supplier. In this article, I'll explore some of the ways UV flexo is being put to outstanding use here at New York Label.

"No-Label" Look
An increasing application for UV is the "no-label" look, which allows the flexo printer to provide a product comparable to rotary silkscreen at a much lower price. As an example, consider the shampoo bottles where the product shows through the clear label. Some also have an attractive four-color-process image reverse-printed on the back label so that it shows through the product, with copy on the opposite side. In the past, the front label was always done by more expensive processes, such as rotary silkscreen, while the back was a difficult process for flexography because you had to print on clear, then marry white stock to it, then print on the white stock.

By printing UV inks on clear stock, you can achieve an ink film with an opacity similar to that produced by other processes. Also, in the case of the back label, the same look can be achieved by printing process in mirror image, which, by the way, also requires reversing the order of the ink. For example, if you run yellow, magenta, cyan then black, just reverse that sequence. Next, you print a flood coat of white on top of that, then print your line copy as a positive. The end result is a product that is very close to that produced by other printing disciplines, but at a substantially lower cost. One reason for the lower cost is a reduction in the amount of press time required to complete the job. Rotary silkscreen, for example, has to be run a lot slower than flexo. Keep in mind that the advantages gained by the opacity can also be applied to other stocks, such as foil.

Better Dot Structure/Reduced Gain
The viscosities of UV inks tend to be higher than those of waterbased inks. This ultimately results in sharper, crisper dots and reduced dot gain, especially in the highlight areas. If you're used to printing 10-percent highlights, a highlight of 3 or 4 percent will be a welcomed improvement. The tendency for the infamous "halo" dot is also nearly eliminated. Overall, you will be producing a halftone with sharper edges than that of even offset. The reduced fluctuation in the printed product, combined with markedly less on-press maintenance, allows you to have greater control of your process. Better still, UV inks will not evaporate, meaning you won't have to kick in as many additives to maintain the inks on press. Not only does that reduce cost, but any time you eliminate variables such as the addition of water, ammonia or other additives, you increase reliability and consistency. Now a word or two about consistency. . .

Consistency is what we all hope to achieve in our printing. Consistency leads to a more cost-effective operation and is a word we can sell to our customers. And it is a fact that greater consistency can be achieved through UV inks. Why? Fewer variables! There is no evaporation on press, and no false body when off press and on the shelf. No pH adjustments are necessary, which means you can get rid of those ammonia additives. Finally, you will not need to make viscosity adjustments due to instability from evaporation or press heat. To prove these benefits, monitor a long run on a spot-color job. You'll be amazed at the results. These benefits are even more appealing on a process run, where you have four colors to worry about. In short, color shifts can easily occur as a result of myriad variables, including impression, doctor blade, evaporation, pH, viscosity and press speed. And as we all know, with flexo, the more variables that can be eliminated, the better.

Process versus Spot Colors
Many UV-ink manufacturers are able to produce process colors that can run on aniloxes with higher screen counts; ranging from 700 to 1200. In the case of UV spot colors, the manufacturers have so far only been able to provide color strength on lower aniloxes, ranging from 200 to 500. This has a lot to do with the need for photoinitiators in the ink and available room for pigments.

Now, because your spot colors have to run on lower-line aniloxes, your halftone line screen is limited. All things considered, you're probably better off running your spot colors with waterbased inks. When possible, try running your process colors as UV, with your spot colors as water. You can then run higher screens for both inks.

The up-front costs for a switch to UV will undoubtedly be high. Aside from investing in UV lamps, you will I also need improved airflow systems in your pressroom. Suffice it to say, your electric bill will also be much higher. But these costs can be recouped once production begins. As discussed earlier, you don't have to worry about evaporation with UV inks. Thus, you can leave the inks in the press overnight. This benefit alone will probably save you one or two hours in setup and cleanup. Imagine the savings you can realize with an extra hour or two of uptime each day. And while per-pound ink costs for UV inks are greater than waterbased inks, the extended mileage achieved from the UV inks will again offset the additional expense. Ultimately, the quality improvements and reduced usage and labor over the long run will more than outweigh the initial cash investment.

Hit the Books!
One way to cut down on the conversion costs is to do some research. Talk to suppliers to make sure you purchase the right equipment for your needs. Every press manufacturer will tout its UV press as the best on the market, but you may want to inspect the ink pans. Some UV inks are very viscous and require pans of special shapes. One press manufacturer provides pans that angle down where the anilox reaches the bottom. This improves flow and is a must when using thick ink. You may also want to choose a press with stations that can be set up with either UV or drying units. This would provide the versatility to switch back and forth between waterbased and UV.

Selecting the proper anilox is also a tricky issue. UV spot colors lack the color strength to run on higher-line aniloxes, such as those in the range of 600 to 700. On the other hand, UV process can run on aniloxes up to 1200 and still have strength. Keep in mind that you need more volume in your aniloxes for UV than for water inks, because of the high photoinitiator component. So, with anilox volumes, the higher screen count you use, the less volume is available. For example, if you are using a 900-linescreen anilox, you are limited in volume, since there is only enough room for pigment and photo-initiator. This is why you lack color strength on spot colors and have to go to a lowerscreen/higher-volume anilox. Now, if you're running spot colors with line screens of 133, for example, multiply that by four to determine minimal anilox screen, and you would need an anilox of about 550-600 lpi to keep the screen open and reduce dot gain. Unfortunately, UV inks cannot match color strength on most spot colors when using higher-line aniloxes. Indeed, to achieve color on UV spot colors, New York Label has had to use 360 and 440 lpi aniloxes. As a rule of thumb, UV anilox volumes will probably have to be about 30 to 40 percent greater than comparable waterbased aniloxes to achieve similar densities. As a note of reference, remember to use your UV aniloxes solely for UV applications - do not alternate between water and uv. The ammines in the waterbased ink tend to react with the UV in the cells, potentially destroying the anilox.

Watch Your Stock!
Dust will become a problem when using paper stocks with UV Every paper stock has some amount of paper dust associated with it. There is also a certain degree of dust present in the air. With waterbased inks, you're able to hide or cover the dust as you print. This is much more difficult to do with uv, and may require investment in a vacuum system and/or a more effective airflow system. To cut down on the expense involved in solving the dust problem, you may opt to set up your UV presses in a room of their own.

Another concern is making sure your plates and inks are compatible. The easiest way to ensure this is to send a sample of the ink to your plate manufacturer. Alternatively, you could also do a 24-hour soak test. Simply take an exposed plate and soak it in the ink for 24 hours. Remove the plate and measure it with a micrometer to see if it has swelled. If it has, it's probably incompatible and will result in dirty printing and increased dot gain.

Finally, you must absolutely remember to make sure that all lights in your pressroom are fitted with UV ftlters. Failure to do so could lead to the inks curing right in the pans, or worse, in the cells of your anilox, which could easily destroy the rolls. It's also a good idea to cover your ink pans when they're not in use to keep out dust and outside lights.

A transition to UV flexo is not without its bumps, the largest of which will be the startup cost. However, with careful planning, communication, and a wise spending plan, you have the ability to place your company on the leading edge of this rapidly improving process. You'll be able to provide a better product, enjoy greater long-term profitability and advance the technology of the flexo industry. Speaking from experience, the results we've achieved using UV in our work at New York Label have been nothing short of fantastic. If you're not into UV yet, I would highly recommend giving it serious consideration.

New York Label receives top honors from Hauppauge Industrial Association

1999-03-01

New York Label, the tri-state area's leading supplier of pressure-sensitive labels and tags, is being honored by the Hauppauge Industrial Association as the recipient of the renowned 1999 Small Business Achievement Award.

This coveted award is presented annually to an outstanding member of the corporate community for its significant contributions to the Long Island economy. Out of 800 HIA members submitting applications, New York Label was chosen after extensive evaluation, and excelled in every criteria, such as contributions to the economic viability of Long Island, educational advancement, positive employer/employee relations and socially responsible activities. Also noted were New York Label's industry leadership, technical breakthroughs and scientific advancement demonstrated by their innovations in the digital proofing, production, and turnaround of high-quality labels and tags. "We are very proud of this prestigious award," says Steven Haedrich, New York Label's President.

New York Label will be honored by the association on May 11, 1999 at the Long Island Marriott and will be presented with the award by Suffolk County Executive Robert Gaffney.

New York Label pushes Flexo's envelope with the addition of U.V. Printing

1999-02-01

New York Label, the northeast's leading supplier of labels and tags, has announced the installation and development of their U.V. flexo ink program. It is designed for higher prime label applications. The advantages of the new U.V. ink system are cleaner, sharper printed dots, more accurate color prediction, brighter highlights and the ability to reproduce vignettes without the minimum drop-off commonly associated with flexographic printing.

This cutting-edge press technology complements their industry-leading prepress department that includes Kodak Approvals, spectraphotometers, densitometers, inline imaging and processing and inline platemaking.

Label of Success

1998-05-01

Flexo, the trade's leading magazine, highlights New York Label's success in a six-page feature article entitled "Label of Success."

The article illustrates how the company's unique business philosophy, efficient systems and process optimization have fueled their extraordinary growth. "From design, prepress and printing this company is an ideal one-stop-shop."

Especially noteworthy is how through these systems, New York Label's four-color process market share has increased by over 600% in two years. The article explains how they can turn these orders into printed products within just three to five days. That's pretty impressive, since the industry average is two to three weeks.

You're mistaken if you think the quality suffers. In fact, the main focus of their efforts is improved quality. As it turns out, this allows them to be more efficient and deliver a premium product of up to 200-line screen, rivaling that of offset.

The article asks how it is possible for the company to successfully transform itself into an industry leader in such a short period of time. The answer, says New York Label President Steven Haedrich, is, "Invest . . . in people, technology, education, and always anticipate your customers' needs. We have a quality program that focuses on the customer and efficient systems, not just on numbers."

"We are extremely proud of the customer-focused company that we have built here," states New York Label Vice President Christopher Freddo. "It is very rewarding when we're recognized for it, especially to be featured in Flexo's 40th anniversary issue."

New York Label Reports the Installation Of Second Kodak Approval System

1998-03-01

New York Label (Englewood, NJ) a 120-year-old supplier of pressure-sensitive labels to the New York Metro area, reports the installation of its second Kodak Approval System for the purpose of improving turnaround on four-color process printed labels. According to the Islandia, NY-based trade manufacturer, the new proofing system enables New York Label to proof files digitally within hours of receipt of electronic artwork, and send to the customer overnight. Because an additional copy of the contract proof is kept for production, approval can be given by telephone, eliminating the necessity of sending a job back and forth. Most label jobs can be printed and delivered in under five days, the manufacturer claims.

"We used to image film, send it out, and wait for a matchprint," states Steven Haedrich, company president. "We'd send it to the customer and wait for it to be sent back approved, then output a new set of distorted film for production. Now, he adds, "duplicate proofs can be made digitally within hours," resulting in more efficient manufacturing and lower pricing.

According to Christopher Freddo, New York Label's vice president, the company's addition of a second Kodak Approval System was prompted by the growing demand for four-color flexographic labels in more sophisticated applications than bar codes and price stickers alone. "People used to consider flexo a rubber stamp printing method," he states, "but with the help of advanced technology we're able to print labels up to 200-line screen and you couldn't tell the difference between our labels and those of offset lithography. In fact, says Mr. Freddo, "lower costs and reduced setup time are two reasons many offset printers may find it more profitable to broker out such work, rather than produce it themselves."

For more information or a free brochure describing the array of services provided by New York Label, call (toll-free) 1.800.257.2300.�