By Digital Output Staff
Part 2 of 2
Adhesive-backed applications like stickers, labels, and decals are well suited for digital production. As consumer demands continue to evolve, the appeal of digital widens.
Founded in 1987 Accu-Label is a family owned and operated label manufacturer. Based in Fort Wayne, IN, it specializes in label production using both flexographic and digital label printing. Its full-service, in-house prepress and design department are experts in producing pressure-sensitive labels. It targets a variety of markets including food and beverage, automative, retail, industrial, chemical companies, and non profits. Products include food/nutritional facts, household labels, coupons/IRC, piggyback labels, barcodes, variable print, nutraceuticals, blank labels, thermal transfer labels, address labels/label forms, wafer seals, and sheeted labels.
For technology, it offers ten-color flexographic capabilities; digital full-color printing; core-less one-, three-, five-, and six-inch options; web widths of up to 20 inches; cold foil stamping; die cutting; butt cutting; sheeting; pin-feed/fan folding; variable data; two-sided prints; lamination; and various UV coatings including matte, high gloss, thermal, and imprintable varnish.
Its digital print division touts the ability to cost-effectively produce small- to medium-run quantities. The technology is ideal for prototypes and multiple SKUs as well as projects requiring detailed design work. Accurate press-ready proofing is available as well as the option for printing continuous patterns, like wallpaper designs.
Not to be replaced, its flexographic capabilities are utilized for larger run quantities with lower consumable costs. It also offers high-definition flexographic plates that, according to the company, provide higher than average flexographic standards and various substrate compatibility.
Custom Growth
Digital printing continues to evolve and demand for shorter runs, more SKUs, and variable data drives attention to this segment. Therefore, Accu-Label is focused on supporting and growing this side of its business.
“Creating custom labels at Accu-Label is more than just a job for us, it’s a calling,” says David Manning Jr., owner, Accu-Label.
Because of this commitment, the company is researching the latest market offerings. “For over 30 years, we’ve been answering that call by investing into the foundation of our business. Quality and service is the core of our business. That means giving our customers superior service and the highest quality product, with family-centered culture to back it up. We’re proud to service both local and national customers,” adds Manning Jr.
When it comes to technology, the label manufacturer strives to focus on the future, not on the past. “Positioning is everything in the label market and you have to set yourself apart from others, to stay on the cutting edge of this industry,” says Catie Manning-Ewald, creative and marketing director, Accu-Label.
In light of this, it added the Tau RSCi inkjet label printer from Durst Image Technology US, LLC to its portfolio in November 2020. The Tau RSCi offers a resolution of 1,200 dpi and speeds of up to 328 feet per minute. It is designed to handle medium- to long-run jobs while also producing high-quality, short-run jobs in the most economical way.
Accu-Label chose to add extended gamut color, high-opacity white, and variable data options to expand what it can offer its customers. The Tau RSCi is available in 13-, 16.5-, and 20-inch versions and while it is possible to upgrade to wider widths in the field, the label provider chose the 20-inch model to maximize throughput and productivity.
“With the addition of the Durst, we are looking to take our standard of digital printing to the next level to help us revolutionize label printing,” comments DJ Manning III, production manager, Accu-Label.
The latest digital label press investment enables the company to quickly respond to complex client demands, optimize production processes, provide expansion into new market segments, all while meeting the high-level flexographic-like quality output that it built its reputation around.
“We chose Durst because they really understood our business needs,” shares David Manning. “Yes, speed was a big consideration, but we needed more,” he continues. “We are a company that is devoted to providing the best quality product and a high level of service. For us, it doesn’t matter how fast a press prints if we can’t deliver a quality product. We felt the Durst RSCi gave us both speed and exceptional quality compared to other digital printing technologies currently available on the market. We see the RSCi as the best complement to our flexographic process.”
Manning is confident that the Tau RSCi is the critical component to continuing Accu-Label’s expansion. He states, “adding the Durst RSCi digital label press is vital in meeting customer expectations and requirements, now and in the future. The speed and throughput of the Tau RSCi help to cultivate our customer base as well as the efficiency of our production workflow, giving us the ability to handle the longer runs that produces total cost efficiency.”
Digital Quality
Accu-Label’s business model centers around customer satisfaction and quality. As it continues to expand its business, these areas are of utmost importance. The addition of the Durst Tau RSCi solidifies its ability to do this.
Apr2021, Digital Output
