Labelling
The growing opportunity to produce short run customised labels
Rob Brown, senior manager business development, OKI Europe, explores the positive transformation of the label printing market and what this means for print service providers.
A
s more businesses look to produce and sell their own personalised and customised products, Print Service Providers (PSPs) have taken notice of this trend and are exploring the opportunities, particularly in label production. It’s of little surprise that the label opportunity has caught the eye of PSPs considering the global label printing market is projected to hit $49.9 billion in 2024.
Even in the midst of the pandemic, label-stock growth in Europe increased by 4.3% in 2020 when compared to the previous year. It’s an opportunity for PSPs to access a new source of revenue in a time where traditional print services are declining.
However, making a profitable venture out of labels has typically been a fraught process. Label printers are usually limited to producing specific minimum quantities, leaving customers in the difficult position of having to spend more for an excessive level of stock.
This also means that any excess product is likely to take up precious storage space for many businesses, or create unnecessary levels of waste if ultimately disposed of.
Consumers are looking to be more sustainable in their purchases, and businesses will be looking to do the same.
To battle these challenges, PSPs need to harness the latest in label printing technology. Among the devices available, those that print in CMYK+White are able to handle a wide variety of substrates such as coloured, transparent or even metallic effect media. This allows print businesses such as PSPs to access unprecedented flexibility, enabling the boundaries of creativity to be pushed. PSPs are able to offer both new and existing customers striking and memorable designs on-demand.
By utilising the technology offered in OKI’s range of label printers, colour labels can be printed in professional quality as needed, and also in short runs. These intuitive devices are able to print in any quantity required, from one label to many. This means customers receive exactly the number of labels they ordered and reduces the opportunities for waste. Short run customised labels can then become an effective part of a PSP’s service portfolio, with no set-up time or extra costs incurred.
OKI devices provide a new level of flexibility for PSPs. OKI’s Pro1040 Label Printer offers professional four colour narrow-format printing across a range of different label media, including textured papers and synthetics. For those looking to offer an even greater colour dimension, the
OKI Pro1050 Label Printer creates a distinctive and eye-catching finish to label designs on transparent media. This can be placed on any coloured background, even dark bottles. OKI’s Pro1050 label printer works by adding white toner under the CMYK design. This ensures that the final design is then prominent and stands out against the transparent background. In addition, this is also possible with waterproof, textured or coloured label stock, plus uncoated paper and synthetics (PE, PET, PP). Urlichs & Pape, a family-run business specialising in the production and processing of labels, was witnessing reduced demand for labels using traditional printing processes and needed to meet market demand for coloured adhesive labels. Upon picking OKI’s Pro1050 label printer, the business was able to print on a wide range of media, which included transparent, opaque, white or coloured, as well as uncoated, glossy or textured papers. The option of using white as a fifth colour gave the business greater design flexibility, while the device’s efficiency meant that more could be printed in a shorter time frame. The barriers to profitable label printing are now being removed thanks to innovations in technology. An LED technology-powered compact label printer can make short run label printing a profitable venture, while adding new creative dimensions with the option of a fifth colour.
With use of supporting devices, PSPs can pursue profitable transactions in two main ways. Firstly, they will be able to win additional business from existing clients through the offering of this new service. Additionally, it also opens up the market for new business. As the sector evolves with the proliferation of retailer producers due to the pandemic, it’s an opportunity to pivot into a brand new customer base that was previously unobtainable. The opportunities for PSPs are now endless.
Xwww.oki.com/uk
16
December/January 2022
www.convertermag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
