Scott Labels invests in a bizhub label printer

Packaging Solutions

Scott Labels has entered the digital print arena thanks to an investment in a bizhub Press C71cf.

Prior to taking delivery of the bizhub, Scott Labels was a 100% flexo print shop, running a fleet comprising two six colour flexo presses, alongside a 1-colour printer and die cutting machine used for plain labels.

The presses were running to good capacity, but with increased demand for short run, multi colour, multi version labels, the company needed to look for a more effective way to process these orders.

‘Running short run, multi colour, multi version labels on the flexo presses was both time and cost intensive. We had to constantly change the plates, and it was difficult to match both the quality and price of digitally printed labels. We were missing out on lots of potential new business,’ managing director David Scott explained.

Rather than outsource or turn the work away, David recognised that in order to compete and innovate in a crowded marketplace, the company needed to look at digital technology to complement the flexo offer.

After conducting extensive market research, he visited Konica Minolta’s showroom in Milton Keynes and tested a live job on the bizhub Press C71cf label press.

‘We seriously considered inkjet and that still appeals, however the Konica Minolta press can produce a wider range of labels and can print on many different substrates – that was a key advantage for us. Running a live job enabled us to put the machine through its paces, test throughput and colour accuracy, and it ticked all the boxes,’ he said.

After trying it out first hand, Scott Labels made the decision to invest in the bizhub as well as AccurioPro Label Impose software. This easy to use software tool for the fast and efficient imposition of labels, has been specially developed for the C71cf. The press is also equipped with Color Centro technology, which enables the operator to edit colour with visible adjustments on screen.

Konica Minolta also provided initial training on the new system as well as on-going service and support.