Five ways to unlock label repro value with a repro specialist
When it comes to product labelling, every brand owner and their print partner share a common goal: ensuring that their labels exhibit consistent colours and graphics, regardless of the order complexity or label type.
Whether it’s richly appointed beverage labels for high-end wines and spirits, eye-catching paper-based designs for canning or vibrant shrink labels for the latest drinks hitting the store shelves, uniformity forms the foundation of label printing, and that starts with reprographic support, even before the first press has been fired up.
The pressure is on for label converters to deliver speed, quality and savings for brand customers, and add in the heightened demand for sustainability, and it can feel like too many plates to spin alone.
As a result, a dedicated label repro partner can be an ideal solution for printers looking to elevate their game in response to an evolving market.
…But, what is label reprographics?
In the context of quality label printing, repro refers to the vital process of preparing label artwork for printing, ensuring consistent colour accuracy and optimal ink use from the outset, enhancing graphical quality, and enriching overall printability.
This can be accomplished in many different ways, but typically involves tasks such as colour management and artwork origination, file optimisation, proofing, and flexo plate production, all aimed at transforming the initial label design into a format ready for production, that wows on-shelf.
Many printers outsource their repro needs to a specialist repro house, such as Creation. Among many core advantages, a dedicated partner can bring expertise and technology to ensure label artwork meets brand standards and printing requirements, without errors or waste.
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Five ways to drive more value through label reprographics
- Think of repro as ‘a surgical approach’ to label printing
Reprographics is an essential part of the label printing process, but the consequences of getting it wrong can be dire. A good way to view modern label repro is like the assessments before an operation. In both cases, initial exploratory steps are essential to ensure the best possible outcome.
Reprographics, as part of the wider pre-press phase, is the bridge between an outstanding label design on-screen, and the actual printing process. It is where printers can fine-tune designs without making costly disruptions on-press, which underlines the importance of getting it right.
Dedicated repro professionals are well-versed in digital and flexographic printing, as well as the calibration profiles of the printing presses – but oftentimes, label converters do not hold this expertise in in-house teams alone, and a repro partner can fill in the blanks. They can translate design expectations into achievable colour targets and develop process controls that guide the printer in achieving them.
In essence, label pre-press teams use their expertise to ensure the printability and reproducibility of brand artwork. Skipping or rushing this step increases the risk of printing labels that don’t meet stringent brand owner requirements – a very costly and disruptive habit for printers.
- Ask questions – and clarify your label requirements.
The relationship between label converters and their repro partners should be one of open lines of communication, backed by fluidity and agility.
Creation aims to build outstanding connections with its customers by always going above and beyond expectations, and that begins from the very first enquiry. Our team is just as comfortable working to your specific brand colour space requirements as they are to building a new design from the ground up.
Brands are rightly protective of their image, visual identity and colourways, and these colours must remain precise across different materials and production methods. As a result, effective communication is key during pre-press setup to ensure everything remains on-course from start to finish. It’s vital that printers clearly convey your requirements for the finished label early in the process, wherein it becomes the challenge for the repro partner to bring it to life.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your repro partner – as an experienced repro partner will have many of their own in order to wow from the first opportunity. Questions about their experience with a given substrate and its printing qualities, getting the most from finishes such as reflective areas on metallised materials, the latest tactile embellishments, colour expectations, and brand standards, should all be addressed upfront at the earliest opportunity. In turn, this ensures artworking and subsequent proofs are as close to the original vision as possible.
- Let repro support label industry sustainability
With a dedicated partner, it’s easier than ever for label converters to set themselves up for success. However, the benefits of effective repro support can be wide and varied.
One of the less obvious benefits to printers is that reprographics, as part of the vital prepress stage, can support business-wide sustainability strategies. Sustainable repro can be a highly effective tool for building a more environmentally-conscious label printing strategy and aiming to reduce the overall environmental impact of a print business.
In addition to ensuring right-first-time printing and reducing the risk of wasteful reruns, an experienced repro partner like Creation is also able to support its customers in areas of ink optimisation, as well as supplying technology designed with sustainable label printing in mind.
Examples include how Creation proudly champions fixed colour palette printing for optimal use of ink resources from an extended CMYK/OGV colour gamut that eliminates wasteful and expensive spot colour inks, to supplying water-washable flexo plates that remove the need for harmful VOC solvent washout from the plate production process.
- Access trusted rotary screen technology
The demand for quality narrow web label printing has never been higher, and as the label printing industry adapts to changing market needs, a dedicated repro partner like Creation can put the spotlight on time-tested rotary screens. For example, Creation supplies the high-performance Kocher & Beck TecScreen™ range.
With the demands of modern narrow web label printing, rotary screen printing shines due to its unwavering precision and consistency. The technology has been developed and shaped over a long period of use, and printers can rely on this technique to deliver exceptional quality even during extended production runs, aligning perfectly with the growing importance of job scalability.
Further, rotary screen printing stands out for its ability to render fine details and small text with remarkable precision, making it ideal for intricate label designs, including barcodes and QR codes. Moreover, its versatility extends to various material substrates, from paper to film and foil, providing printers with unparalleled flexibility.
Creation’s commitment to label and packaging prepress solutions is epitomised by its offering of TecScreen rotary screens, which boast high-definition imaging capabilities up to 4000dpi and the ability to retrofit existing flexographic presses. With symmetrical and durable substrates, TecScreen ensures consistent, high-speed printing while maintaining precise registration, making them an excellent choice for extended production jobs.
- Experience and expertise
While technology plays a significant role in modern pre-press, it’s the expertise of a dedicated reprographics press team that truly makes the difference.
Today’s exciting label printing technology advancements have automated many processes, and label converters have greater flexibility than ever before – but it’s the deep hard-won knowledge and experience of repro professionals that ensure optimal results and a dazzling finished article.
When brand owners are evaluating and selecting their label printers, excellence in pre-press can be a core differentiator. As a result, the expertise of a dedicated partner can be extremely valuable, in combination with the latest printing technology.
Reprographics is often the ‘unsung hero’ of label printing. The process rarely gets the same attention as the end result it creates, but getting it right ensures that printed labels meet every expectation for colour, graphical fidelity, and consistency.
However, printers never have to go it alone – partnering with a reprographics specialist like Creation Reprographics can help converters unlock the full potential and value of pre-press, leading to enhanced print performance, a solid foundation for printing, precise colour reproduction, and a more sustainable approach to label production.
Looking to deliver standout print on your label projects? It begins with Creation Reprographics, so get in touch with our team today!