Hub Labels, a converter based in Hagerstown, MD, USA, is seeing an influx of new jobs due to COVID-19. With the industry’s essential status on display, Hub Labels has seen greater demand for labels for face masks, hand sanitizers, and boxes for curbside delivery.

According to Hub Labels, the company has relied on its Heidelberg-Gallus Labelfire 340 and its combination of productivity and high-quality output.

“I think people can lose sight of how important print is,” explains Thomas Dahbura, president of Hub Labels. “During COVID-19, I’ve really made sure our staff knows that we are essential. We play a crucial role in the food supply and product segment. We’re playing a huge role for our community and the country – even if it is behind the scenes.”

With numerous requests from companies needing short turnaround times, Hub Labels has found that the Labelfire 340 is expertly suited for these jobs. Running at 50 m/m, the Gallus Labelfire 340 combines the latest digital printing technology with the benefits of conventional printing and further processing technology. The Labelfire is a complete inline solution handling digital, flexo, cold foil, rotary screen, and diecutting from start to finish — all from a single machine.

“I find it hard to describe the technology on the press to our customers, as it can be hard to take in all the capabilities this press has, but when I show the customer what we can do for them, they are always amazed,” says Dahbura. “Our competitors are printing amazing resolution of 600 x 600 dpi on other machines, but the 1200 x 1200 dpi on the Labelfire is just incredible. Plus, I receive consistent color from run-to-run, which is crucial for our customers who have specific brand colors that need to match on each label.”

On the digital side, the Labelfire features the latest inkjet technology with seven colors plus white and three flexo conventional print units. Depending on customers’ label design needs, the press can print flexo white or digital white without slowing down the press speeds.

Jointly created by Heidelberg and Gallus, the Labelfire is run by Heidelberg’s Prinect Digital Front End, which includes spot color matching, the PDF Toolbox, and Prepress Manager.

“We are very proud to work and depend upon the Labelfire 340,” adds Dahbura. “The technology on the press allows us to complete any job that is requested of us. It’s a flexible piece of machinery, so we can use it for several types of jobs. It really helps set us apart from our competitors.”