Positive ID Labels has announced the addition of a new press to its growing facility in Melbourne, Derbyshire, UK. This latest investment is the Xeikon 3030 dry-toner print engine with an inline GM finishing unit. This investment opens a new channel of label print options for the company’s more than 5,000 customers.

This investment in dry toner means the company now utilizes four print technologies and manufactures labels with both flexographic and digital presses – seven flexo and now two digital. The flagship flexo press is an 8-colur MPS EB370B Their digital offering now includes the 5 color Xeikon 3030 dry-toner press which complements an established Jetrion 4900 with laser diecutting capability. Sectors the company focuses on include food, beverage, cosmetics, chemical and hygiene. Positive ID Labels caters to any order size, thanks to the range of equipment available to them.

Managing Director John Mayers, comments, “In the last 5 years, we estimate the laser cutting technology has saved customers around £600,000 in cutter costs alone. Coupled with no need for plates, we estimate our customers have saved well over a quarter of a million pounds per year.”

Mayers cited the Jetrion 4900 as being perfect for printing high impact beer bottle labels. Using UV white ink on metallic substrates, the press attains foil effects in one pass. These have become popular within the brewing community, Mayers says, noting the company creates bottle screen print effects by printing white plus CMYK ink onto clear materials. “These transparent labels mimic screen printing at a fraction of the cost,” he adds.

“The EFI Jetrion 4900 opened our eyes to the possibilities of digital print. It now generates over 40% of our print revenues! The 4900 has allowed us to manufacture from feed-stock to finished goods in the box in one process,” says Mayers.

Positive ID Labels installed itd Xeikon 3030 Discovery machine in January 2020. “While the Jetrion 4900 suffers from a low print resolution of 360dpi on a 207mm print width, the Xeikon 3030 manages an impressive 1200dpi, producing pin-sharp images. It runs slower but is 330mm wide,” Mayers explains.

“Rewind finishing has always been a challenge in the production process so going inline was a panacea for us to grow our digital channel. The decision to add the Xeikon was straightforward. We were losing or having to outsource business on these resolution issues. There were also some premium markets what were unreachable with the Jetrion due to the wet nature of inkjet printing,” concludes Mayers. “Positive ID Labels is now positioned to cater for all labeling requirements, large or small. A Jack of all trades is better than a master of one, so the saying goes.”