Diversified Labels, based in Chandler, AZ, USA, has installed the Epson SurePress L-6534VW UV digital label press. Looking to both print their own automotive anti-theft security stickers and serve businesses in the Chandler area, Diversified Labels chose the SurePress L-6534VW due to advanced offerings like white ink and digital varnish, high-quality output, printhead technology, and the speed that it offered at the right price point.

The family-owned business was initially developed to support the printing needs of parent company, Diversified Dealer Services, a manufacturer of automotive anti-theft security stickers and decals. “We spent so much money on printing and came to the conclusion that maybe we should start doing it ourselves,” says Alec Faber, partner, Diversified Labels. “We started by doing all our own printing, and after a few years, we decided our team had acquired the knowledge necessary to get into the label printing business.”

When looking to purchase a new label press, white ink was a requirement for the company. “We required a digital printer with white ink capabilities to produce our anti-theft window warning stickers. For SurePress to print white ink in the same path as everything else was a significant selling point for us,” remarks Faber.

Additionally, the opaqueness of the white ink, coupled with the ability to print reverse white, were vital features for Diversified Labels. “The opacity of the white ink needs to be dense for our decals printed on clear material,” explains Faber. “Many of our window stickers are designed to go inside the car, facing out. To create these decals, we need the reverse white feature, so white ink can be printed behind the colors, allowing the graphic to stand out. The opaqueness of the white ink on SurePress is outstanding. It allows us to produce readable white text and provides the ability to print a white background on our labels.”

Outside of its own automotive stickers and window warning decals, Diversified Labels produces labels for a variety of local businesses across industries, including food, beverage, nutraceuticals, candles, cannabis, and chemical. The company currently specializes in working with manufacturers, and the speed and versatility of SurePress has played a pivotal role in driving the growth of Diversified Labels.

“Once we were up and running with SurePress, we started reaching out to other local businesses to let them know we were a new digital label printer in town and wanted to help them save money on their labels,” states Faber. “We were able to tell them, ‘We can turn your labels around quickly at a better price point and at the same or better quality than you are used to.’”

The biggest workflow difference between SurePress and its previous solution has been the speed and batch printing capabilities. “Before we were producing 10 m/m, and now we consistently produce closer to 50 m/m,” says Faber. “The batch printing capabilities have allowed us to do multiple runs for a customer with different SKUs. It also allows us to keep costs down for customers by not quoting each job individually.”

The speed and batching advancement allow Diversified Labels to handle virtually any size job, making them a great option for any size business.

The digital varnish feature offered on SurePress brings extra pops, flashes and accents to customer labels when needed. “While it’s something we don’t use all the time, it’s nice to be able to offer our customers digital varnish when they are looking for something special,” comments Faber. “We use this with our cannabis and supplement customers who are looking for elaborate labels and want their products to standout to differentiate themselves.”

“Diversified Labels is a perfect example of a print shop with a niche flagship product that benefits from the inline white ink capabilities of SurePress,” says Mike Pruitt, product manager, Epson America. “The high-opacity of the white ink in the SurePress L-6534VW and its reverse-white printing is ideal for graphics produced on clear or transparent media, and we’re thrilled we could assist in the manufacturing of these labels and growing their external sales business.”

“SurePress has been instrumental in growing our business,” concludes Faber. “It’s a major selling point for us and has enabled us to expedite jobs far beyond what we could achieve before.”