HP has announced that Alpha Label, based in Sydney, Australia, has installed its first digital press, an HP Indigo WS6600. In addition to serving the PS label market, the versatility of the press, purchased through HP partner, Currie Group, will also enable the company to produce flexible packaging, sleeves, and folding cartons.

“We’re always looking for a competitive edge, as well as ways to provide better service to our customer base and potential new clients, and the HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press has given us the opportunity to offer a real point of difference,” says David Poole, managing director, Alpha Print Group. “With the machine’s unrivalled speed and efficiency, we’ve been able to produce more work at a faster rate, without compromising the quality that our customers expect.”

The digital color gamut offered by the HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press will streamline the company’s operations by eliminating the time previously required for colour separation, mounting plates on the machine, registration and colour-matching. With up to seven ink stations on the press, high-resolution prints are now ready to go immediately and any changes can be manipulated on-the-spot.

“It’s very exciting to see a successful printer like Alpha Label expand its services into digital for the first time,” says Steve Donegal, country manager, Indigo and Inkjet Digital Press Solutions, Graphics Solutions Business, HP South Pacific. “We’re looking forward to seeing how the company will diversify its offering to provide an even greater range of labels and packaging options for its growing customer base.”

The new addition will generate significantly less waste for the business, with the machine’s enhanced print quality reducing the margin for error. The higher throughput of the HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press will also decrease the average setup time between jobs, minimising the waste created when preparing the machine. The press also supports several eco-certified substrates, as well as environmentally friendly primers, varnishes, and adhesives.

“It’s great to see another label printer expand their services into digital,” adds Mark Daws, general manager ANZ – Labels & Packaging Division, Currie Group. “The new press offers great potential for Alpha Label to increase its customer base even further by delivering high-quality work on a range of applications.”