Bristol Labels is reaping the rewards of its investment in high-end flexo printing technology and complementary consumables, which is enabling the UK-based printing company to target higher margin work and grow its business.

Founded in 2004, Bristol Labels previously produced self-adhesive labels for food and drink applications using legacy flexo technology and toner-based digital printing. It’s fair to say that in recent times, the label printer had become known for its use of digital to serve craft food and beverage customers.

To take the business to the next level, a 6-color Edale FL1 Prime was installed at the Brislington-based business a little over a year ago. This is part of the plan for Ben Stokes, Bristol Labels managing director, to deliver ambitious growth. This will see turnover doubled, if not tripled, in short order.

“Digital is a major part of our business and will continue to grow,” says Stokes. “However, to approach the profile of customer we wanted to go after and produce the type of work needed to grow the business 2x, 3x or even 4x, it was necessary to invest in a high-end flexo press capable of producing high value, long-run flexo work at the speeds and quality required.”

The press installed is a 13.7″ UV flexo press, equipped with a lamination unit and high-build screen module. Also included is Edale’s proprietary EZ reg technology, which is a camera-based registration system that autonomously controls registration in the X (machine) and Y (transverse) axis without the need of operator intervention.

Such capabilities were an important consideration for Stokes, as this was a major investment that needed to give his company the tools to go after larger blue-chip accounts where demands are high and quality is paramount. Bristol Labels had not been confidently able to go after and serve this profile of customer with its existing legacy flexo printing technology.

Stokes notes, “The addition of high-build screen has been a major advancement for us. It not only allows us to add striking aesthetic and functional enhancements with varnishes but also gives us a competitive edge for high-end, long-run work.”

The power of partnership

Selecting partners that were able to accompany and support Bristol Labels on its journey was essential for Stokes. This started with the press.

“I needed someone who wanted to work with me as much as I did with them,” remarks Stokes. “When we entered conversations with the market, it quickly became evident that Edale was the right choice for us. While the machine has impeccable build quality and commissioning has been nearly faultless, Edale has also shone through as a partner that has been willing and able to guide us into this exciting new growth phase.

“The implementation of updated software and the switch from water-based printing on our existing flexo machine to UV are clear examples of where Edale helped our operators quickly get up to speed on the press.”

Louise Bailey, sales manager, EMEA at Edale, emphasizes the importance of strong partnerships: “We don’t just sell machines at Edale, we build long-term relationships. Our goal is to work closely with our customers, understanding their needs and providing solutions that help them grow.

“We take pride in offering tailored support, ensuring our clients maximize the potential of their investments,” adds Bailey. “By fostering collaboration and staying ahead with innovative technology, we help businesses like Bristol Labels achieve sustained success in a competitive market.”

In the same vein, Stokes says working with Northampton-based Creation Reprographics has been critical to Bristol Labels’ successful deployment of the Edale FL1 Prime. As a 6-color press, Stokes was conscious of the need to nail down a prepress partner that would ensure the new press consistently delivered the highest quality print from CMYK, white and a spot color or varnish.

“We know that large amounts of work can be produced using process colors plus, but to do that at the high quality required by the jobs we are bringing in meant looking at the whole setup, not just the press,” says Stokes. “In Creation, we found a full-service partner that knows our machinery and understands what we are striving to achieve. As well as fingerprinting the press and providing us with a full service for plates and screens, they advise and consult on areas where adjustments in prepress and plate specification can improve the quality of work and help us maintain a consistent 80 m/m press speed for a 6-color job, which is the sweet spot for our FL1 Prime.

“Creation has been a huge support and understands exactly how important the plates are in helping us maximize the investment and deliver the work we’ve promised,” he adds.

According to Matt Francklow, managing director at Creation Reprographics, “Ben has embraced Creation’s sustainable approach to platemaking and automation, which enables a smooth conversion process from digital to flexographic label production. Using Creation’s rotary screen options, Bristol labels can look at high quality embellishment to take the labels produced to the next level. Ben is highly motivated in the pursuit of delivering high quality labels, which fits well with Creation’s approach to the marketplace.”

Pulse Roll Label Products completes the supply chain that Bristol Labels has assembled in pursuit of assured and consistent flexo quality.

The fellow Bristol-based company’s PureTone UV inks are running on the press, with their stable and high-strength single-pigment formulation providing the perfect solution to enable Stokes and Bristol Labels’ press operators to run the type of work that is needed to achieve the growth they desire and will surely achieve. Pulse’s PureScreen UV screen inks and varnishes are also being used.

“Pulse has provided us with the level of support and service we need from our ink supplier,” says Stokes. “A transactional relationship where barrels of ink are simply shipped to an address doesn’t work for us. Collaboration with a company that understands our business, what we are doing, and will advise us is important to me. We have that relationship with Pulse. That builds trust and we know that if we’re ever stuck or in need of advice, we can pick up the phone for support or they’ll be here in next to no time.”

Pulse managing director Gary Seward adds, “We are delighted to have been entrusted to help Bristol Labels deliver the highest quality flexo work from its Edale FL1 Prime.

“Our inks are a critical part of the overall print production, ensuring consistent and reliable performance, maximizing equipment utilization, delivering prints that are right first time, minimizing waste, and driving efficiency into the total operation.

“We are always delighted to see our customers reaching the highest heights, with our inks and varnishes playing a key part in their successes.”

Customers become partners, partners become friends

Seward continues, “We have more than a supplier-customer relationship with the printers we work with. We are an extension of their business, and it is incumbent upon us to make sure we are working day and night to deliver the solutions that our customers can then convert into high-quality and award-winning prints.

“This has been especially true of our relationship with Bristol Labels over the last 18 months. By working so closely together, we advise and support when issues do arise, make suggestions and improvements, and can even go back to the lab and reformulate to ensure perfect performance.”

Stokes notes, “Without the capability this investment brought us, it was not possible to approach the type of customers we wanted to. That meant making the investment first, so making it even more important that the partners we chose to join us on this journey were not only willing to come with us but able to help us grow and deliver the quality and work we envisioned. In Edale, Creation and Pulse, we have assembled the perfect trio of partners. As a supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link, having these three partners collaborating with us from day one has ensured we are on a solid footing to rapidly grow our business.”