Portland, OR-based Craftsman Label, a full-service narrow web company serving brands and packaging buyers across the US and abroad, has optimized print quality with the help APR and MacDermid.

Darren McClintock began his career at Craftsman Label nearly two decades ago, when he was initially hired as a journeyman pressman before working his way up to his current role as pressroom manager. Frustrated with repeated ink transfer issues and the lack of service coming from their plate supplier, McClintock started to consider other options.

He comments, “We weren’t getting the support we needed to fix our ink transfer issues and after a few years of this happening I felt we needed to seriously start looking at other potential plate suppliers.”

In addition to considering alternative plate vendors, McClintock was looking for a way to potentially streamline his company’s consumables inventory practices. He states, “Our approach to tracking inventory was the same as just about every other label printer out there. It involved me relying on other people in the company to let me know that we were low on a specific product. Periodically we would run out of an item and then have to do next day or second day air delivery and pay the extra fees.”

At the most recent Labelexpo Americas, McClintock scheduled a meeting with APR to talk about the firm’s MacDermid ITP plate technology and associated service offerings. “We have been an APR customer for about a year and a half, and when their local technical sales representative started talking about how they could help us with our plate issues, I was interested in hearing what she had to say,” he states. “After a few months of trials and testing, we realized that the MacDermid plates could deliver in every single way our existing plate supplier was delivering in addition to saving us a substantial amount of money.”

McClintock notes that the switch to MacDermid plates was seamless, and that he projects his company will save more than $80,000 over the course of a year as a result. He adds, “I wanted the switch to be seamless and so far it has been, and I can tell you that I am in love with these new plates.”

In addition to switching to the MacDermid ITP plates, Craftsman Label also brought in APR’s SupplySentry RFID Inventory Management system. APR’s roots in RFID-managed inventory dates back to 2004 and the company remains at the forefront of RFID software development expertise and marketplace testing. APR’s SupplySentry RFID-enabled Flexo Supply continuously monitors the consumables items Craftsman Label uses on a daily basis including doctor blades, wipes, tapes and the MacDermid plate material.

McClintock comments, “The SupplySentry works beautifully for us. I look at it every day and have direct access to my precise inventory levels for some of our most important consumables. We have 23 items that we track through the system currently, and this guarantees we will never run out of a product or have to ship anything express air.”

As the market for labels and other narrow web applications becomes more competitive than ever before, printers are constantly seeking ways to remove costs from the supply chain without having to compromise print quality or service. 

With its fleet of flexo, thermal and digital press systems, the company’s high-definition label and flexible packaging applications serve a wide range of end-use sectors, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and industrials. With over 4,000 standard die shapes and the ability to print up to 10 colors, Craftsman Label can cater to the most varied needs of its customers.

The company has also long prioritized sustainability best practices, using water-based inks that eliminate potential contamination of harsh chemicals into waterways, in addition to lowering overall carbon output. The company has additionally implemented a comprehensive recycling program that involves all employees from the front offices to the production floor in a continuous effort to reinforce its commitment to environmental stewardship.