The Label Printing Blog

LED UV inks are one of the fastest growing trends in the printing industry, fuelled by the increasing demand for sustainable products and a recent reminder that energy costs have returned as a pressure on business. LED UV inks are a popular sustainable option because they are 100% free of the solvents and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that are linked to so many environmental and health problems.

Narrow web printing requires a specific methodology and type of printing press to get the best results and lowest operating costs. Narrow web printing is a term used in both flexographic and digital printing to describe any web measuring less than 500mm /20 inches. In some cases, this may include conventional as well as digital printing systems with or without in-line converting options. This is contrasted with wide web printing, which uses larger webs of  1000mm/40inches plus or more in width in the packaging sectors.

The so-called skills shortage has been a topic affecting many sectors across the developed world over the past few years – especially construction, manufacturing, engineering, transport and extending to many sectors of the printing industry, too. What it means, in effect, is there aren’t enough skilled workers in the market to fill all the available job positions. This creates a negative spiral of lower productivity, increased pressure on employees, stunted growth, and higher wage demands, that drives down performance across the industry.

Back in April, Focus Label were proud to announce that we would be the official suppliers and service partners for the Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230 label printing press in the UK market.

New generations of print hardware and print management software are drastically altering the face of the label printing industry. Some businesses have responded by migrating over to digital printing wholescale, changing their business model to suit the new technology. Others are reluctant to give up the advantages of flexographic printing, especially considering the costs of digital printing.