Situation Summary
In November 2017 a contract packager specializing in aerosol packaging for adhesives, cleaners, and lubricants contacted Brandywine for a production consultation. Their intention was to use preprinted labels for their high-volume products and blank die-cut labels for their Private Brand and small-volume items. The packager’s aging Vivo! printer was no longer being supported by the manufacturer and was constantly in need of repair and attention. After evaluating their current labels, expected volume, and their Adobe Illustrator label art library, Brandywine recommended a full-color Memjet roll-to-roll printer (Colordyne 1600 Series C).
As part of Brandywine’s standard on-boarding process, two product label pdf files were test printed on various label media from various print platforms. Brandywine returned sample test rolls of printed labels to the packager that could be applied to products in-line and tested for proper chemical resistance and overall appearance. A per-print ink cost evaluation by Brandywine was also part of the process.
Challenges
- Packager required edge-to-edge printing, which only certain printers can achieve
- Customized ERP software needed to communicate with the printer driver to populate variable information
- Packager had eleven different label SKUs and almost 1,000 different products with many small volume orders
- Packager required on-site IT and operational training and support during installation
Solutions and Success!
- The Memjet color inkjet process delivered by the Colordyne C1600 printer exceeded the print quality from their Vivo! printers AND at a reduced cost per print!
- The print quality, chemical resistance and ease of application on Brandywine Prime™ Glossy paper roll labels was a significant improvement over the previous label solution
- Brandywine helped reduce the number of label SKUs from eleven to five by standardizing sizes to reduce overall label costs
- Packager was able to reduce setup time on the printer with fewer roll changes due to standardized SKUs
- Brandywine built a min/max label inventory to cover packager’s production planning requirements allowing for immediate shipment to fulfill future orders, reducing customer inventory and space requirements
- Due to the convenience and cost controls, packager is now using blank die-cut labels for more medium and larger runs, further reducing pre-printed inventory