(L-R) Kristina Sauve, office and production manager, Debbie Gilbert, owner, and Andrew Stewart, press operator

 

Canadian print service provider PRX Print has invested in a Mark Andy Digital One hybrid press to bring label printing in house.

The company provides packaging solutions, including printed labels, forms, boxes and shrink sleeves, to customers across a variety of industries. Due to increasing demand, printed labels became a larger part of the company’s product mix, however, as a brokerage, PRX had limited control over the production process and timelines.

Debbie Gilbert, owner, commented, ‘We recognised a need for fast turnaround times and high-quality finished products, and we decided to gain control over this aspect of our business.’

Key features that drew Ms Gilbert to the Digital One were the “pay as you go” no-click-charge structure, its small, eco-friendly footprint with minimal waste, and the toner-based technology which fuses ink right into the label substrate, ensuring maximum print adhesion and durability – ideal for food and beverage labels, a market PRX Print specialises in.

The flexo print station that can be used for embellishments was also seen as a bonus, and the flexibility to print small-run, multiple-version high-quality labels with inline die-cutting was aligned with the company’s goal to penetrate that market opportunity.

‘We looked at other presses on the market and nothing compared to the Digital One in terms of balancing features, cost and quality,’ Ms Gilbert added. ‘The Mark Andy solution meant we didn’t need to make an additional investment in separate die-cutting equipment.’

She continued, ‘A couple of days after training, one of our customers had a truckload of fresh blueberries that had arrived in clamshells without labels. If he didn’t get them labelled within 24 hours, they’d go to waste. Had we still been just a broker, we wouldn’t have been able to help.

‘It was approved and printed within hours and the entire order was delivered the following morning. That was the first job for our Digital One.’

Since installation the company has been able to support many clients with same-day printed samples for new product launches, small batch labels for colour testing and provide same- or next-day custom label design and printing.

In 2018, Ms Gilbert projects business growth to be more than 50% higher over 2017, primarily due to the company’s new in house printing capabilities and customer responsiveness.