Digital technology cuts Dulux label test marketing costs

Citation

(1999), "Digital technology cuts Dulux label test marketing costs", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928aaf.003

Digital technology cuts Dulux label test marketing costs

Digital technology cuts Dulux label test marketing costs

Keywords Dulux, Fasson, Labelling, Printing

A combination of digital printing and Fasson High Gloss White labelstock, from Avery Dennison Fasson Roll Europe, has dramatically cut the costs of an ICI Dulux test-marketing exercise in Poland (Plate 1).

Before launching a range of paints and woodstains to the Polish market, the company needed to be certain that they had chosen the right products ­ and the right packaging.

This meant preparing a test run of self-adhesive labels to cover the proposed product range ­ 44 different products, all with multi-variants, for each of which just 400 tins would be test-marketed.

Ray Murrell, European Decorative Paint Technologist at Dulux, clearly had a problem on his hands. Printing and diecutting the labels conventionally had high cost implications ­ set-up and plate costs in particular ­ and would take time to complete. He therefore consulted label converter Simpson Label Co. Ltd of Dalkeith, Scotland ­ who recommended producing the labels on its Nilpeter digital label press.

Plate 1 A combination of digital printing and Fasson High Gloss White labelstock has dramatically cut the costs of an ICI Dulux test-marketing exercise in Poland

Says Ray Murrell: "The costs were prohibitive until we looked at digital printing."

Using Fasson High Gloss White with permanent adhesive S451 and a white kraft Hygro 80 backing, Simpson Label was able to produce on time all 44 different types, and the variants, to Dulux's requirements. Print quality on the top-grade cast-coated face material was excellent, for both vignettes and solids.

The labels were additionally back-split to enable Dulux to adhere only part of the whole wrapround to the tin, leaving the rest of the label's backing in place. The opacity and rigidity of the kraft backing proved a functional bonus in this respect. S451's high tack and adhesion characteristics guaranteed a satisfactory bond, even though the contact area with the tins was small.

It is reported that the combination of Simpson Label's printing skills, the Nilpeter digital press and the Fasson material demonstrate clearly the advantage of digital colour print for short runs. Not only is the quality of the finished label now extremely high, but Simpson estimates that the cost of traditionally originating 44 different label types would have been greater than the total cost of the digitally-printed finished product.

Details are available from Avery Dennison Fasson Roll Europe. Tel: 0171 583 7788; Fax: 0171 583 7799; E-mail: TWing77@AOL.com