MPS Bristol has become the first UK user of the seven colour version of Domino’s N610i inkjet label press.
The digital machine joins a fleet of flexo presses and is already relieving the pressure on these by taking on shorter run work. “This is a first for Domino and a first for us,” says Bob Houghton, head of marketing and communications at MPS Bristol. “We waited until the seven-colour version was available because we wanted to print higher opacity white using two heads if necessary. We can hit more spot colours with this press.”
The 610i is a “significant step forward in terms of technology and operational excellence,” adds MPS Bristol managing director Andy Walter. He has been monitoring developments in the digital print space for some time, waiting for a press which could match the quality of flexo.
“The new press will challenge designers, brand managers and marketers to push the boundaries and build personalisation, variable data and more focused promotional offers into the clients’ labels,” he adds.
The press is housed in a specially constructed room where it prints roll to roll. Print rolls are fed through a separate Digicon line which then adds foil, embossing, lamination, varnishes, die cuts, slits and rewinds the labels ready for us.
Key markets for MPS Bristol include personal care where the high opacity white will be needed to convert filmic materials, and beer labels where production of short batches for artisan breweries is essential. The capabilities of the press allow the machine to cope with non stop production where similar designs for the same customer are required and for ultra short batch production of special occasion beers.
“We want also to target other markets where premium quality labels are required for products with a high price point,” says Houghton. “This could include personalisation.
“It’s still early days as it has only been running for a couple of weeks. We believe we can encourage customers to order less, so we are cutting down on waste as well as short batch orders. These are things we haven’t been able to offer in the past. We now need to sell these features that the flexo presses do not have.”
If this is the first seven-colour press in the UK for Domino’s inkjet label press, it is not the first overall order. The company has installed the first generation of the machine, running with five colours. “These are customers that have not needed the seven-colour capability,” says a Domino spokesman. “Five-colour printing has given them the quality and colour that they need. Others have waited until seven-colour print becomes available.”
Domino has shipped the first UK version of its seven colour N610i inkjet label presses to MPS Bristol, following a number of installations of the earlier generation five-colour press.
