For the fifth consecutive year, Labeltronix is a gold award winner for Excellence in Flexography from The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA).

“With these latest honors, we have now won 24 gold, silver and bronze medals over a five-year period from the Flexographic Technical Association, and I’m very proud of our team that earned us this recognition,” said John Trail, president of Labeltronix.

Labeltronix also brought home two silvers and a bronze in the annual event, which is an international competition for excellence in flexography—a printing process that uses flexible relief plates with raised images.

The awards showcased Labeltronix’s innovative technology, which includes “high-definition flexo” color printing that produces photo-quality labels. The color on these stunning labels has a “real-life” look.

“We are the first—and only—label printing business in the country capable of delivering this premium quality on every order, every day,” says Trail. The decision not to charge extra for the upgrade in quality since it was introduced in 2009 is in keeping with the company’s Lean Labeling® philosophy. 
“One of our bedrock goals is to produce the highest quality labels available in the market while using Lean Labeling, which produces those labels at a cost and delivery that can’t be beat,” Trail says.

“We go for the gold on every project,” Trail says. “That attitude is reflected in our ISO 9001:2008 certification, which we earned in 2010. It’s the standard of excellence we continue to maintain for ourselves, whether we are entered into a competition, or not.”

The gold award was for processed printing on a metalized paper label that a sports nutrition product uses. The other three awards were for wine labels. Two silver awards were granted to Labeltronix-produced labels—one in the “screen uncoated” category and the other in the “line uncoated” category. Labeltronix also won a bronze for a “screen uncoated” wine label.

“We’re especially proud of that success this year, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary as a business.” Trail said. “With these latest honors, we have now won 24 gold, silver and bronze medals over a five-year period from the Flexographic Technical Association, and I’m very proud of our team that earned us this recognition.”

About Labeltronix

Celebrating its 20th anniversary of success in printing, Labeltronix has delivered the promise of quality and reliability in every customer solution it creates for consumer product manufacturers of food, wine, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, automotive, and personal care products. Labeltronix is Southern California's leading provider of labels, labeling systems and supplies, service and technical support. It has become the single-source supplier for all of its customers - its labeling experts don't simply follow the trends; they set them.

About the Flexographic Technical Association

The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), chartered in 1958, is a professional society dedicated to bringing together all members of the flexographic printing community—printers, suppliers, consumer product companies, institutions, prepress houses and others—by providing opportunities for the free exchange of technical ideas and discussion of mutual concerns. The association is a proponent of maintaining and advancing quality standards, and includes 1,300 member companies and 50,000 individual members. 

The Arctic Shield is an elegant, uncoated white paper label that is ice bucket ready exclusivley through Labeltronix.  This label can be printed digital or flexo technology, with finishing options that include hot foil stamping, emobssing, varnish, and lamination.  Recently featured in the November issue of Wine and Vines!

Come visit us at Unified Wine Symposium, Booth # 1516

Labeltronix will be exhibiting at the North Coast Wine Industry Expo on December 5th.  Looks for us at booth #103.

Labeltronix will be exhibiting at the North Coast Wine Industry Expo on December 5th.  Looks for us at booth #103.

Labeltronix, a premier label printer in the wine industry, recently installed the latest in digital printing technology to expand its printing capabilities and to give its wine customers more versatility in their printing options.

“The best way I can explain it is that our new state-of-the-art digital press is very impressive—and it is getting even more impressive results for our wine clients,” says John Trail, president of Labeltronix.

Among the qualities that make this press stand out are:

• Quality assurance: With confirmed color consistency and updated technology assurance, labels are closely monitored for detail and      accuracy.
       
• More vivid images: Sharp, crisp images with accurate “spot” colors are delivered with ease.
     
• Digital advantage for longer runs:While digital printing is considered best for shorter runs, this press is configured to excel at longer runs.
       
• Relevance in product life cycle: From design to product launch, digital printing allows the right message to be delivered to the right audience utilizing regionalization.
       
• Faster completion of labeling projects:Speed is of the essence with projects today, particularly “speed to market.” This press      accelerates how quickly your labeling projects can be completed.
       
• Ecological advantage: This press offers a “greener” solution since little set-up is required reducing the amount of make-ready waste.

“We look forward to showing wineries how this latest technology utilizing digital printing can improve their business. Already, we’re creating eye-popping, high-impact labels with it, and we’re excited about its almost limitless potential,” Trail said.

Labeltronix received 5 awards in the Labels and Wraps category at the 2012 Premier Print Awards competition. 

“One of our bedrock goals is to produce the highest quality labels available in the market while using Lean Labeling, which produces those labels at a cost and delivery that can’t be beat,” President John Trail says.

“We go for the gold on every project,” Trail says. “That attitude is reflected in our ISO 9001:2008 certification. It’s the standard of excellence we continue to maintain for ourselves, whether we are entered into a competition, or not.”

Visit our website at www.labeltronix.com or call us at 800.429.4321 to request samples of our award quality labels.

Wineries looking for a waterproof, “chill-proof” label finally have a 100% reliable option with Arctic Classic Crest, a new label material created by Labeltronix.

 Arctic Classic Crest stands out because it can withstand the wettest of wet and the coldest of temperatures in an ice bucket.

 Classy in appearance, this new label material conveys a sophisticated look on white, uncoated paper that works equally well with either flexographic or digital offset printing.

 Arctic Classic Crest also shines when embellished with finishing touches like hot foil stamping, embossing, varnishing or lamination.

 Labeltronix, the Anaheim, Calif.-based labeling company known for its award-winning wine labels, created Arctic Classic Crest in conjunction with a supplier who conducted much research and development on the product.

 This is Labeltronix’ first release in what will be the Arctic Shield family of labels. Future additions are expected within the year.

Request your FREE Samples Today!

Labeltronix is proud to announce the launch of its revitalized website, www.labeltronix.com

“The new site is redesigned so our current clients and future clients can find what they’re looking for easier, and can locate more solutions—like QR codes and adding variable data to their wine labels,” says Jill Sambol, Marketing Manager.

“We also wanted people to get the same fresh experience visiting our website that they get when they visit our new headquarters in Anaheim. Online or on site, they will come away with a ‘wow’ experience after seeing our capabilities,” Sambol says.

For more information, visit www.labeltronix.com

We believe it is our duty to implement strategies to reduce our ecological footprint. Labeltronix is committed to operating our business with sustainable awareness and action for a better, cleaner and healthier tomorrow.

Our Headquarters
When Labeltronix moved into its new headquarters in 2011, we built a state-of-the-art facility with energy efficiency as a fundamental requirement. To reduce our carbon footprint, we installed low-energy lighting, insulation that reduces energy usage, and energy-efficient air conditioning units. Most office areas are equipped with motion-sensor lighting, which reduces the amount of wasted electricity. Labeltronix promotes electronic files striving for a “paperless” workflow.  Whatever paper is generated or received in the course of doing business is eventually sent to a shred-and-recycle company. Our employees also recycle their aluminum and plastic containers.

Our Manufacturing
Our unique process, Lean Labeling®, was developed with the intention of reducing our carbon footprint--from the way we print our labels to the way we package and ship them out. Lean Labeling incorporates waste reduction in both our manufacturing process and how we eliminate waste for our customers.

Our Printing
We utilize eco-friendly printing methods – Digital offset printing and UV Flexo printing.

Digital offset printing is eco-friendly because:

• No water is needed.
• All ink consumables eliminate press waste.
• Solid waste is reduced.
• Make-ready waste is virtually eliminated.
• Ink canisters are recycled.
• Offering eco-friendly material, both uncoated and coated paper, which are Forest Service Council and Rainforest Alliance certified.  UV Flexo printing also has environmental advantages, including:
• Solvent-free inks are used, eliminating VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the drying/curing process.
• Ink is activated by UV light; the ink is 100% reusable, resulting in very little treatable waste.
• Offering eco-friendly material, both uncoated and coated paper, which are Forest Service Council and Rainforest Alliance certified.

Our Recycling
We offer a recycling program to our customers so they can return their plastic cores, plastic core plus, and cardboard box dividers to us, and we reuse them.  We recycle all cardboard boxes and pallets that come into our facility.

Labeltronix took home five awards in the 2012 Excellence in Flexography Awards, Narrow Web Category.  Honored with two gold awards, two silver and one bronze,  Labeltronix was recognized for its impressive  printing capabilities.

Sponsored by the Flexography Technical Association (FTA), these awards are a direct result of the remarkable efforts Labeltronix invests in every project. Landing these awards demonstrates the high standards of excellence the company maintains when printing labels for its clients. “We're certainly proud to be honored with these awards since they reflect our high level of print quality and service commitment to our customers. It is our goal to deliver the highest print standards in the wine industry. We invite you to find out more about Labeltronix and Lean Labeling.”
-John Trail, President

Click here to see the awards that took home 1st, 2nd. and 3rd Place

Featured article in March 2012 - Label and Narrow Web

Digital-only label converters aren’t all that rare any more. But it might be just a bit unusual to find a printer who added flexo capability well after establishing itself as a digital house. That’s the story of Labeltronix, a successful converter in Anaheim, CA, USA. The company found that multiple digital presses could manage growth only so far, so a high-end flexographic press was acquired for production of longer runs. Today, Labeltronix is a prominent manufacturer of labels for wines, nutraceuticals and premium foods, among many other markets.

Many label converters say that they do things differently from others, but that’s rarely the case. Labeltronix, however, has come up with distinctly different ideas about production, and has established programs for customers that offer beneficial pricing. The company operates two full shifts, and recently moved its business to a plant twice the size of its former headquarters.

Labeltronix was founded in 1993 by Dan Blair and Eric Shepard, who remain active partners today. John Trail, the third partner and president of the company, joined in 1995. They started out focusing on sales and service of bar code label printing systems, which remains a significant part of the business today. Soon after, the business evolved to include label sales. “We were having a good run and significant growth with the small labeling systems, but we were also a growing broker and reseller. We wanted more control,” says Trail. “Almost from the get-go we focused on labels, so we were starting to outgrow some of the local converters, in terms of their capabilities and our expectations.”

To get control over their destiny, the partners examined the options. “We looked at acquisitions, but decided to do it our own way, the hard way, from scratch,” Trail recalls. “One of the things that we did was to go out and take the time to interview a number of our largest customers to understand what their needs were and what they were looking for. That’s always been a part of what we are building, and we try to keep that mindset.”

The first step was the acquisition of an HP Indigo 4000 press and finishing equipment from AB Graphic International. That was in 2004.

“Digital is clearly the mindset that we have,” notes Trail. “I like to look at it and say that the Indigo is really no different from the Zebra printer, fundamentally. We get it. We get it as an organization, from Day One: printing from a computer on demand. When you put it in that perspective it wasn’t very intimidating to understand. We’re just taking a file from a computer, sending it right to press and it prints out. And every label can be different.”

The transformation over the past 10 years has been dramatic. “In the beginning we were a black-and-white-only company,” Trail says. “We didn’t know what color was in 2000. Four-color process was a learning experience around here.” But learn they did, and moved beyond the limitations of the broker business to direct connection with clients.

From its location in densely populated Southern California, Labeltronix mainly serves industries in the large state. “Our customer base is very diversified,” says Trail. “We serve the wine and food industries, the largest in the state; medical devices is another significant industry, as well as electronics and media. California is a pretty diversified environment. Nothing comes close to it as far as concentrations and scope of business and volume of opportunity. It’s a lot of small to medium sized businesses. Our diversity, I think, is better, but it’s not easier. It’s more work, more challenges. The wine industry is probably the closest we will ever come to anything that’s of clarity and focus and consistency in our base.”

Labeltronix’s Nilpeter FA servo press

When they turned on the HP Indigo press on the first day, Trail says, “We had no preconceived notions, no previous experience. We do a lot of things differently that might go against the industry, but we don’t know any differently. The more we can embrace this different way and make it work, then it’s a strength and an advantage.

“For us, everything was a learning curve. The HP experience was tremendous. People talk about the famous click charge: We laugh when we hear them complain about it. I wonder why the flexo people don’t look into it. It’s kind of like Apple in some ways: controlling the software, controlling the applications, controlling the user experience. It has negatives because of what Microsoft and others have to offer, but at the end of the day it seems to be emerging as the right way. It has been a benefit to us because it helped steer us in the direction of all the substrates and the inks and all the components versus flexo.”

At the end of 2006, Labeltronix acquired its second HP Indigo, a 4500. Soon after, the company bought a Nilpeter FA flexographic servo press with eight print stations, full UV and sleeve capability.

“Flexo was a need in front of us from our customers,” recalls Trail. “We’re in the game, and we have clients who want more from us that just didn’t justify running digital. So we looked for the most advanced flexo press that could parallel what we have learned and loved and known from the digital experience.” The partners made their final decision at Labelexpo in 2006, took delivery in 2007, and brought in an experienced operator.

“It was a process, like digital, but much more complicated,” according to Trail. “We had some knowledge base as we hit the ground, but we didn’t want too much because we wanted to find our way and run it the way we saw fit.”

Labeltronix utilizes multiple finishing systems that offer various combinations of processes, and include spot finishing with flexo varnishes, flatbed embossing and flatbed hot stamping.
The first finishing machine at Labeltronix had rotary hot stamping. By doing business with the wine industry – known for its exacting standards – the company learned that flatbed was needed to achieve the highest quality level of stamping and embossing. “We can get a much better emboss and much finer hot stamping, because the pressure in the flatbed process is much more controlled and consistent across the web versus the rotary.” Stamping pressure can be as high as 25,000 pounds per square inch. The foil systems feature a servo-driven intermittent feed with a foil-saving process that minimizes the high percentage of waste common in other systems.
As evidence that Labeltronix has established itself as a prominent manufacturer of labels, the team has received more than 30 national and international print quality awards over the past three years, in addition to its achievement of ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2010.

Lean Labeling
Several years ago, John Trail was driving home from work and thinking about customers, customer focus and the internal practices of Labeltronix. The name Lean Labeling came to him, and the company adopted the name for a successful customer program and registered it as a trademark.

At its website, the company explains it this way: “Gone are the days when the label printer is in control. With Lean Labeling, you’re in control. Order only the labels you need – when you need them. Your pricing can be fixed… Order only the labels you need when you need them. Your expenses are spread out over time by printing rationally, resulting in improved cash flow and reduced costs.

“…We can offer you flexibility for your business because our just-in-time, Lean manufacturing set-up takes advantage of both advanced technology and an efficient pressroom organized to avoid redundant steps in the production process. …Participation in the program helps you to shorten your time to market, reduce costs, gain great operational control, and make a critical first impression.”

According to Trail, “Our Lean Labeling is the go-to-market difference maker in who we are and how we do business. We knew we were doing things differently, and we were learning about Lean, and we understand the need to communicate to our clients and how does it benefit customers. So we called it Lean Labeling. We embrace the fundamental discipline and the concepts of Lean Manufacturing:  Try to reduce our waste, have less sitting idle, be more sensitive to the customers’ needs, work only working on the job that needs to be worked on now, try to be organized and standardized. We have a process improvement team that we formed last year, eight or nine people, and I’m very excited about it. It’s the future of Labeltronix, it’s the core team from all the different disciplines – manufacturing, customer service, graphics, IT – and we spend a lot of time focused on our work flows and gaps and how to make process improvements.

New space
Labeltronix is conscious of the environment and the inevitable contribution to the waste stream that all label converters must acknowledge. “This new building has a lot of energy efficiencies, with the lighting, power sources, the way it was built and insulated,” Trail says. “The way we run, the amount of waste we generate is well below average, even on the flexo press, because we can set up so quickly and finish with re-registration. We don’t have to run a lot of material to get to registration and set the die up. We have materials that are eco-friendly, and are trying to offer those to our clients.”

Labeltronix’s new Application & Learning Center

The previous home of Labeltronix was located in Orange about two miles from the new plant, was half the area and divided into two buildings, each with two stories. Equipment was in one, materials in the other.

The new space, nearly 50,000 square feet in area, was completely rebuilt inside before the company moved in.

“It was a major project, very successful, a tremendous amount of investment and money and time,” says Trail. “It was on our hit list for years, but we had to move this year, because we ran out of room for the equipment we were adding.” The company signed the lease in mid-August 2011, and moved in by the middle of November.

One of the real eye-openers at the plant is the new Application & Learning Center. It’s a large space, a gallery, just beyond the reception area, and features black open shelving throughout the room displaying samples of products containing labels made by Labeltronix. Large graphics adorn the walls, and comfortable black leather chairs in the center provide a central focus. The effect is dramatic.

“It’s really to focus on our customers,”  Trail says. “At the end of the day we always go back to ‘How does this benefit the customer? Don’t forget about the customer. How do we talk to the customer?’  We don’t like to go out and say, ‘We have X amount of presses.’ They probably don’t care what kind of equipment we have. All they care about is their label. When they walk in here they really want to learn, and here we can talk to them exactly about their specific label, or about their industry, trying to create an environment that can evolve and develop that is focused on our customers and the applications of the labels that we make and how they are used. That’s what it’s about. It’s not about ‘We can make labels.’ It’s about ‘What are those labels used for?’ That center, that room, is all about a myriad of things. We plan to have seminars, both internal and external. Our goals are to be able to put events on here that draw clients in so they will learn something, whether it’s about color or advancements in digital printing.

“To educate people is our number one challenge – what is possible, what are the capabilities,” declares Trail. “Get in front of them and talk to them in language that is meaningful to them. As we stay on the forefront of technology, it will forever be that way.”

Your brand deserves wine labels that compel customer to buy. Labeltronix represent your brand using state-of-the-art technology to print high-definition flexo or digital labels, with embossing and debossing capabilities, multiple foil colors and multiple varnish finishes. Confirming their industry-leading status are the many awards they have won for high-quality labels, and a recent cover story in the industry magazine, which identified them as a "customer-centric company."

Anaheim, CA  – Labeltronix became one of Southern California’s preeminent label printer by putting its customers’ needs first.

Once again, Labeltronix has made a major commitment to its customers—by moving from Orange to a larger headquarters in Anaheim, which increased its capacity, and now adding additional state-of-the-art servo-driven presses.  

Labeltronix has recently installed multiple machines to add capacity to their Lean Labeling operation. “One of our latest investments was another press that is a very specialized and unique to the labeling industry. We acquired it to accommodate our customers’ growth,” says John Trail, Labeltronix President. “By investing in our new presses, we can print more elegant label designs: using several foil colors, with embossing and de-bossing and multiple varnish finishes.”

It was the success of winemakers who choose Labeltronix for their labeling needs that prompted Labeltronix to expand by adding the additional equipment.

“As more clients have taken advantage of our new Lean Labeling® program, we began to learn about the printing challenges they have. We decided the best way to support them was with innovative technology,” says Trail. “Lean Labeling® helps them reduce their costs when they design, manufacture and manage their labels. Now, they will have greater choices in premium printing and finishing options, too.”

One of the new presses was another custom built unique press and was the first of its kind to be delivered in North America. Labeltronix now has multiple machines with these tremendous capabilities:

• Multiple foil color options—such as blue and gold foil on the same label
• Embossing and de-bossing
• Tighter registration to produce more elegant label design work
• One of several varnish finishes for a specialized look and feel
• A higher quality appearance

“Now, we have multiple presses at our facility, expanding our ability to serve our customers and accommodating their impressive growth plans,” Trail says.

ORGANIZATION

Alameda’s largest family-owned winery, R&B Cellars, is part of the burgeoning East Bay urban wine scene. Since 1997, winemaker Kevin Brown has crafted the highest quality wines. As jazz musicians, Kevin and Barbara Brown pair their love of creating beautiful music and delectable wine for their customers everywhere. Each of the winery’s varietals has earned 90+ point scores, and numerous accolades nationally.

CHALLENGE

The previous label manufacturer used older printing technologies and finishing processes to create R&B Cellars’ labels that involved flexo printing and gold foil stamping. R & B wanted to have more flexibility on how they ordered their labels while reducing one time charges (foil plates, printing plates, etc) and the cost of the label.  Any changes with the traditional methods meant big costs.

“We wanted to reduce the cost of our wine labels, while maintaining their quality and appeal,” says Kevin Brown. “Foil-stamping plates were especially expensive. And we didn’t want any quality problems with international shipments.”

SOLUTION

The Browns found a harmonious solution to all their label challenges when they tuned to Lean Labeling® from Labeltronix. While they were able to reduce costs at the outset, they were surprised to learn how much more could be accomplished: labels with high-class gold foil look, 100% waterproof labels and quick turnaround times.

“With Labeltronix offset digital printing technology, we got the “gold foil” look without any foil plate charges. And, we can change wine label design and quantities without incurring tooling charges or higher pricing per label set. “

“We’ve found a very high quality label look while getting the durability and cost savings we were looking for.  We are glad we explored Lean Labeling by Labeltronix….” Kevin says.

High Quality Digital Offset and Flexography

Description: Labeltronix enhances a winery’s brand with state-of-the-art technology for printing high-definition flexo and digital labels. Unique and eye-capturing finishes include embossing and debossing capabilities, multiple foil colors and multiple varnish finishes. Confirming its industry-leading status are the many awards Labeltronix has won for high-quality labels and its innovative Lean Labeling® approach.

Lean Labeling® from Labeltronix

Description: Labeltronix has invested in the latest technologies to provide a unique and innovative approach called Lean Labeling. Labeltronix’s customers receive tremendous value and fresh new benefits, including award-winning quality, cost savings and ordering flexibility, which has never been available before in the marketplace.

Labeltronix, a leading supplier of high-quality labels to wineries, has relocated to a new 50,000-square-foot facility in Anaheim.

Fast growth and the success of the company’s trademarked Lean Labeling® program prompted the move to the new location, which will add capacity for Labeltronix’ customers.

“We are so thankful to our customers, whose ongoing vote of confidence in Labeltronix has allowed us to make this major move,” says John Trail, Labeltronix President. “With our new facility, we will be able to expand our digital and flexo printing even further to add capacity and capabilities for our loyal clientele—and new customers, too.”

Labeltronix clients will benefit from improvement in efficiencies in the new headquarters. Looking for improved ways to serve its customers has been one of Labeltronix’ founding principles—which is how Lean Labeling, a better way to create, manage and buy labels—was developed.

Quality is another driving force that will be a deciding factor in the design of the new facility. Labeltronix routinely wins top awards for the labels it creates for clients and is certified with the top international quality standard, the ISO 9001: 2008. 

“We have some exciting plans for our new building and  I look forward to unveiling these surprises at later times” says Trail.

Once again, Labeltronix has won two more awards from the Annual TLMI Label Competition.  The winning labels are found below:

 We're great at wine labels - but don't take our word for it. The industry association has given Labeltronix major props by featuring them in the September issue of Flexo Magazine.  

Read how Labeltronix harnesses technology and delivers quality, sophisitcated, complex print that customer's value!

Orange, CA – Labeltronix announces a new partnership with QR4Wine to provide QR codes for Labeltronix’ wine label customers.

“We’ve been watching the trends with QR codes for some time.  Our experience in barcode technology told us it was just a matter of time before the QR code would take off.  Although we can print and verify the accuracy of QR codes, we are not able to create an individual QR code and track it,” says Jill Sambol, Labeltronix’ Marketing Manager. “Many customers were asking us how to get QR codes on their labels.  So, we researched different companies and became aware of QR4Wine as the top single purpose provider in this space.”

Qr4Wine is the wine industry leader in specialty QR centric mobile marketing solutions.  To help introduce smaller wineries to QR codes they recently launched an easy to use ‘freemium’ service which allows wineries to test market them - for free.

"Qr4Wine is by far the most cost-effective and versatile mobile marketing solution available for wineries on small or large budgets, and we want them to discover this for themselves," explains company CEO Mark Smith. "What better way to get them started than to allow them to create free QR codes in association with Qr4Wine.com? These codes can be transferred to our feature-rich, cost-effective, premium services suite when they are ready to take advantage of a deeper range of mobile marketing solutions ."

Labeltronix has been using QR codes, and the results have been impressive.  “Internally we will be using QR4Wine’s resources to implement our own QR code marketing initiatives.  We are happy to have found a trusted and reliable source to send our customers to,” says Sambol.

Labeltronix has already printed QR codes on some of their customers wine labels.  “With the spike in interest from our wine customers, we know that they will enjoy exciting results from this partnership,” she says.

Debunking the ‘Offset Myth’

Pietra Santa’s Success Shows Offset Unnecessary in Label Printing

Organization

Pietra Santa Winery produces wines in Hollister, California. The San Benito County site was chosen for its outstanding terroir, which also produces olives for high-end olive oil.  They are a small boutique winery with a very diverse portfolio: 7 wines under the Pietra Santa Label, 4 under Signature Collection, plus 3 olive oils and they are bringing on 2 more wines under a separate brand.  This up-and-coming winery has won multiple awards, underscoring its philosophy that “there are no shortcuts to quality.”

The owners of Pietra Santa wanted to get their attractive labels faster and less expensively. Unfortunately, they had been convinced that only waterless offset printing would do the job because they print on uncoated label stock. Still, they wondered if they could do better—and still maintain the top quality of their labels.

 Solution

Jayme Nunn, marketing director of Pietra Santa, recalls being skeptical that changing from offset would be possible. She interviewed six label printers before choosing Labeltronix.

“We selected Labeltronix because the company could produce our labels with their innovative printing capabilities, HD Flexo or digital technology.  Labeltronix had a unique process called Lean Labeling® that allowed us to order either Digital offset or HD flexo in a way that gave us flexibility we did not know was possible. It was also important to have the right finishing capabilities for our tougher than average gold foil and emboss requirements.  Labeltronix exceeded my expectations,” Nunn says.

To see the many benefits Pietra Santa received from Labeltronix Digital printing, click here!

Line Shack Winery Saves 33% on Wine Label Costs,

Faster Delivery and Better Looking Labels 

ORGANIZATION

The Line Shack Winery takes its inspiration from the Old West, Italy and the sanctity of Nature as it produces award-winning Bordeaux and Rhone vintages in the San Antonio Valley AVA Monterey, California. This up-and-coming enterprise is driven by the savvy of Bob and Daphne Balentine, who are committed to pursuing excellence and sustainability as they near production levels of 10,000 cases.

CHALLENGE

Doing business with a large label manufacturer can cause multiple issues for an emerging winery like Line Shack. The Balentines say they were experiencing many of them: quality issues, long lead times, over paying for labels and always receiving 10% over shipments.

SOLUTION & RESULTS

The Balentines were pleasantly surprised to see how many innovations Labelronix’ Lean Labeling® technology afforded them. “It’s amazing.  Not only did we save money on our labels, but they look better, too, as the labels help impress the tasting room crowds and drive retail sales outside our store,” explains Bob Ballentine. “Our results speak for themselves. Just look at how they stack up.”

The bottom line:

Have you ever wished that you could interact with buyers immediately as they pick up one of your bottles of wine?

You can—by adding those crazy-looking QR codes to your wine labels.

When potential customers use their smartphones’ QR readers to scan these codes, you are effectively starting a conversation via links, messages or discounts that you embed in the codes.

As QR codes become increasingly popular, Labeltronix is getting more requests to print them for our clients.  To see how one of our customers found a clever use of QR codes, check out the case study, “Twisted Oak Winery Connects with Consumers in QRazy Ways.”

The key to QR codes is interaction. That’s what makes them a game changer as they pop up on billboards, in print advertisements, on boxes and labels.

At Labeltronix, our experience in this new and revolutionary technology means you can be confident that a customer picking up one of your packaged products will be able to “read” your QR code. With our digital printing technology and QR codes, you now have the ability to:

• Test market

• Create prototypes

• Promote your products through this new cross media integration tool

• Provide limited offers, coupons, or contests

• Increase your speed-to-market

• Get instant point-of-sale statistics about buyer curiosity

• Gain flexibility to customize graphics for specific retailers

Labeltronix took home the most gold medals in the 2011 Excellence in Flexography Awards, Narrow Web Category. The results of the national competition were announced earlier this month.

Labeltronix was honored with three gold awards, one silver and one bronze. Judges recognized Labeltronix-produced wine and nutraceutical labels.

Sponsored by the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), the competition showcases flexography’s most impressive work. Labeltronix, a leading provider of printed labels, received praise from the judges, ultimately landing five medals, more than any other participant in the narrow web category.

“Winning three gold medals—and other awards—demonstrates that we hold ourselves up to the highest standards when we print labels for our clients,” says John Trail, president of Labeltronix.

The labels that won are:

• Gold Award for Screen, Uncoated – Trinitas 2008 Mysterium California Red Wine Label
• Gold Award for Process, Uncoated – Eagle Castle 2009 Chardonnay Label
• Gold Award for Process, Metalized – NLN Chocolate Banana Lean Pro Matrix^TM Label 
• Silver Award for Process, Uncoated, South Coast Winery 2008 Wild Horse Peak Mountain Vineyards Label
• Bronze Award for Process, Film – Ruby Cuvée Temecula Valley Sparkling Syrah Label

The awards showcased Labeltronix’ innovative technology, which includes“high-definition flexo” color printing that produces photo-quality labels. The color on these stunning labels has a “real-life” look.

“We are the first—and only—label printing business in the country capable of delivering this premium quality on every order, every day,” says Trail. The decision not to charge extra for the upgrade in quality since it was introduced in 2009 is in keeping with the company’s Lean Labeling® philosophy.

“One of our bedrock goals is to produce the highest quality labels available in the market while using Lean Labeling, which produces those labels at a cost and delivery that can’t be beat,” Trail says.

“We go for the gold on every project,” Trail says. “That attitude is reflected in our ISO 9001:2008 certification, which we earned last year. It’s the standard of excellence we continue to maintain for ourselves, whether we are entered into a competition, or not.”

Challenge

Twisted Oak’s tech-savvy owner, Jeff Stai, knew about the advantages of QR codes.  Already active in the world of social media, he also knew the QR code would be just the thing for them to connect to their consumers with “smart” mobile devices. The question was, “How to get started?”

Solution

Scott Klann, winemaker at Twisted Oak, and Stai began with Google. They quickly found an online source that would create a QR code for them—for free—and decided to try a creative strategy:

• The Shipwreck E-Commerce Approach: True to their “twisted” name, they wrote their own lyrics to the “Gilligan’s Island” theme song, enticing consumers to scan the QR code so they could see the clever ending on the Twisted Oak
  e-commerce site, where they learn how to buy the wine online.

The Twisted Oak team created a mobile platform for their website, so when the QR code is scanned by a mobile device, the user is taken to a site that is easily viewed on a smaller, hand-held device.  They worked with Vin65 to create this mobile experience.  "We needed a web site that was professional, modern and delivered a good time," says Stai.   

To add readable QR codes on their wine labels, the Twisted Oak team reached out to Labeltronix, who printed the codes on the back labels with incredible success.  Scott also appreciated the fact that he could benefit from Lean Labeling®, which allows the winery owner to buy only the labels he needs, at an affordable price. This winning combination helped Twisted Oak:

• Reduce label costs and inventory
• Receive labels quickly and efficiently
• Receive exceptional customer service

Results

“Adding the QR code is an ingenious marketing concept that puts the winery in full control of how much information consumers can access. The size of wine bottles and labels is limited ‘real estate.’ There’s only so much information a wine marketer can usually convey. But with a QR code, you can do so much more. It’s a great way to tell your wine story, do targeted promotions and have some fun with it,” explains Klann.

“The mobile site now represents almost 10% of our total web traffic.  Since launching the QR code, we’ve seen an increase in web activity in just a matter of weeks.  We even have mobile users voting in our contests, which means that they don’t stay on one page…they are cruising our site really getting to know the Twisted Oak brand.”

Twisted Oak is excited to be ahead of the curve in this area, since mobile devices promise to be “the way of doing business in the future.”  Totally, creatively, unbelievably twisted

Labeltronix® is leading an industry revolution  with Indigo digital label manufacturing technology. This ultimate marketing tool features versioning - changing one or more fields of information - even in short-to-medium runs, while offering the highest quality and lowest cost possible. You get the best value in short run custom wine labels and stickers with our state-of-the-art digital printing facility and experienced staff.

Lean Labeling Benefits

Top-quality Labels Increased Sales

Personalized Labeling Enhanced Flexibility

Reduced Turnaround Time Days, Not Weeks

Lower Inventories Reduced Costs

Reduced Costs Higher Marketing ROI

Label Changes Quick, Painless, Cost-Effective

1, 4, 6 Color Process Enhanced Product Appearance

See the latest labels in our Wine Label Gallery

More and more companies are looking at ways to be more “green” and offer environmentally friendly products. At Labeltronix, we offer environmental advantages, whether you choose Digital Offset or UV Flexo printing.

Digital Offset printing is eco-friendly because:

• No water is needed.
• All ink consumables eliminate press waste.
• Solid waste is reduced.
• Make-ready waste is virtually eliminated.
• Ink canisters are recycled.

UV Flexo printing also has environmental advantages, including:

• It utilizes solvent-free inks, eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the drying/curing process.
• Ink is activated by ultraviolet (UV) light. The ink is 100% reusable, resulting in very little treatable waste.
• Uncoated and coated label materials are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Rainforest Alliance certified.

Labeltronix is committed to sustainability with our new Eco-Friendly Facestocks, featuring label materials that are made up of 100%  post consumer waste.  We are committed to helping you grow your business while saving the environment!

NEWEco-Friendly Label Materials for Your business:

Recycled Facestock #1

Recycled Facestock #2

• 100% PCW Uncoated Litho
• Ice Bucket Label Material
• Wet Strength Facesheet
• 44# PK Liner
• Embossing Certified
• Best with Matte Finish

• 100% PCW
• 70# Matte Paper
• 44# PK Liner
• Best with Gloss Finish

Some additional benefits:

100% Deinked Recycled Fiber

Ancient Forest Friendly

Green-e Certified

Manufactured with 100% Wind Energy

Alkaline pH

Processed Chlorine Free

Lead Free

Phthalate Free

Solvent Free Adhesive

Unbleached Liner

Labeltronix is proud to be sponsoring the Temecula Grape Day!

Grape Day is a one day conference featuring in-depth seminars
on the latest advances and developments in viticulture and vineyard management.

Who should attend?
Winemakers, Winery and Vineyard Owners and Managers and anyone who is interested in wine.

Thursday, April 21, 2011
7:30am-6:00pm
Keyways Vineyard & Winery

Once again, we are proud to sponsor the Family Winemakers 3rd Annual Trade & Consumer Tasting in San Diego, CA

Sunday, March 13
Del Mar Fairgrounds

What makes a wine label something special?

Besides the design, it’s all about the label material, the printing, color, embossing, debossing, foil—and more!

With its new Imagine the Possibilities brochure, Labeltronix showcases the beauty of its simple-to-sublime selections for wine labels—from prepress preparations to digital printing, from flexo printing to finishing.

Actual labels are affixed to the brochure to show Labeltronix’ range of capabilities.

Labeltronix routinely creates award-winning labels, recognized in national printing competitions. The new brochure illustrates what makes Labeltronix labels stand out.

Labeltronix took 1st place and 2nd place honors in the Annual TLMI Label Awards cometition.  The categories for these entries were as follows:

• Wine & Spirits - Flexography/Letterpress
• Flexography – Color Process - Prime

TLMI  is a member driven association strongly committe to providing business solutions that enhance the prosperity of its members and the narrow web tag, label, and packaging industries.

Lean Labeling® - Offering Winemakers More Label Options Than Ever Before

Once again, Labeltronix is blazing a trail for its customers by expanding its Lean Labeling® program and now offering the highest quality available with the installation of a new state-of-the-art servo driven press, one of the first of its kind.

“We wanted to give winemakers even more ways to get eye-catching labels,” says John Trail, Labeltronix president. “With our new press, we have greater flexibility in how we can print elegant label designs: using several foil colors, with embossing and de-bossing and multiple varnish finishes.”

“As more clients have taken advantage of our new Lean Labeling® program, we began to learn about the printing challenges they have. We decided the best way to support them was with innovative technology,” says Trail. “Lean Labeling® helps them reduce their costs when they create, buy and manage their wine labels. Now, they will have more premium printing options, too.”

This finishing press is one of the first of its type to be delivered in North America. With it, Labeltronix customers can now benefit from:

• Multiple foil color options—such as blue and gold foil on the same label
• Embossing and de-bossing
• Tighter registration to produce more elegant label design work
• Several varnish finishes for a specialized look and feel
• A higher quality appearance

All of this with the continuing benefits of Lean Labeling from Labeltronix.

These capabilities will continue to advance Labeltronix’ position as a top-quality label producer. This year, the company won numerous awards at the national 2010 Excellence in Flexography Awards competition —including four gold medals, two silver, and one bronze.

“We’re happy that we took delivery on this press, just in time for the first ‘crush’ of winemaking season in California,” says Trail. “Timing is everything—whether it’s winemaking or label printing.”