HP Indigo moves into Assta Label House

Digital print has taken up residence within the family run company in the form of an HP Indigo WS4500 and ABG Digicon label cutter, as the 65-year-old pioneer turns its focus towards printing boutique wine labels on uncoated stock.

Graeme Staas, managing director, said the new digital press and cutter installed late-2011 are merely the starting point for the company’s digital print platform launching from its head office in Peakhurst, NSW. In order to make room for the install before the Christmas rush period the company sold two of their conventional presses.

“We wanted to not only increase our capacity, but also our capability. In recent times we’ve seen a marked rise in the request for uncoated wine labels. Prior to the installation of the HP Indigo WS4500 we were unable to meet this demand. The press also allows us to effectively run smaller, urgent jobs, and jobs with multiple changes.

“We have been following the progress of the Indigo presses over the past decade. Last year we decided it was the right time for us to enter into the digital market. In the past we have always been one of the first to enter into new technology, but in this case we chose to wait and catch the crest of the digital printing wave,” said Staas (pictured).

Assta Label House currently employs 60 people across three sites to produce print for a broad range of industries from wine and beverages through to therapeutic products and FMCG.

According to Staas, there is a visible trend towards digital printing in the label market and believes his company is now well placed to meet market demands. “At the moment we plan to continue to use conventional and digital printing methods, but our success lies in our ability to identify market trends and to move with the times. Whatever our customers require in the future we will provide,” he said.

Mark Daws, labels & packaging sales manager for the Currie Group, said Assta Label House, has one of the highest configured ABG Digicon’s in the country alongside its new HP Indigo press.

“Graeme and his team’s passion for the digital print platform is clearly demonstrated by the wide variety of fantastic work they have already produced on the press,” said Daws.