Abel Labels of Tasmania has made 'a major investment' in an Epson SurePress digital printer to cater to a growing customer demand for high quality digital work.
"We had played with desktop-sized digital machines previously but we needed a better quality machine," said Trent Cowen, MD, Abel Labels. “It was clearly noticeable that our customer’s quality expectations had increased and that we needed to invest in appropriate equipment to meet these expectations. That’s where the Epson SurePress L-4033AW printer came in.”
Cowen was looking for a high quality printer that could deliver the results he required without breaking the bank.
“Pricing at the lower end of price bracket on the L-4033AW brought forward our entry into the digital market," he said. "The other major factor was having a machine that could print on untreated stocks, which meant we didn’t have to hold additional stock and run the risk of having stocks mixed up. Going digital also reduced pre-press times and the need for plates to be made or purchased.
“We'd heard comments from people within the industry that the Epson’s quality is above all other competitors so it really was a no-brainer. The L-4033AW impressed us from the get-go, with the quality of the print and the fast changeover from one job to the next being the deal breakers. Being able to leave the press running and monitoring jobs from your computer was another big plus."
Cowen said the new Epson had given Abel Labels - based at Kingston on the outskirts of Hobart - an edge over its competitors.
"The SurePress has put us in the market for short run, high class, multi-colour jobs. The flexographic and letterpress equipment we have cannot do this. We are the first label printer in Tasmania to install a serious digital press. This gives us an advantage in quality and flexibility over our local competitors. It places us much closer to our interstate competitors in terms of what we can offer to our customers.”
Abel Labels keeps the L-4033AW running continuously and looks to transfer many existing jobs from letterpress machines to the digital printer wherever possible.
“We also try to gang up as many jobs as possible on the same stock so that they can go to be finished on the same roll," said Cowen. "A roll of digital labels coming off the Epson may have five different jobs on it which can go through our die cutting machine the same way. We have a climate controlled room for the Epson. Labels produced on the Epson are used mainly in the packaging of Tasmania’s gourmet foods and drinks. We have produced labels for whisky, wine, beer and cider as well as sauces and relishes. Almost anything is possible.”
Cowen said he was 'very pleased' with his purchase. “This printer excels when printing quality images on textured stocks. There’s also less pre-press by not needing to trap complex images and that saves a great deal of pre-press time. Finally, our production costs have been reduced through less job preparation, setup and stock waste.”
Abel Labels has been operating since 1986, supplying custom labels to hundreds of Tasmanian and national businesses. Epson Australia is based in North Ryde, NSW and is a subsidiary of the Epson Group headquartered in Japan.