Karico, a printing house based in Espoo, which specialises in the production of labels and stickers has recently invested in a 7-colour Domino N610i digital label press as part of a new roll-to-roll production line. Integrated with stations for flexo, foiling, varnishing, laminating, die-cutting and finishing, this modular digital hybrid installation is the first of its kind in Finland. The company plans to use this flexible and extended label production capability to gain new business in a variety of market sectors.
“With shorter runs, the benefits of digital are quite obvious. However, we were looking for a solution that could truly compete with flexo presses for longer runs. We were impressed with the Domino’s drop size, the white ink opacity and the extensive colour gamut.” Kimmo Palkonen, Managing Director of Karico
Established in 1976, Karico has been supplying a range of self-adhesive labels to customers in a wide variety of industries including the electro-technical, cosmetics, detergents and chemicals, trade and logistics, packaging, food and beverage, and the public sector. Providing barcode, product, brand and packaging, rating plate, warning, shipping and security labels, Karico’s active involvement in these areas generated a €1.8 million turnover in 2015.
Karico has been a pioneer in adopting UV ink jet technology for digital label printing, being one of the first companies to install a digital label press in Finland. Kimmo Palkonen, Managing Director of Karico, says, “We were already familiar with the technology having purchased our first UV ink jet system in 2009 and our customers have been praising its intense, vibrant colours ever since. UV cured inks are durable and extremely chemical resistant making them ideal for printing labels used on electrical equipment, detergents and chemicals.”
Digital printing offers benefits for both small businesses and high volume label producers. No printing plates are required which means savings in tool costs, money, and operator time for setup and job change. This makes it ideal for versioning, language and seasonal variations, and for marketing promotions.