The economics of metallic label printing

Although producing metallic labels is widely regarded as difficult as well as expensive, the software breakthroughs included in the Color-Logic Design Suite significantly reduce expense and turnaround time for such production. Moreover, when multiple SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) labels are involved, the savings can be astronomical. A recent case study demonstrates how Model Graphics, a label printer, uses the Color-Logic process to dramatically reduce costs for the company’s clients.

Consumer brands around the world have discovered the power of metallic labels and packaging. Largely used by luxury brands, recent software developments now make metallics practical for even low-volume products. Today, brands must differentiate their packaging and labels from that of the competition. And, to address different market segments, brands often develop multiple SKUs, creating label or packaging families. Each SKU offers revenue opportunities, through it also creates additional cost.

Model Graphics is a full service labelling and flexible packaging printing company and award winning custom label and flexible package converter specialising in flexographic, UV, silk screen, foil and digital printing for a variety of applications. Model Graphics capabilities range from design to final package production. Products include primary self-adhesive labels and flexible packaging. According to Steve Fleissner, Model Graphics founder and CEO, “At Model Graphics, we are always on the lookout for innovative products such as from Color-Logic, enabling us to offer clients alternative ways to make their products come alive. We focus on showing clients how they can economically grow their retail brands.”

The four-SKU labels below were printed from a single file by Model Graphics. The images were created using the Color-Logic Design Suite (plug-ins for Adobe Creative Suite). These four different labels were printed using just five inks (silver, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).

Each label design has a generic set of branded metallic colours and a CMYK image on each label design. In addition, each label has either two or three unique metallic colours, depending on the label. The Color-Logic software which creates the files uses only five inks to produce the following unique effects:

• In addition to a spot silver and CMYK, each SKU label includes two metallic colours found only on that label.
• In addition to the above unique colours, a metallic purple appears on each SKU in the word “Color” in Color Essence, and three more metallic colours are found in the Color-Logic logo.

If produced traditionally, each SKU would require a separate press run of eleven colours plus one additional plate to add the special effect in each SKU. Utilizing the Color-Logic system eliminated three press runs, together with the related makereadies, washups, and startup substrate waste.

In addition to the savings outlined above, using the Color-Logic system enables the label designer to add special effects which are unattainable using conventional design methods:

• Color-Logic Dimensinal – FX, which changes colour from light to dark and adds a dimensional effect, can be created within Illustrator. Neither additional plates nor additional post-finishing is required.
• Color-Logic Gradation-FX, which vignettes one metallic colour into another, simply cannot be done using conventional label printing techniques using spot metallic inks.

The economics of using only five plates are easy to comprehend, but the advantages of the Color-Logic system produce many other economic benefits:

Design Time: The software comprising the Color-Logic Design Suite (illustrated below) saves hours in the case of the example mentioned earlier. For example, with just a click of the mouse in common design programmes such as Illustrator or InDesign, the Color-Logic software creates the metallic ink plate. If the printing is to be done on metallic substrate, the software just as quickly creates the required white ink plate. Special effects such as watermarking, dimensional effects, requiring only a single mouse click, whereas blending multiple metallic colours together, or vignetting metallic colours into process colours, can be done in a couple of clicks.

Complex jobs like the example shown often pay back the cost of the software with a single use.

Press Time: Imagine the time and labour savings in mounting only five plates on one single repeat, rather than four different repeats each with eleven plates. Couple that with the time required to bring the press up to speed and the difficulty of registering those eleven plates, compared with only five.

Ink Costs: Compare the procurement and storage cost of only five inks to produce the example job using Color-Logic versus the fifteen metallic inks plus CMYK, to run the job conventionally.

Metallic Substrate or Metallic Ink: Color-Logic is economical not only at the design stage, but in production too. Traditionally, brands and their graphic designers must decide early in the design process whether they will utilize metallic substrate or metallic ink; since this will determine how the design is created.

With the Color-Logic Design Suite, one design supports metallic ink or metallic substrate. Traditional techniques would require separate designs for metallic silver ink or metallic substrate or else would require 44 plates in the given case study. With Color-Logic, a last-minute change from silver ink to metallic substrate requires only one additional plate on press.