Best Pressure Sensitive Label Converter

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Axiom has been a valued partner in my supply chain link for the past 30 years. Most impressive of all is the "can do" and "will do" attitude.

Raj, Global Cosmetic Mfr - Glendale, CA
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case studies: Pressure Sensitive Labels

We believe that the best way for you to know that we are the best pressure sensitive label converter in Southern California is by seeing our previous work and understanding that we go above and beyond in accepting a challenge in order to exceed our clients' expectations.

Case Study: Memoire Perfume
An ultra high end marketer of fragrances and personal care products needed a high-end label to accent a beautiful fragrance line housed in an imported glass bottle. The bottle’s four panel design was perfect for a custom label that was not only printed beautifully on the front, but also on the back so visible when looking at the bottle straight on. This effect needed to be high end in graphics while practical in application as it was going to be replicated over four different fragrances.

Axiom not only promised excellence when printing the challenging graphics but also in the results the company would get when printing a pattern on the back. In order to do this, the label was printed utilizing 5 colors on the flexographic press and a 4 color pattern sub printed on a clear polypropylene. The label was then off-line hot stamped, laminated, and die-cut, all with very tight tolerances.

In the end, the customer received a beautiful 10 color, 2 sided custom label with a hot stamp that showed off the beautiful fragrances in time for their holiday launch. Axiom proved its ability to think outside of the box and combine different printing techniques in order to achieve the vision of the product marketer.

Case Study: Apothecary Beverage

Apothecary Beverage, Inc, an expanding beverage company specializing in healthy and healing teas, came to Axiom looking for a 7 color label that would achieve a “no label look.” In order to maintain operational efficiency, this label also needed to withstand a hot fill bottling process. The challenge was to give Apothecary a material that would hold up in a relatively harsh environment without sacrificing their design aesthetic and remaining within budget. Axiom needed to help Apothecary Beverage choose not only the proper label material and adhesive, but also the right printing process to meet all of their needs.

While there are several materials that can withstand a hot fill, in order to avoid any surprises Axiom created blank labels consisting of multiple facestock and adhesive combinations. This allowed the customer to test actual labels in the hot fill environment to ensure the materials and adhesives could withstand the high temperatures without bubbling, buckling, or flagging.

The label printing solution recommended by Axiom was to run Apothecary’s labels on the HP digital press. This cost-effective and flexible solution allowed Apothecary to save substantial money during the set-up process, as digital presses do not require costly plates. Printing the labels digitally also efficiently accommodated the multiple design and text changes that inevitably come with a new product launch. Additionally, the digital solution highlighted the intricacy of their artwork due to the precise registration and zero trap capabilities of the press.

While specific PMS colors were selected, the press proofs highlighted an unforeseen challenge - once the labels were applied to the full bottle, the colors skewed due to the color of the tea. In order to solve this color conundrum, Axiom printed multiple color swatches backed with white ink so that Apothecary could apply them to filled bottles and choose the final colors. Ultimately, Axiom created a label for Apothecary that portrayed a clean, professional look, while working within various constraints.

Case Study: MOC Automotive

Axiom supports applications for durable label solutions that can withstand harsh environments using various materials including films, specialty laminations, metalized polyesters and other client specific requirements.

MOC, a large automotive product company, came to Axiom in need of a label for their brake fluid. MOC not only manufactures and packages brake fluid but also supplies their customers with a patented brake fluid exchanger allowing a single technician to perform a complete brake fluid exchange and bleed in less than ten minutes. For security reasons, the brake fluid exchange can only be completed when the technician uses their brake specific products. To ensure that the technicians are in fact using the required brake fluid the manufacturer created a system in which an access code, when typed in, confirms the authenticity of the product and allows it to be dispensed.

Due to MOC’s specific and unique label requirements, the challenge was to create a consecutive number (up to 6 characters) on the outside of each label. This would act as the activation code necessary to authenticate and dispense the product. Axiom also had to address the need for this custom label to be printed so that it would adhere to a coated substrate and be resistant to the chemicals inside the product.

Axiom’s solution was to print and laminate a 10 color front label with a .001 clear proprietary self-wound laminate and finish using Ketan ink-jet technology to print the consecutive access code numbers. This process allows for the printing of up to 100,000 consecutive numbers directly on the label’s laminate during inspection. A small box was designed on the label to house the activation code numbers so that they could be viewed cleanly. Measures were taken to ensure the numbers adhered to the label in such a way that no smudging or rubbing would take place during the high speed label application.

In this case, Axiom created a unique label solution that was the perfect combination of durability, critical numbering, and product resistance. With a unique combination of flexo, UV, and digital capabilities and a wide array of specialty materials, Axiom has the knowledge, expertise, and ability to provide durable high fidelity products to meet specific applications.

Case Study: LaLicious
When it comes to bath and body products it is important to stand out on a shelf and eye catching packaging is imperative. From inspiration to design concept all the way to the printing press, you want your desired look to be achieved.

LaLicious designed artwork with a linen looking background and was disappointed with ink clogging and trapping issues after running tens of thousands of labels flexographically. The final result was not what the company had envisioned but they were told there was no way to get the look they were hoping for.

Because of Axiom’s continual investment in new printing technologies, they were able to solve the problem LaLicious was having by printing their labels on the HP6000 digital press. Traditionally, digital printing was reserved for low quantities and there was no guarantee that labels printed digitally would match the colors of the labels that were run flexographically. Not only does Axiom have the ability to “fingerprint” the colors of labels run flexo and digital, but their digital capabilities have completely eliminated the issues of clogging and trapping that LaLicious experienced trying to print a very complex design flexographically.

Axiom’s ability to provide LaLicious with the exact look that they wanted for their brand was priceless, but so was not having to spend countless hours doing on-site press checks. Printing with the HP6000 gave LaLicious the confidence to approve label runs via PDF press proof, which saved them significant time. Printing digitally also saved the company a significant amount of money by eliminating press set up time and plate charges. With multiple copies of labels that only had color and a few text variations, this solution also gave LaLicious the flexibility to do short runs for press samples and print variable data very inexpensively.

Case Study: Masada My Time
Marketers in household products face the same challenges today as other consumer goods companies- there is a constant need for updated graphics and packaging. Products have to stand out, have shelf appeal while being priced competitively. This competitive environment causes many marketers to change or upgrade packaging in smaller quantities and increased SKUs to give the consumer choices. Line extension is prevalent in a number of categories including candles, cleaners, bathroom products, and air fresheners.

Masada Marketing, a longtime personal care and household marketer, recently faced a challenge common to other marketers in their space: how to balance the need to update the line aesthetically while keep the package competitively priced. An extensive search for unique packaging ended with a beveled decanter style pet bottle with a specialty cap. These uniquely shaped containers would have a vibrant, graphically appealing labels designed so that each fragrance was a different color.

In order to get a near perfect match on Masada’s intricate graphics, Axiom suggested printing digitally. With the HP Indigo press, Axiom was confident they could get great color resolution for the eucalyptus, lavender, jasmine, and unscented lines. The front and back labels were produced in 6 colors including a UV varnish. A third neckband label was added to complement the packaging, with its colors matching the borders of the primary label. Beyond intricate graphics and vibrant colors, printing this run with different versions of the same label was the most economical solution for Masada’s project.

Masada’s initial launch of this product was a huge hit, recognized not only for the product’s therapeutic properties but for its very attractive decorative packaging which would make it like an art piece for the consumer’s bathroom.

Case Study: Costco - Kirkland Brand Vitamins
In 2009 Costco was challenged with an expanding and growing private label vitamin line and how to refresh the packaging for the next few years. The old labels were printed on an expensive matte silver paper foil and each SKU had its own color. After serious discussion of utilizing shrink sleeves the national marketer decided to use pressure sensitive labels.

Axiom had the perfect press combination to support this new launch. With two 10 color UV flexo wide web presses, the company could react immediately to the request for a reproduction of each vitamin pill, match red for the critical Kirkland brand and match gradated colors for each vitamin SKU. All of these capabilities made it easy to help Costco create a "family look" on the shelf for their in store promotions of the Kirkland line.

Case Study: Da'kine Foods

Axiom understands that the label is the company's marketing vehicle. Because of this, Axiom takes the time to work closely with these clients to make sure they understand their options and get high quality, high performance labels that will help the products fly off the shelves.

A growing gourmet kitchen was using litho glue labels for its line of gourmet sauces and was unsatisfied with their performance. Glue labels tend to not lay down smoothly and also the edges have a tendency to flag as the glue wears off. Because of this, the group contacted Axiom to make the switch from the litho glue labels to pressure sensitive labels for their in-house brand of sauces to ensure a clean, professional look that would endure over time.

After learning about the business and the goals they had for their new pressure sensitive labels, Axiom recommended running the labels on the digital press. Digital printing also gives clients the ability to change the label on the fly as they tweak recipes and have new information that is required on the labels to meet specifications of different distribution channels. Weighing the options substrate and adhesive options open available to them, the kitchen decided to use a basic paper label with a 4 color process as it was an economical choice. Because the kitchen did not hot-fill the sauces and also does not freeze the products, no special adhesive was necessary. The key to the process was Axiom's thorough evaluation of the client's needs and understanding their product

The kitchen was extremely happy with not only the quality and ease of the digital printing and press proofing process, but also with the application of the digital labels. Because of the high quality results and excellent service level the Axiom Art Department and Sales Representative provided them throughout the process, they began referring their customers -who they created private label products for- to Axiom.

Axiom walked these "first-timers" through the process of printing custom pressure sensitive labels including the pros and cons of running digital versus flexo, choosing label material options, printing 4 color process versus deciding to match PMS colors, using a UV varnish or laminante, and whether to use cold or hot temperature adhesives. For a smaller company with an eye on the bottom line, Axiom explained that the digital press allows a new company to run smaller custom label volumes without having the start-up costs associated with traditional flexographic presses. Not only that, but smaller volume could be printed more economically when run digitally.

Axiom was also asked to create the artwork for one of the lines from scratch. The company did not yet have artwork for their new sauce and looked to the seasoned Axiom Art Department for help. When it was time to go to print, the company wanted a weathered, rustic look to really set off the artwork that had been created so the labels were given a matte varnish, as opposed to glossy. The labels ended up complementing the sauce itself, which is the goal of any great packaging design.