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.