New Digital Color Press for Lotus Labels

ITASCA, IL—Feb. 12, 2013—Xeikon NV, an innovator in digital color printing technology, announced today that Lotus Labels, a Brea, CA-based manufacturer of custom-made labels and tags, has purchased and installed a Xeikon 3300 digital color press to open up new business opportunities in the production of pressure-sensitive labels.

Primarily a company based on flexographic technology, Lotus Labels chose Xeikon after trying two other specialty digital label printers, neither of which met the company's productivity and variable data requirements. In addition, Lotus Labels will no longer have to outsource their digital label production jobs. The Xeikon 3300 will allow Lotus Labels to more competitively pursue new business opportunities where prospective customers are ordering multiple labels consisting of smaller quantities, which are cost-prohibitive to print using flexographic technology.

"We felt that in order to be competitive, we really need to invest in a powerful digital press that's our own, and that would give us flexibility to move some of our flexo jobs to the digital press, giving our customers a faster turnaround," said Tracie Wu, vice president of Lotus Labels. "We have been very impressed with the quality, color consistency, and the responsiveness of Xeikon's tech support team."

Wu added that Xeikon's X-800 digital front end is very powerful, and the process of RIPing files saves the team significant time.

The Xeikon 3300 is Xeikon's primary narrow web-fed press designed for labels and packaging applications. It can print on scalable widths ranging from 7.9 inches to 13 inches, and has virtually no restrictions on the length of the printed label. It can handle labels of variable formats and sizes printed on the same run, and print on a wide range of substrates without pre-treatment.

"Converters like Lotus Labels recognize that to be competitive, they need to accommodate customers' demands for shorter turnaround times and smaller run quantities, with more variations," said Michael V. Ring, president of Xeikon America, Inc. "With the Xeikon 3300 on its production floor, Lotus Labels can be assured that no job is too complex or requires a turnaround that the company can't handle."

About Xeikon

Xeikon NV. (XEI: AEX) is an innovator in digital printing technology. The company designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital color presses for labels and packaging applications, document printing, as well as commercial printing. These presses utilize LED-array-based dry toner electrophotography, open workflow software and application-specific toners.

As an OEM supplier, Xeikon designs and produces platemakers for newspaper offset printing applications.

Xeikon also manufactures basysPrint computer-to-plate (CtP) solutions for the commercial printing market. These proven CtP systems combine the latest exposure techniques with cost-efficient UV plate technology, high imaging quality and flexibility.

For the flexographic market, Xeikon offers digital platemaking systems under the ThermoFlexX brand name. ThermoFlexX systems provide high resolution plate exposure including screening, color management, as well as workflow management.

All the Xeikon solutions are designed with the overarching principles of profitability, quality, flexibility and sustainability in mind. With these guiding principles and a deep, intimate knowledge of its customers, Xeikon continues to be one of the industry's leading innovators of products and solutions.

Source: Xeikon