digital printing Archives

Where in the World Is S-OneLP?

June 26, 2019 By Shellie Terry

June was a busy month for the S-One Labels & Packaging team as the digital flexible packaging printing industry continues to expand! We hit some important events to continue the conversations with our peers, partners and customers.

Global Pouch, Chicago

For the first time, we exhibited at Global Pouch to share our growing portfolio of solutions for flexible packaging, including our line of pre-laminated films that have the HP Pack Ready thumbs-up, as well as mono-web films, all of which are backed up with our technical expertise. We gave a sneak peek at what we’ve got in store for our Sustainable ByDesign™ product lines of recyclable and compostable solutions, which was, by far, the hottest topic, especially in terms of qualifying films.

Ralph Giammarco and Roymal’s Ginger Cushing talk flexible packaging at Global Pouch in Chicago.

“One major brand was looking for compostable films for bar-shaped snacks, yet they would only purchase compostable packaging if the packaging films were ASTM approved and BPI certified,” says S-OneLP Product Marketing Manager Dan Halkyard. “If they are going to claim their package is compostable, they want paperwork to back it up.”

And that was just the beginning of the sustainable conversation …

“There were a lot of questions, especially in the sustainable realm,” says S-OneLP VP Ralph Giammarco. “What is meant by sustainable? What tests are relevant? Which materials can be combined? What do the new materials cost and how do we reduce it? Who can I collaborate with? To find the answers, converters need someone with a 360-degree view, up-to-date technical knowledge, and a desire to help make them successful … that is S-OneLP.”

Another hot topic was cannabis packaging, especially the fact that different states have different requirements for packaging messages, which is an ideal play for digital printing and shorter runs! Add the need for product verification, and you’ve got a double win for digital and track-and-trace capabilities, such as VerifyMe’s RainbowSecure inks and VeriPas program, created for HP Indigo printers.

For S-OneLP, Global Pouch was a success. “The show had great traffic and it was a great exhibiting and networking event,” Giammarco says. “It was only a few hours out of the conference, but it was power-packed!”

Dscoop Edge, PortAdventura, Spain

The week following Global Pouch, our team descended upon our third Dscoop event of 2019, this time in Spain. We love the Dscoop community, which is always up for a fun time and inspiring ideas.

Tom Hauenstein and Gerard Geurts at Dscoop Edge.

“The Dscoop platform is known for gaining inspiration and new ideas, learning and understanding new digital products and application solutions and eagerly looking to push the envelope further,” says Gerard Geurts, who heads up S-OneLP EMEA new business development. “Dscoop Edge came to PortAventura this year, which is known for its amusement park and amazing roller coaster attractions for all ages … including the elderly among us.”

At the event, the S-OneLP team joined our Michelman partners in their booth as a joint partnership with Michelman and Brigal (an HP Indigo distributor for Spain/Portugal).

An exciting development was S-OneLP’s EMEA team bringing flexible packaging solutions to the market, including S-OneLP being the first EMEA supplier with HP Indigo-validated Pack Ready thermal lamination films for Indigo flex-pack customers, Geurts explained.

“S-OneLP’s unique proposition offering low MOQ and short lead times of newly released Pack Ready film is exciting news and an open door for customers seeking new HP Indigo thermal lamination solutions,” he says. “The news spread fast!”

So where are we going next? You can meet our European and American teams at Labelexpo in Brussels this September! See you soon!

Ideas, Innovation & Inspiration Bloom at Dscoop Edge Orlando

April 5, 2019 By Shellie Terry

Dscoop Edge Orlando proved to be another week of bringing together the top creative and innovative minds in our industry. During the event, we were encouraged to think openly, meet new professionals and continue to envision the dynamic future for everyone who makes up and supports the HP Indigo market.

Carl Joachim of ePac presents at Karlville’s pre-Dscoop open house.

The week started for us in Miami with a visit to Karlville to learn more about HP Pack Ready converting and finishing. We also encountered the growing excitement for HP Indigo in Latin American counties. We learned about the market drivers and the state of the flex-pack space thanks to a presentation by HP and Karlville partner, ePac.

“The sharing of knowledge, like that from ePac CMO Carl Joachim, was truly invaluable,” says Ralph Giammarco, S-OneLP VP, “You just don’t see people in other industries sharing information like this. Plus, this open house showcased HP’s strength in how they work with their partners, such as Toray, Charter NEX, Nobelus and S-OneLP, who were all represented.”

Once in Orlando, it was a whirlwind of activity and inspiration throughout the Solutions Showcase. In the S-OneLP booth, we had conversations on this year’s hot topics: Sustainable solutions, brand protection and HP Pack Ready for Labels.

A Finish for Everyone

For flexible packaging pouches, we provided samples of white and metallic pre-laminated flower seed pouches, which were printed at CL&D Digital and finished with a gloss OPV from Michelman. We also had clear pre-lam film that was printed at ePac in Miami and made into stand-up bird seed pouches and finished with thermal lamination at Karlville. Finally, we had NatureFlex pouches with compostable layers of film from our partners at Futamura, which were finished with eBeam technology. (Plus we continued our launch of the CatPak eBeam Finishing System with Tim Burke from CDA.)

We highlighted the durability of the HP Pack Ready for Labels solution, which included labels printed by Consolidated Labels, and finished with a mixture of Michelman DigiGuard 901 OPV Strengthener and KustomLP Gloss OPV. This combination provided super durable labels that were tested to stand up to water, chemicals and more.

“What we heard at Dscoop is that people are looking for a solution for scratch resistance when printing to metallized BOPP,” says Tom Hauenstein, S-OneLP global sales leader. “DigiGuard 901 with our KustomLP UV overprint varnish delivered rock solid results for scratch resistance as well as the best results we’ve seen for ink adhesion and chemical and water resistance, too.

“We also learned that printers turn to digital to create durable labels so they don’t have to produce short-run jobs on flexo. The HP Pack Ready for Labels option provides the easy, cost-effective answer.”

Talking Security

S-OneLP’s Nichole Danzig demonstrates VeriPas to the HP team.

We also demonstrated VerifyMe’s newest VeriPAS authenticator device along with its track-and-trace software that allow brands to use both overt and covert codes, serial numbers or graphics to protect and authenticate their products anywhere in the world. This proved to be a hot topic throughout the conference.

“We can’t emphasize enough how important it is for our customers to be prepared to talk about product protection with their brand customers,” Giammarco says. “I encourage them to check out HP Link, GlobalPas, VerifyMe and others who are providing truly viable options in the digital printing space. Every day we hear about how brands will need to validate and authenticate their products in the market. Label and flex-pack printers and converters are in the perfect position to deliver easy, cost-effective ways to do just that.”

Sustainable … by Design

With major CPGs committing to using all sustainable packaging by 2025, the supply chain in the digital printing space jumped into action to begin designing solutions that are eco-friendly.

“It’s not enough to simply say: This pouch contains compostable layers,” Giammarco says. “We need to start with the application — what’s going in the pouch, what kind of finishing does it need, how will it be composted … or recycled? Once these questions are answered, we can move forward to design a sustainable pouch for that particular application. Customizing both the pouch itself and what’s printed on it are the two key aspects of driving this forward. Again — the digital space is primed to tackle this and support brands of all sizes.”

It was another awesome week at Dscoop, and we look forward to seeing everyone in Orlando next year!

We Put DigiGuard 901 + KustomLP OPV to the Test

March 22, 2019 By Shellie Terry

Last fall we helped HP introduce HP Pack Ready for Labels, a fast and easy solution for creating very durable labels that can stand up to all sorts of conditions. By simply adding the Michelman DigiGuard 901 OPV Strengthener additive to a silicone-free OPV, such as KustomLP 200 Gloss or 405 Matte, you can achieve high-resistance labels that open up new market opportunities for HP Indigo printers.

In January, we printed a new batch of labels to test using the Sutherland Rub Test and tape tests that are industry-standard tests for durability. We digitally printed standard white, clear and metallized BOPP labels on an HP Indigo 6800 Press. Then, we mixed batches of DigiGuard 901 with our KKLP 200 Gloss and KKLP 405 Matte Overprint Varnish in a radio of 9 parts OPV and 1 part 901, as instructed by the HP Pack Ready for Labels process.

After a couple of days, we immersed the labels in hot water and chemicals for tests ranging from 2 to 8 hours, and then applied the Sutherland Rub Tester for 1,000 rubs with 2 pounds of pressure, at 21 cycles a minute. After these vigorous tests, we saw no visible change to the labels.

Check out the video above to see how we did it! Plus, if you’re at Dscoop Edge in Orlando, we’ll have HP Pack Ready for Labels samples in booth #305, or visit our Contact Us page to request a sample. See you in Orlando!

S-OneLP Joins HP Indigo VIP Event

February 19, 2019 By Shellie Terry

S-One Labels & Packaging was excited to join other industry leaders at the HP Indigo Global VIP Event in Tel Aviv, Israel. The event held earlier this month was a celebration of innovations, technology advancements and burgeoning trends for HP Indigo users.

Just days before the event, S-OneLP was named an HP Indigo Media Solutions Partner, offering HP Indigo approved solutions, including primers, coatings, security inks, overprint varnishes and flexible packaging films formulated specifically for digitally printing labels and flexible packaging.

“Every year, HP puts on an excellent event with the top names in the Indigo space,” says Gerard Geurts, who heads business development in EMEA for S-OneLP. “The S-OneLP team has made great progress in strengthening its position in this market and developing strong ties with both customers and partners who are embracing our customer-oriented activities, support and technical capabilities.”

During the VIP event, S-OneLP showcased its long-standing partnership with Michelman along with its flexible packaging products, which are currently available in the Americas and will soon be offered in EMEA. S-OneLP is working to bring its “Sustainable by Design” portfolio of products to market soon, as well, which will include fully compostable and recyclable packaging options.

Also in attendance was Keith Goldstein, COO of VerifyMe. VerifyMe specializes in brand protection products, such as RainbowSecure security inks. S-OneLP is the sales and marketing partner for VerifyMe.

“With just one year in the market, I continue to be amazed by the impact our S-OneLP team has had in the Indigo market,” says Ralph Giammarco, VP of S-OneLP. “We’ve been humbled by the enthusiastic response we’ve received from our customers and partners like HP, Michelman, VerifyMe and many others.”

S-OneLP will be at Dscoop in Orlando, March 24-27, with product samples and expertise in Solutions Showcase booth #305, and presenting educational sessions, as well. For information on S-OneLP’s offerings or technical support, call us at 941-256-7900.

Gerard Geurts Joins S-OneLP to Lead Business Development in EMEA

November 12, 2018 By Shellie Terry

SARASOTA, FLA. (Nov. 12, 2018) – S-One Labels & Packaging is pleased to announce that Gerard Geurts, formerly of HP Indigo, has joined S-OneLP to lead our Business Development in the EMEA region, based in Maastricht, Netherlands.

Gerard brings an extensive career that spans four decades, focused on both conventional and digital printing technologies, and he most recently served as the HP Indigo EMEA Media and Materials Business Solutions Manager for Label and Packaging, where he was the focal point and intermediary for digital developments with media suppliers and solution providers, customers, R+D and others.

His responsibilities extended to implementing new processes to improve availability and compatibility of pre- and post-printing solutions, such as digital label and flexible packaging films, primers, over-print varnishes and lamination adhesives and most recently involvement with Pack Ready Lamination and Pack Ready for Labels projects.

“HP Indigo has been an amazing and passionate digital journey of 18 years, working with many great innovative minds and dedicated people in Israel and around the globe who have a never-ending passion and belief in changing the printing industry,” Gerard says. “Joining S-One Labels and Packaging is a natural fit and feels immediately like a new home-base. The S-OneLP team has the same passion and innovative minds to bring exceptional offerings of high-quality products and services for the digital printing industry.”

With S-OneLP, Gerard will primarily focus on working with S-OneLP’s technical team and strategic partners to develop and bring to market new solutions for label and flexible packaging converters.

“Gerard has been a global leader and a major innovator, successfully collaborating with HP Indigo printers and suppliers over the years,” says S-OneLP Global Vice President, Ralph Giammarco. “Bringing his unique experiences and his passion for product development to S-OneLP will help us to quickly and effectively build the best solution portfolio and connect our EMEA customers with the customized technical expertise our customers in the label and flexible packaging markets desire.”

Please join us in welcoming Gerard to our team. For more information about S-OneLP, please visit S-OneLP.com.

About S-One Labels & Packaging: S-One Labels & Packaging is a division of S-One Holdings Corporation, the parent company of LexJet and Brand Management Group. This division provides materials, technical know-how and integrated solutions to print providers who are currently active or expanding into label and flexible packaging digital printing. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Sarasota, Fla., S-One provides innovative product research, development, manufacturing and worldwide distribution to digital imaging, design and print professionals. Visit S-One Labels & Packaging at S-OneLP.com.

Media contact: Shellie Terry, shellie.terry@sone.com, 941-256-7915

S-OneLP Partners with Charter NEX Films to Sell Specialty Films for Flexible Packaging

October 15, 2018 By Shellie Terry

S-One Labels & Packaging has reached an agreement with Charter NEX Films to sell its flexible packaging barrier/sealant films in North America. These films complement S-OneLP’s current portfolio of flexible packaging print films by offering the option of a food-grade sealant film laminated to a polyester or polypropylene print film to make the final flexible package structure.

S-OneLP is the leading provider of off-line, in-line and custom primers as well as over-print varnishes and custom coatings from manufacturers such as Michelman and Utopia Digital Technologies. With more than 15 years in this market, S-OneLP expands its reach into the flexible packaging printing market with this partnership. As digital printing plays an increasingly important role in label and flexible packaging manufacturing, this alliance pairs product excellence from Charter NEX with unparalleled customer service and technical support from S-OneLP.

“Charter NEX is a critical partner as S-OneLP continues to address our customers’ challenges of delivering customized packaging with shorter runs and tighter turn-around times,” says Ralph Giammarco, Vice President of S-OneLP. “With more than 20 years of digital printing experience and our existing HP Indigo client base, we are primed with Charter NEX’s partnership, to help our label printing customers launch into the quickly expanding flexible packaging world.”

S-OneLP’s customer-intimate approach pairs consultative selling with technical support, customer service, fast delivery and the ability to sell products in smaller quantities, which benefits both the manufacturers and print providers.

“Charter NEX believes digital printing will be a key enabler in the flexible packaging industry over the next decade by allowing faster prototyping and greater personalization,” says Apurva Shah, Market Manager of Charter NEX. “We are excited to partner with S-OneLP as they share a similar focus on empowering customers with the tools and information to make better packaging.”

About Charter NEX Films: Charter NEX Films is North America’s leading independent producer of high-performance, specialty films used in flexible packaging. With blown and cast film capabilities, our products are ideal for food, consumer, medical and protective applications. Our engineered solutions include monolayer, coextruded, and barrier films that deliver exceptional quality with improved productivity.

Meet Us at Labelexpo 2018!

September 4, 2018 By Shellie Terry

We’re excited to announce that S-One Labels & Packaging will be exhibiting at Labelexpo Americas 2018 later this month in Chicago. Be sure to swing by Booth #1414 to see printed examples, the latest products and exciting demonstrations.

Narrow-web label printers who are interested in breaking into flexible packaging printing will find inspiration for all their endeavors. In our display, we welcome several artisan food brands who partnered with us to enhance their branding through newly designed, modernized packaging. Their projects include primers, overprint varnishes, flexible packaging films and more — all available through S-OneLP.

Label printers can play a pivotal role in helping their customers — small, start-up, artisan brands — evolve their brands with packaging. We’ll show you several real-world examples and tell the stories behind these burgeoning brands. Plus, we’ll give you all the insider info on how we made it happen for them.

On Display in Booth 1414

S-OneLP will co-present the power of overt and covert security and authentication printing with the experts at VerifyMe. We’re showcasing state-of-the-art technology, paired with HP Indigo capabilities, allowing printers to offer the latest in security printing. You won’t want to miss this demonstration!

In the booth, we’ll break down all the materials and expertise behind short-run flexible packaging printing. We worked with some of your leading peers who have mastered this — and are boosting their bottom line with their new capabilities.

Other hot advancements in our space include cool, customizable coatings that really make labels pop — everything from gloss to soft touch to glitter from our partners at Kustom Koatings. Any brand owner knows it’s vital to have a strong label if they want to stand out from the crowd.

Plus, we’re launching a new Michelman product that allows label printers to create more durable labels (think: lawn mowers, chemicals, gas cans) as part of HP’s Pack Ready for Labels program, as well as an HP Indigo-specific roller cleaner that’s effective, easy to use and a favorite among the HP Solutions Architects.

We’ve got a “Fresh & Fast” theme that we’re building around the opportunities with digital label and flexible packaging printing. We’ll have several bold and vibrant examples printed on HP Indigo printers. We may even have some tasty samples from our featured brands.

You can also find us in the Ecovillage, where you’ll learn how waste from the show is converted into energy pellets. Check out how the packaging industry is evolving to become more sustainable and environmentally responsible — an endeavor that’s near and dear to us.

To learn more about what you’ll discover while you’re in Chicago, check out this video from the Labelexpo team:

Don’t Miss This Webinar: Exploring Flexible Packaging

August 30, 2018 By Shellie Terry

Labels & Labeling magazine will host its second webinar in the Exploring Flexible Packaging series on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m. ET./9 a.m. CT.

This session will explore the technical aspects for narrow web producers who want to get into flexible packaging. The second webinar is part of Labels & Labeling’s efforts to educate the label industry on burgeoning narrow web flexible packaging market.

S-OneLP’s very own Ginger Cushing will join the webinar panel to discuss film options for narrow web, including pre-laminated films and customizable films.

Cushing has spent more than 25 years in the flexible packaging converting industry, first as a research chemist, then she went on to global leadership positions in technology, marketing and sales of adhesives and coatings for flexible packaging, polymeric film production, printing and thermal lamination. Today, Cushing consults in the converting, film manufacturing and digital printing industries.

To register for the webinar, go HERE.

The first webinar in the series featured two veteran label and flexible packaging converters, as well as market data from LPC. That webinar can be found here.

Digital Print Heats Up Discussions at Global Pouch Forum

June 19, 2018 By Shellie Terry

It’s usually hot down in Miami, but Global Pouch Forum really brought the heat with a focus on digital printing. Although only 1% of flexible packaging is printed digitally today, it was the hot topic at last week’s forum. Digital’s ability to print small runs with customization is making the industry sit up and take notice.

“The Global Pouch conference was unquestionably tapping into the mega-trend of customization, especially by starting the conference with an HP-sponsored event at Karlville’s facility,” says S-OneLP’s VP Ralph Giammarco. “ePac’s co-founder and CMO, Carl Joachim, led one of the event’s most exciting presentations. He showed that a model can be created that is less about digital printing and more about being responsive to the demand for customization.”

During his presentation, “Why Digital Print is Gaining Ground in Flexible Packaging,” Joachim demonstrated that short runs, faster turnaround times and more customization are not only enabled by digital printing, but also answer the increasing demands coming from brands.

Digital’s Growing Presence

Joachim also discussed ePac’s growing presence around the country, as well as its partnership with Karlville.

“The plant tour of Karlville was an excellent start to the conference,” says FPK Resources’ Ginger Cushing. “The digital model was on display with ePac’s Miami converting business, as well as HP Indigo 20000 press, thermal laminator, solventless adhesive laminator, lab testing equipment and a couple of pouching lines.

“Then to see the ePac/HP presentation and innovative companies like Sun Centre and CharterNEX promoting solutions that can take the digital model to the next level helped to create a sense of focus on digital throughout the conference.”

We heard from some traditional flexo printers who are considering going digital, but are trying to justify semi-short runs on flexo by running, say 20,000 packages even if a customer only wants 5,000.

“I asked one printer how this would work and they said they could run the 20,000 impressions for ‘close’ to the cost that the customer would pay for a digital run of 5,000, based on their research,” says S-OneLP’s Senior Marketing Manager Dan Halkyard. “But can the customer even use those other 15,000 … or will they just throw them away? This doesn’t seem sustainable or environmentally responsible, but this is the logic and justification that one business had for staying with analog at this time.”

The Move Toward Sustainability

Another hot topic during the forum was sustainability. Not only are brands demanding this, but consumers are, as well.

“Global Pouch really represented its name — global — by taking on the challenges of sustainability and recyclability. They’re leading an educated discussion on the usage of plastics and other forms of packaging,” Giammarco says. “This is a complex issue that requires a view from all sides. Global Pouch showed that it wants to be a leader in that discussion.”

Manufacturers like CharterNEX are bringing the technology to create sustainable packaging. Now the real work will be to figure out how make recycling happen.

“Recycling was a lively debate as to how to solve the plastic-in-the-ocean issues,” Halkyard says. “What works for land (biodegradable) may not work for oceans (marine degradeable). And what makes a package durable and food safe today makes it less bio/marine degradable.”

Reduce, reuse, recycle was a popular solution discussed. However, consumers will need to learn to sort their recycling to make curbside pickup and store collection stations a success.

“As one speaker said: Having Starbucks switch from plastic to paper straws is not going to solve the problem,” Halkyard says. “Although it is a step in the right direction.”

S-OneLP Partners with Kustom Group to Offer Specialized Coatings

May 9, 2018 By Shellie Terry

SARASOTA, FLA – S-One Labels & Packaging is pleased to announce a new partnership with Kustom Group to introduce a wide variety of over-print varnishes and coatings designed for both flexo and digitally printed label and packaging markets.

Under the Kustom Koatings brand, S-OneLP will offer standard coatings, such as gloss or matte, and specialty coatings using sand, glitter and many more. The two companies will also jointly create proprietary coatings individually customized and developed under the new co-branded KustomLP product line.

“Utilizing the exceptional products developed by Kustom Group and S-One’s Utopia Digital Technologies’ development lab creates a powerful partnership that is sure to disrupt our industry with all of the new possibilities in coatings and over-print varnishes,” says Ralph Giammarco, Vice President of S-One Labels & Packaging. “And we’re going to bring these customized products to our customers with shorter lead times than they’ve had access to in the past.”

This new partnership will not only allow PSPs to receive products more quickly, but will offer the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind UV-based coatings that perform special functions, such as greater adhesion, more or less gloss levels, light or gritty sand, hieroglyphics effects, scratch-and-sniff or whatever finish a customer’s designer can dream up.

“We have been selling our products through various channels in the past with great success but are looking forward to a more direct approach with a service expert like S-OneLP,” says Michael Gerkin, Jr.; Kustom Group President & COO. “Having a partner eliminating barriers and creating exposure in the expanding digital, labels and packaging markets is very exciting and a huge advantage to print producers.”

The S-OneLP/Kustom Group partnership adds to the growing list of partnerships for S-OneLP, the direct source for primers, over-print varnishes, pre-laminated films, thermal laminates and customized coatings for HP Indigo press owners.

About S-One Labels & Packaging

S-OneLP is a new division of S-One Holdings Corporation providing in-line, off-line and custom primers, pre-laminate films, thermal laminates and custom coatings for HP Indigo print providers, as well as materials, technical know-how and integrated solutions for digital label and flexible packaging printing. To learn more, visit S-OneLP.com.

About Kustom Group

Kustom Group is a manufacturer of overprints and coatings in oil based, aqueous and energy curable chemistries used to coat, protect and enhance virtually all forms of printing. We are unique in our understanding of the interaction of these chemistries when being applied. We take pride in our problem-solving abilities and will be glad to work with you on your specific application. We are your technical resource for print coating technology. To learn more, visit KustomGroup.com.