Once a custom label design has been agreed upon,
the original image for the labels has to be split
into the colours cyan, yellow, magenta and black
in order to create the plates for Full Colour
printing. The use of these colours is known by
the abbreviation CMYK where K stands for Key,
a reference to the Key Plate used to add the detail
to an image in black.
EXAMPLE
For Spot Colour the design is also broken down
into a series of plates.
Up to 6 spot colours can be printed. The difference
between Full Colour and Spot Colour is that Spot
Colour plates can be used to create different
coloured labels using the same design but in different
colour ways.
The plates
are then made and set up on the printing press.
Once the labels have been printed they need to
be protected. At Labeltec Services we always add
a coat of blockable varnish which protects the
labels and gives a good surface for overprinting.
Hot foil can be added to printed labels and is
often used for up-market products, security and
holographic labels.
EXAMPLE
Labels are then cut using custom cutters. We
have a large cutter library which in some cases
means we will be able to offer you a lower quote
because of the reduced origination costs.
Thermal transfer printing uses a ribbon to transfer
ink to the label using heat. It is useful for
fast printing on plain labels or overprinting
on printed labels using a single colour at a time.
No plates or origination are required as the thermal
transfer printer is computer operated using the
software. See Barcodes
for more information on what our in house thermal
transfer printers can do or the Shop
for details on individual label printers.
Direct transfer printers use heat to cause a
darkening of the printed area on heat sensitive
paper. The advantage is that this process does
not require a ribbon. The disadvantage can be
that the label remains heat sensitive and the
label can darken in high temperatures or when
exposed to strong sunlight.
Litho printing is used for swing tags, corporate
stationary and cartons.
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