QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
How to set up your label print data correctly and how quickly our labels reach you – all the answers to our customers’ FAQs.
General information
There’s no difference with us. Every run, be it small or large, passes through our production line on exactly the same path and through the same machines.
We are happy to produce no-print blank labels in any desired shape. Just set the ‘colour’ to blank.
Paper labels can be printed further in many ways. Wax ribbons are suitable for thermal transfer; alternatively, inkjet is possible too. Film labels with glossy or matt protective cellophane wrapping are suitable for imprinting with thermal transfer printers – resin ribbons are best suited for the smooth surface.
Our team includes experienced graphic designers and other individuals too. We’d be delighted to help you design your labels. And if all our creative individuals are busy when you need them, we’ll be happy to put you in touch with our partner agency, www.duktor.lu
Yes! All films come with permanent acrylic-based adhesive. We also offer white PP film with powerful adhesive. For papers, there are permanently adhesive, removable and washable adhesives. This is especially interesting / relevant for bottlers using returnable glass and similar products.
You can calculate your request live on the website. The price is calculated from the total quantity, varieties and material of the labels. To do this, enter the width and height of the labels’ final shape. Select a film or paper material and protection. No idea what material is the right one for you? Then click here to go to the selection guide –> link to the Material Finder.
Tooling costs usually aren’t added – unless you want your labels punched instead of laser-cut. If we don’t have the corresponding punch in stock, we’ll get it – for a surcharge. The wrapping direction can also make a difference to the price. It all depends on your shape and whether we have more material waste due to an unfavourable combination. We generally produce all the labels on rolls with a 76 mm roll core (industry standard) with outside wrapping. We are also happy to supply you with the rolls on 40 mm roll cores if necessary. This doesn’t have any impact on the price. For small quantities, we try to glue several single rolls together to form a larger one to save you setup time.
Delivery is free in Luxembourg through our very own logistics network. We ship deliveries abroad with DPD or also General Overnight – if express delivery is required.
Digital printing has undergone extreme further development in the last few years. We print in offset print quality with our HP Indigo. The elimination of printing plates saves a great deal of time and resources in digital printing, giving you the opportunity to change the artwork shortly before or during printing.
You’ll have your labels in ten days! And, generally speaking, we dispatch ready orders straight away – we don’t leave anything sitting around unnecessarily. So you might even have your labels after seven working days. If you need your labels urgently, then we offer two express levels with an express shipping guaranteed delivery date.
Does the substrate have to be prepared or cleaned before application? –>Customers are more interested in whether the label can be removed! Topic: reusability, upcycling, re-using glasses
Any shape you need! Thanks to our state-of-the-art machines, we can implement all shapes and sizes up to 910 × 305 mm – offering you full flexibility in your packaging design. What’s more, there are no tooling costs, since we laser-cut your labels. If explicitly requested, we can also rotary punch your labels the conventional way.
If your product is labelled mechanically, then the wrapping direction is important even at the ordering stage. Once the label has been printed, the wrapping direction is usually impossible to correct. Check with the likes of your bottler what direction they need the labels unwound from the roll in. If the labels are attached by hand, then you just choose. It doesn’t matter.
We are fast, digital and extremely economical, especially for small quantities. We produce small and very small quantities of labels – for manufacturing firms and industry alike. Producers of small quantities of many different varieties especially are in good hands with us.
And we’re here for you. You’ve got a very personal and individual direct line to us – we’re just a phone call or email away.
Creating print data correctly
The data check does not include: A spell check. Unfortunately, we cannot proofread all the texts in the print data. This is your or your graphic designer’s responsibility. But if we notice a spelling mistake, we will of course point it out to you and you can correct the mistake.
Since special colours are always an issue, our printing machines can simulate PANTONE and HKS colours with 4c using standardisation. Leave the special colours in your print data as usual and check the colour name to ensure it is correct if necessary. The printing machine retrieves this name in the presets and automatically converts everything to the stored CMYK values. To be really sure, we recommend that you do a press proof.
If your labels aren’t rectangular with rounded or pointed corners, round or oval, then we need a special punch shape as a path outline. You lay it out in your print PDF on an extra page congruent with the print image (punch page 1, print image page 2). This path / vector must be separate and closed and have an outline colour.
We need your print data with a trim of 2 mm on all sides. In other words: colour areas, graphics and images must be laid out beyond the shape so no white gaps occur during cutting.
When you upload your print data to us, it automatically goes through a preflight program with a technical check. The data for each order is then re-examined by our employees to avoid rejects. The data check includes: Have the shape and potentially the punch outline been created correctly? Do the colours and the image resolution match? Does the choice of material make sense for the subject?
We always require the print data in PDF format. Please send us one PDF file per label / variety. Our new online calculator also processes multi-page PDFs and breaks them down into individual varieties.
It’s best if your print data contains text and vector graphics, since this guarantees maximum print sharpness. If the data contains images, they must be embedded and have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. For barcodes, a higher resolution of up to 1,200 dpi is recommended.
Opaque white is used as the fifth printing ink on silver film or transparent film. Excellent effects can be achieved with silver, similar to what you’ll be familiar with from hot foil stamping. Only, here, the procedure is reversed. We start with silver film, partially print it with opaque white, then with 4c. So any shade can also be given a metallic look on the label.
The situation is similar with transparent film. Underlaying with white is advisable to create opaque colours. If the labels are to be applied to a dark background, fonts and graphic elements can be white too.
Processing and finishing
That we can do. The surcharge is 75% (or at least €150) for coordination and customisation. The delivery period is a little longer.
Silver, gold and metallic all work on the silver film. It can be printed with any colour in 4c, just like white film, with the metallic effect. If the labels are only to be partly metallic, the fifth colour opaque white comes into play. The silver film is then partially printed with white before the actual print image is printed in 4c. You achieve the most amazing effects with this. How to prepare the print data correctly for printing with opaque white is explained in our data sheet. Our KURZ Digital Foil is a brand-new addition to our range. Here, we can also apply digital hot foil to smooth materials. The method also offers holofoil, among other things. Just ask us if you’d like some samples.
Laser-cutting is our standard process – especially for smaller runs and special shapes. Please note that, with dark labels, the base material is slightly visible at the edge. Additionally, films are slightly elevated at the edge. The labels can be rotary punched to avoid this. If the necessary tools for this are not available, extra costs of about €80 / €120 (rectangular / special shape) will be incurred. You can check what punching tools we have in stock in our punch archive. – LINK –
Print on films must be protected after printing, either with a glossy protective varnish or with a cellophane wrapping, i.e. a film applied on top. This is also available in glossy and as a refined variant in matt with a light soft-touch feel.
With our papers, the water-based protective liquid that is applied directly during the printing process is adequate for protecting the printing ink. The semi-matt Primecoat paper can be coated like the film and cellophane-wrapped too. This is not possible with all other papers due to their appearance and workmanship.
The protective cellophane wrapping – cello for short – is a thin, transparent film that is applied to the labels after printing. It provides the print and label with maximum protection against moisture and scratches. It is also suitable for thermal transfer printing.
For film labels, the glossy protective varnish is the recommended standard protection. Varnishing is an option with the Primecoat paper. All other papers don’t need to be varnished.