Repacorp

Sierra Screenprinting, a Repacorp Label Products Company based in Phoenix, is set to acquire the NUR Tempo in February 2004. The NUR Tempo will allow Sierra Screenprinting to digitally print a full-color image directly onto an array of rigid or rolled substrates up to two inches thick with UV inks. This new flatbed digital printer will provide faster production times—up to 883 square feet per hour—and eliminate the need for films. With this new equipment, quality direct imaging of substrates, such as aluminum, foamcore, glass, corrugated plastics, banner vinyl, acrylic, PVC, paper and wood, can now be produced—without the need for lamination or

No-ooze adhesives have made laser labels more appealing to customers. In the past, one of the biggest concerns associated with laser labels was whether or not they were going to cause problems when run through laser printers. "Years ago, when people first started trying to run the labels through some of their laser and inkjet equipment, especially the laser equipment, the heat tended to soften the adhesive which would then migrate out around the edge of label and gum up the internal components in the laser creating quite a mess," said Mark Lemberger, president of Western States Envelope and Label, Butler, Wis. "There's

No matter where it will be used, there is a bar-coded product right for the job. Ever heard the one about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody? Well, there was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did. Bar codes are a lot like that. At one time bar codes were strictly the province of the very largest retailers. Today, they have become so woven into the fabric of daily life that most people hardly even notice them. So why do so few distributors actually offer them?

They take a lot of heat, yet remain a cool solution for variable imaging and product identification. Persnickety is a word that comes to mind when discussing laser labels—annoyingly exacting in production and handling requirements. Make no mistake, they're a great product and the demand is certainly there, but if an application can be met using a different type of label, at least consider the alternative. One problem is excessive heat. Fusers on laser printers heat up to 250 degrees and 300 degrees Fahrenheit, making the proper combination of substrate, adhesive and liner essential for the labels to emerge unscathed. Even with the right

Consumers stick with thermal labels for bar codes and more By Eric Fiedler Direct thermal and thermal-transfer labels are getting tougher, and so is their market. Although still a relatively new product, thermal labels have established themselves as the leading label products for a host of printers. "It's becoming a real dog fight because everyone wants a piece of the action," said Tony Heinl, vice president of sales and marketing at Repacorp Label Products, Tipp City, Ohio. "They are out of the infant stage and definitely in a state of growth," said Tom Ainsworth, marketing director for Continental Datalabel, Elgin, Ill. "It's growing,

Pinfed labels continue to hold steady in an evolving market By Ken Mandel Once the label industry standard, used by shipping warehouses and nearly every business within reach of a dot-matrix printer, the continuous pinfed label market lost ground to the ease and clarity of laser and thermal transfer labels. Despite the growing use of laser products, manufacturers point out that the death of the continuous pinfed label is not in the near future. There is still a wealth of applications for the old standard. "They are still the standard for some of the large shipping houses and the electronic data processing market and should be for the

Thermal transfer makes a good first impression on bar code sales By Erik Cagle Distributors of thermal transfer labels may be thanking their lucky bar codes, which have become required on all retail products. Bar codes are perhaps the primary reason behind the runaway success of thermal transfer labels. According to Tony Heinl, vice president of sales and marketing at Repacorp Label Products, Tipp City, Ohio, even boxes that go into retail stores are required to have bar codes. "These labels all have to have bar codes on the outside that are scannable at a high rate, like 99 percent of the time," Heinl said. "Direct thermal and