Nova Label Co., Inc., a manufacturer of pressure sensitive labels in Cheverly, MD, USA has, installed a Colordyne 3800 Series UV – Retrofit to expand the markets the company serves. The addition, it allows the label converter to produce more applications with UV inkjet’s durable printing, lower consumable costs and affordable short run capabilities.

With over 50 years of experience in the label industry, Nova Label provides labels for a variety of industries including direct mail, food and beverage and more. The company started its digital journey with a water-based inkjet printer in 2016. While evaluating a potential upgrade, Nova Label connected with Colordyne in 2019. The companies stayed in touch regarding press advancements and in 2021, the label converter chose to incorporate Colordyne’s 3800 Series UV – Retrofit into its print production.

"Everyone is jumping into digital, and we couldn’t find another product in the market that can compare to Colordyne’s unique retrofit approach," says Alan Rich, president of Nova Label. "The 3800 Series UV - Retrofit allows us to continue using our existing press and tooling equipment. Plus, it doesn’t require additional floor space as it is mounted on top of our Mark Andy 2200 flexo press. As did our original water-based inkjet retrofit, the UV retrofit from Colordyne fits well with our in-line converting production. We knew it was going to be the best upgrade solution and took advantage of it."

In recent years, the market growth in wine and spirits, microbreweries and craft distilleries created opportunities for Nova Label to expand its business. Now, with the benefits offered by the 3800 Series UV – Retrofit, Nova Label can provide necessary services like medium order quantities, multiple SKU’s and durable labels to these growing markets.

"The application benefits of UV inkjet go beyond what we anticipated," said Rich. "For example, there are no concerns of damage from wet or frozen environments common in the food and beverage market. Another key benefit of UV inkjet is that it allows us to reduce material costs because we no longer need to purchase pre-primed materials. Even though lamination would not necessarily be required, there are jobs that benefit from gloss or matte lamination added as an embellishment"

Nova Label cares about finding ways to offer its customers high quality and affordable services that set them apart from the competition. The 3800 Series UV – Retrofit allows the label converter to decide which technology fits each job best to deliver competitive prices, quick turnarounds and flexibility for its customers.

"Choosing to go with the UV retrofit wasn’t a decision made lightly," said Rich. "In the end, the quality of UV inkjet was undeniable. The Colordyne team did a great job working with us on print samples and their responsiveness along the way made working with Colordyne the best option for us."

After experiencing the benefits of UV inkjet technology, Nova Label is open to expanding its production capabilities by adding another retrofit unit sometime in the future. While the company says it wouldn’t leave behind its flexo capabilities, the label converter is excited to explore new markets and continue to monitor digital technology advancements.

"Nova Label understands the value of in-house digital printing," said Taylor Buckthorpe, Director of Sales at Colordyne. "The company identified the advantages of installing a retrofitting vs purchasing an in-line press, and we look forward to seeing how this addition impacts its business."