It’s not always easy finding the right partner that shares your values – in love, life, or in label media. The beauty of having meaningful relationships means you don’t have to sacrifice the things that matter most to you. When we first met the Colordyne marketing team, we bonded over the things most OEM print technology providers and label media suppliers do – ink compatibility and suggested end-use applications.
But as our conversation grew more in-depth, we learned we both face combatting the old adage, “sustainability must come at the expense of durability.”
Since the introduction of the first printing press in the 1400’s, the advancement in technology has revolutionized the industry. In its early days, digital printing had a reputation for producing outputs with poor print quality. But as the technology evolved, its speed, flexibility, versatility, and sustainability were hard to resist.
As companies transition to digital print, could they make the switch at their own pace or even convert analog equipment to do the job? Colordyne is a leading manufacturer of efficient, high-resolution digital inkjet printers and retrofits. One of Indafor’s various OEM print technology partners aimed to help customers do just that.
In 2010, Colordyne saw a growing market for reselling digital printing equipment in the label and tag space to label converters and large marketing companies printing for themselves and others. Gradually, and more recently, they shifted gears to begin manufacturing and building their own print technology.
When talking with Katelyn Bohr, Director of Marketing for Colordyne, she noted, “We are approached by small businesses, startup businesses, label converters, and large brand owners all looking to keep pace with technology. When someone has to switch technologies, that can be disruptive for their business. Colordyne wants to create opportunities for our customers to transition as their business needs change. We offer a range of technology, including water-based dye inkjet and environmentally friendly aqueous pigment inkjet powered by Memjet’s printhead technologies and UV inkjet. We specialize in retrofitting so they can get new life out of older equipment.”
She went on to say, “We know the market and the technology necessary for our customers to achieve their goals. It’s also important that we have the right partners to ensure that we are testing the best products and making them available to our customers. Working with our material partners, like Indafor, to get our customers what they need is so rewarding. We are currently testing Kimdura® Label and Tag for harsh environments and Endura® Inkjet, a saturated paper, to satisfy requests for durable label solutions that are compatible with Colordyne’s aqueous pigment inkjet solutions.”
There is no stopping the movement towards digital; the benefits are undeniable. Because digital printing uses digital files instead of printing plates, producing high-quality results with minimal setup costs is the new norm. Digital files also allow for customization of individual graphics or text on a print by print basis; they also allow for modifications on the press that once created waste. Digital printing allows for on-the-fly changes, short-runs, and increased efficiency and productivity. It’s also a significant step toward a more sustainable, durable printing process.
“Ultimately, consumers drive everything. Consumers today are willing to spend more and gear themselves towards environmentally friendly products, so our industry is trending that way. Some applications can’t transition, but we know that is where we are headed. We are making the right steps towards that. We’ve always got it in the back of our mind, so when it can be applied, we do the right thing,” said Bohr.
As a manufacturer of digital media, we understand that completely. With Dispersa® water-dispersible paper for labels, pouches, and packaging and our Endura® family of inkjet and laser printable label stock that is BS5609 certified, we’ve developed ways to introduce sustainability into industries that may not have been synonymous with being “green”.
As our relationship with Colordyne continues to grow, we have a great sense of pride, knowing our values are congruent. Katelyn summed it up by saying, “Our mission is to be THE source and knowledge leader for our consumer. When we connected with Indafor, we were pleased to find they, too, are focused on providing tailored solutions by partnering with compatible companies. I believe this helps us both give our customers quality service by directing them towards someone who is going to take care of them and be a good resource to them, as well.”