Xeikon NV, an innovator in digital color
printing technology, announced today that the company has received the esteemed
2012 InterTech Technology Award for its X-800 VariLane, a software add-on to
the Xeikon X-800 Digital Front-End. The X-800 VariLane has been specifically
designed to provide label printers greater flexibility in the production of
labels, and greater profit opportunities.
The InterTech Technology Awards, which are
sponsored by the Printing Industries of America, recognize the development of
technologies that are predicted to have a major impact on the graphic arts and
related industries. More than 80 percent of the technologies that have received
this award experience continued commercial success in the marketplace,
according to the Printing Industries.
"Label printers face an enormous
challenge to remain competitive in today's world of increasing consumer choice,
and they require technologies that will enable them to maximize productivity
and efficiency," said Wim Maes, CEO of Xeikon NV. "What makes the
X-800 VariLane such a compelling technology for label printers is the fact that
it allows them to combine labels of different sizes and different SKUs within
the same print job, reducing setup times and lowering costs. It's a great honor
to see the value of this technology recognized with an InterTech Technology
Award."
The X-800 VariLane technology, which is the
culmination of several years of research and development, is specifically
designed for the Xeikon 3000 Series of digital label presses. It represents a
major leap forward in optimizing the post-RIP (raster image processing) phase
of the prepress operation, taking full advantage of the flexibility and speed
offered by the Xeikon 3000 Series.
With traditional technologies, more complex
label orders mean more challenges with imposition, which refers to the prepress
process where labels are arranged on the web roll when it's prepared for
production. Prior to the VariLane technology being introduced, labels had to be
equal in size, which also meant that the print lanes needed to be equal in
size. The X-800 VariLane technology greatly simplifies this process with
digital imposition templates. Labels with different SKUs and different sizes
can be printed within the same print run.
The X-800 VariLane is one of twelve
innovative technologies recognized with a 2012 InterTech Technology Award by
the Printing Industries of America. The InterTech stars, recognized as a symbol
of technological innovation and excellence, will be presented in person during
the Premiere Print Awards and InterTech Technology Awards Gala on October 7
during Graph Expo in Chicago.
