Xeikon and Kurz have unveiled digital metallization capabilities, leveraging the advanced
Xeikon Toton toner technology. This innovative solution integrates Kurz Digital Metal
technology with the Xeikon TX500 digital press, enabling the creation of premium labels.
This one-step embellishment method provides a flexible, cost-effective alternative to
conventional hot foiling techniques. It stands out as the market's inaugural food-safe digital
metallization solution, offering a new level of safety and quality assurance for the food
industry.
This collaboration between Xeikon and KURZ offers a game-changing solution for printers
catering to the discerning high-end wine and spirits markets. Delivering top-notch labels in a
single pass, this innovation eliminates constraints on run lengths and designs, providing a
sustainable, highly flexible, and remarkably cost-effective method to enhance shelf appeal.
In addition to the benefits of digital printing, it opens doors to new market possibilities,
including variable foiling. This feature can be harnessed for personalized consumer labels,
variable security elements, or paper-based packaging incorporating metallization, further
expanding creative opportunities for businesses.
Jeroen Van Bauwel, Director of Solution Design at Xeikon says, “Printers are constantly
searching for better ways to add value to the labels they produce for their customers.
Meanwhile, brand owners are looking to maximize shelf standout with brilliant designs that
shine and sparkle. They also want to get to market faster, at a lower cost. This new digital
metallization process offers unlimited possibilities for the production of high-quality, highly
embellished labels with Xeikon’s TITON toner technology. Metal effects are created in one
process without needing special adaptations to the print file. And since it’s all done in line, no
highly-skilled operator intervention or re-registration is needed. It’s as simple as adding
another color!”
This digital metallization method excels in its simplicity as it does not require any additional
process steps in prepress or during the converting phase. Unlike traditional hot and cold foil
techniques, there is no need for stamping tools, saving significant cost, time, and waste. The
job preparation time is as quick as sending a digital job to the press, meaning printers can
offer much faster turnaround and shorter lead times. It also eliminates the waste of time and materials related to print registration. The robust and versatile process can be applied to a
wide variety of substrates, including challenging uncoated papers (unlike cold foil), and semitransparent
metallization is also an option.
The solution is made possible by Xeikon’s new durable Titon toners, which are highly
resistant to heat. After printing CMYK, the Xeikon TX500 press applies a special Transfer
Toner to the designated metallization areas before the web continues to the Kurz module.
This method is remarkably precise and efficient, utilizing the print file for metallization, so
there are no additional requirements for the press operator.
With the full freedom of digital printing, including orders of just one label, the new digital
metallization process can be used to add both solid areas and very small details (in positive
and negative) in 1200 dpi resolution, anywhere in the design. Each label can be different
with variable elements in print and metallization matching each other.
Filip Weymans, Vice President of Marketing at Xeikon commented, “Together with Kurz,
Xeikon is pushing the boundaries of digital embellishment with this advanced solution which
will appeal to the high-end market due to its multiple benefits and exceptional quality. The
continuous advancement of Xeikon toner technology, and the new solutions it enables, are
driving even more value for label printers and their brand owner customers, while also
supporting sustainability by taking out more waste in the production process. We look
forward to unveiling this amazing solution at Labelexpo and encourage visitors to witness for
themselves how easy it can be to add metallization the Xeikon way.”
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