AVT (Advanced Vision Technology), a global name in print inspection solutions, has won the 2026 Labels & Labeling Innovation Award for its Helios Varnish Inspection Module, an industry-first technology that enables reliable inspection of clear varnishes and coatings in parallel to print inspection, without requiring converters to alter their formulations or compromise on productivity.
The award, announced on 15 September at Loupe Americas 2026, marks AVT’s third Labels & Labeling Innovation Award win and recognizes the company’s solution for addressing one of the label and flexible packaging industry’s longstanding inspection challenges: the reliable detection of clear varnish and coating defects at production speed.
Clear varnish and coating defects have long been one of the hardest problems in label and flexible packaging production. Conventional inspection systems cannot reliably see transparent coatings, and for years the industry’s workarounds have been to stop the press to check manually or to add UV additives or optical brighteners to the varnish so defects can be seen using UV light.
These approaches change the formulation, add cost and complexity, and can still leave converters exposed to mis-registration, misprints and varnish starvation that may escape detection until the finished product reaches the customer or, at best, the slitter rewinder station, when it is already too late.
The patented Helios Varnish Inspection Module addresses this challenge by inspecting clear varnish and coating layers directly, identifying defects that other systems cannot detect. It works across matte, gloss and tactile coatings, and inspects varnish alongside print, barcode, variable data and color measurement in a single platform, at full production speed and with no compromise on accuracy.
The judging panel highlighted the technology’s ability to address a genuine production problem and the fact that it is already supported by installations in the field.
“When you are running a press at high speeds, it is difficult to see that varnish,” said Shawn Oetjen, director of operational excellence at Meyers and a member of the FTA executive board. “I have experienced reruns because it was missed, so from a converting standpoint, this is impactful.”
Solving the varnish inspection challenge at production speed
The Helios Varnish Inspection Module is a retrofittable upgrade to Helios systems. Converters can add the capability to equipment already on their pressroom floor rather than replacing hardware, an approach that has helped drive rapid uptake since the module’s introduction. One in three Helios systems now ships with the varnish inspection module.
For converters, the module delivers immediate operational value. Varnish defects, mis-register and starvation are caught before shipment, cutting reprints, waste, downtime and quality complaints: the same workflow improvements that underpin documented customer productivity gains of around 30%.
The innovation also delivers broader benefits for the industry. By removing the need for UV additives and optical brighteners, the module simplifies coating formulations and supports cleaner, more sustainable production, a meaningful step for a segment under growing pressure to reduce material complexity and environmental footprint.
For end markets where coating integrity is directly tied to product protection and brand quality, including food and beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, it raises the standard of finished-product assurance that converters can credibly offer their customers.
Innovation that earns its place on the pressroom floor
“Winning the Labels & Labeling Innovation Award is a fantastic recognition for the entire AVT team, but what makes us especially proud is the value this technology is already delivering for converters,” said Guy Yogev, VP Product & Marketing, AVT. “We took on a challenge the industry had lived with for years – reliably inspecting clear varnish at production speed – and solved it without asking converters to change their varnish, their process or their existing Helios investment. For us, that is what meaningful innovation is about: solving a real production challenge in a way that works on the pressroom floor.”
AVT has been at the forefront of print inspection since 1992, helping printers worldwide achieve unparalleled quality and efficiency through automated systems that deliver complete quality control at the highest production speeds.
