Over the last two decades, Lucknow-based Upadhyay Colour Copier (UCC) has been recognized as an adopter of a string of latest machines and technologies to move ahead of competition. For offset & digital printing as well as digital print embellishment, UCC consistently invests in different machines of diverse technologies.
After successfully establishing itself in sheet-fed digital print embellishment, UCC identified a growing gap in the label market of India. While the conventional flexographic technology offers economical production for large volumes, it is still commercially not viable for short runs and many digital label presses in the market have limited color gamut with the additional requirement of a system for print embellishment. Pawan Upadhyay, founder, Upadhyay Colour Copier, says, “Our objective was never to become another label printer. We wanted to offer something the market did not already have in label printing and production.”
The challenges
Brand owners these days increasingly require: short-run label production; premium embellishment; faster delivery; no plate or die cost; and excellent shelf appeal. However, conventional production often requires multiple passes for UV coating & foiling, increasing production time, waste & registration challenges. For roll-to-roll production, every additional pass means rewinding, re-registering, and reprocessing the entire roll.
“We felt that if everything could be completed in a single pass, it would completely change the economics of short-run label production. That’s why we purposely switched to the Haotian Digital Label Press with Inline CMYK + White + UV + Foiling, which is engineered more technologically advanced than most of the conventional digital label presses now readily available in the market.
After evaluating various technologies, UCC selected the Haotian press because it integrates CMYK, white, UV coating, and digital foiling—all inline in a single pass. “For us, one-pass production was the biggest differentiator. Running a roll two times for print embellishment was an overburdened, time consuming and expensive task for us. Today, Haotian has totally eliminated the drawback.”
Results after 10 months
Nearly 10 months after its installation, the Haotian press at UCC has transformed the company’s label business, he says. One of the strongest advantages reported by UCC about the press is its color accuracy. Upadhyay, underlines, “Now with the Haotian, we are able to reproduce about 95% of the original color gamut.” Unlike many other digital systems where colour variations become visible across jobs, UCC reports about the Haotian press’ extremely stable reproduction with only minor density adjustments when required.
Along with color accuracy, the Haotian press maintains premium print quality without bevel effect or raised edge around the printed areas.
“This Haotian press produces exceptionally smooth results. The ink layer is extremely thin. There is no bevel effect, and the print quality is as smooth and clean as electro-ink technology,” mentions Upadhyay. Another major operational benefit of the press is its ink consumption. Because of its use of a very thin ink layer while maintaining colour density, UCC reports excellent ink yield, lowering overall production costs without compromising print quality.
Broad media compatibility
Following the adoption of the Haotian press, UCC magnified its range of applications as the company started printing successfully on paper labels, PP white, PP silver, PET substrates, and flexible films. It seamlessly handles various media up to 500 microns, providing excellent versatility for premium label production.
Traditionally many labels require lamination for gloss and abrasion resistance. With the advanced UV printing technology of the Haotian press, UCC has eliminated lamination for many applications. “Now, we produce labels with excellent gloss directly from the press. Customers are satisfied with the premium-looking labels produced in such an advanced process,” says Upadhyay. It reduces production time, material consumption, and manufacturing cost.
Faster market response
Perhaps the biggest business advantage of running the Haotian press at UCC is the turnaround time. Without plates, dies or lengthy makeready procedures, the company currently serves its customers requiring as few as 3,000 labels, a quantity generally uneconomical for flexographic production. This helps UCC create a completely new customer segment comprising start-ups, boutique brands, regional FMCG companies, cosmetic manufacturers, ayurvedic products, and premium food products. “Now our customers can receive finished labels within one to three days, depending on the production schedule,” informs Upadhyay.
Rather than competing solely on price, UCC has deliberately positioned itself as a premium label supplier. Foiling has emerged as one of the most popular embellishment options. According to Upadhyay, “Brand owners understand that premium labels improve shelf appeal. Better branding directly influences purchasing decisions.” Nowadays, UCC is witnessing strong demands pouring in from some key sectors like cosmetics, personal care, nutraceuticals, ayurvedic products, and premium consumer goods.
Future expansion
With the establishment of its label business, UCC is now gearing up to enter into the arena of digitally printed flexible packaging solutions. The same Haotian platform will be used to produce short-run pouches for emerging brands that cannot justify gravure cylinders for limited quantities. “Our next move is digital pouch production. Start-ups also deserve premium packaging, and this Haotian technology will make it commercially viable.”
After-sales service support is often a deciding factor for everyone, particularly those in non-metros, small cities, and towns. “We are happy with Haotian’s post-sales technical assistance, provided by Packnology based in New Delhi. Despite the distance, we receive excellent post-sales support in Lucknow. The response has been prompt as the technical team responds promptly and professionally whenever help is needed,” says Upadhyay. UCC believes that dependable service is just as important as the performance of a machine with advanced technology.
After 10 months of commercial production, UCC considers the investment in the Haotian press a success. Instead of competing in the already crowded CMYK-only market, the company has created a niche based on: one-pass production, premium embellishment, excellent colour accuracy, superior media flexibility, fast turnaround, and high-value short-run labels. “We invest in the Haotian press not to imitate someone else’s installation of a new digital label press. We invest where we see the future. This Haotian press has built up our confidence to generate a completely new market, rather than competing unproductively in an existing one,” concludes Upadhyay.
