Label printing specialist A4Labels.com has revealed how a visit to The Print Show in 2024 led to the company investing in a new machine that has allowed it to significantly expand its service offering.
Based in Sussex, A4Labels.com began life in 2011 a broker selling A4 sheets of self-adhesive label on eBay. Over the years, the company has grown to become a manufacturer of A4, A5 and SRA3 sheets for the label trade and brokers across the UK and Europe.
To support its ongoing growth strategy, managing director Charlie Hawker visited The Print Show last year to gain insight into the latest machinery and chat with manufacturers about solutions that could support the company’s expansion plans.
Having spoken with specialist Fujifilm staff at the show, where the manufacturer had a stand for the second consecutive year, Hawker signed off on a deal to invest in a Fujifilm Apeos Pro C810 for sheeted print jobs.
The machine was installed at the company’s Sussex facility in November and has a significant impact on production over the past six months or so.
“We have always been a manufacturer of the sheets, to which we sold blanks,” Hawker says, adding: “In September we upgraded our website to easily add printing to your blank label order. Hence the need to investigate some machines Fujifilm, Xerox and Konica. We did have a smaller desktop printer, this wasn’t the most economical or accurate, so it was only suitable for larger labels and small runs.
“The Apeos C810 allows us to offer printing for all our sizes due to the little movement of the media as it travels through the press. The new modern technology of LED printing, rather than the traditional laser or inkjet options, allows our customers to overprint what has already had toner applied to it, which wasn’t possible before without ruining the label.”
Looking towards this year’s event, Hawker says he will be attending again to catch up on the latest goings-on across the UK market.
“I will be looking to attend again,” he says, adding: “For someone young and fairly new to events like this, it was my first time, and it was a great way to network and get to know and learn things about the industry.
“What stood out for me was communicating face to face. It was nice to meet people away from zoom and get a feel for the industry and what I was potentially buying.
“I obviously went with an idea of what I was looking for but side from the machines, I also met with the team at Artwork Guru. We have since acquired his services for label design work, which never would have happened had I viewed the machines on a Zoom call!”
