Axicon Labels, which was established in 1979, has installed a Mark Andy Digital One toner press at its production facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire. The decision to install the new Mark Andy press was a logical step, according to operations director, Adam Carey: “We had outgrown our previous digital printer and wanted to bring more outsourced work back in-house. The Digital One has given us better control of production, higher quality and better pricing. It allows us to respond to our customers at the eleventh hour and turn jobs around the same day if necessary.”
The company manufactures a wide variety of labels from product and promotional to variable data, peel & reveal, and booklet labels, as well as blanks. It initially specialised in barcode labels and also offers security and tamper evident labels.
The Digital One is easy to use, and provides a four-colour dry toner printing process and a multi-function flexo deck for spot colours, laminates, adhesives or varnishes, together with inline converting and finishing capabilities. “The Mark Andy is much less labour intensive than our previous printer and a lot more flexible – we have had to streamline our pre-press and finishing operations because it is so productive,” Carey added, explaining that that the support and training received from Mark Andy UK were a significant factor in choosing the Digital One and commissioning it successfully.
The Mark Andy is already proving its worth for Axicon, where short runs of high-quality labels for the artisan food and drink sector are in popular demand. “Our smallest job has been to produce 22 labels, which delighted our customer, and being able to print superb digital labels in-house has enabled us to win business at a competitive price,” added Carey. Quality is the byword for Axicon’s work explained Carey as they have to maintain the confidence of leading manufacturers and retailers for whom Axicon is a preferred supplier. Axicon Labels, in addition to its digital print capacity, has narrow web flexo capability, thermal transfer printers, and die cut/slit and rewinding facilities. It is part of Axicon Auto ID which is the UK’s only manufacturer of barcode verifiers and the company is marking its 40th anniversary this year.