3 minute read
Short-run digital labelling to the rescue
Grow Indoors, a supplier of hydroponic equipment, was approached by Label Smart to share an account of how short-run digital label printing impacted its small business at a critical time. This is Lindo Mthiyane of Grow Indoors’ story.
Although Grow Indoors initially specialised in LED grow light and water purification for plant growth, when the cannabis legislation changed, it began offering health supplements based on CBD.
Since legislation has changed, the company’s target market has grown considerably to include the cannabis community. With this in mind, Grow Indoors booked a stand at the Cannabis Expo 2019, which took place at Sandton Convention Centre. The aim was to showcase its products and to launch something new – CBD and THC detection kits for growers.
THE PRIMARY PROBLEM
Grow Indoors invested in importing enough raw materials for a few hundred of these kits, which needed to be packaged locally. Needing a variety of product labels with just a few hundred of each one in time for the exhibition, turned out to be more of a problem than the company realised. The team tried signage companies to print and cut its labels on digital machines designed for making signs, but the small text was blurry, and the quality wasn’t what Grow Indoors needed. The signage companies also couldn’t offer paper-based or chemically resistant labels.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE
Traditional label companies weren’t interested in small runs of a few hundred labels. They would only take on the job if Grow Indoorsincreased the order to 5 000 labels. But this would impact on the deadline as the expo was only two weeks away and the team still had to package the product. Analogue printing systems can't meet tight deadlines because it takes time to create flexographic plates. Grow Indoors was distraught – preparations and bookings for the exhibition stand had cost the team a fortune and now it seemed the leading showcase product wouldn’t be ready in time. This was potentially enough to sink the fledgling business if it couldn’t be solved.
FINDING A SOLUTION
Grow Indoors came across Label Smart onFacebook. The printing company was running a Facebook advert saying that it specialised in‘short-run label production’. After trying many options without success, the desperate GrowIndoors team gave Label Smart a call.
Grow Indoors met with Label Smart and received a quote for the job which they accepted. Within an hour, they received colour proofs to sign off and were able to complete the order within two days. The labels for the solvent bottles were produced in full colour and were chemically resistant; even the tiniest text was perfectly crisp and clear. They also had a paper-based label printed for tamper-evident seals –these make it difficult to tamper with the product yet easy enough to open the packaging once the product has been purchased. A third semi-gloss label was produced for use as a brand reinforcement sticker inside the package.
Label Smart was able to turnaround the high quality labels quickly because the company runs digital label presses from OKI which are designed for short-run label production. Thanks to their special cutters, Label Smart also produces labels in any shapes and sizes without the need for dies. Grow Indoors will definitely be designing more interesting labels for future projects now that the team knows this can be done.
“As a small manufacturer, I am grateful that we found Label Smart,” Mthiyane comments.“However, I do wish it was easier to find label printers that can produce high-quality full-colour labels in smaller quantities at a decent quality and price. Label Smart really helped us out of a tight spot, and we will continue to support and recommend them to other small and medium-sized businesses struggling to find labels in limited quantities.” •
Grow Indoors – www.growindoors.co.za Label Smart – www.labelsmart.co.za NSI 4 Africa – www.nsi4africa.com
