Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/122527
cover story Label Printers for Short Runs Stay flexible with compact, easy-to-use equipment By Jane Firstenfeld Using a printer from Primera Technology, Katie Fox of Vino Tabi custom-crush winery in Santa Cruz, Calif., created special labels for two wines to benefit victims of the 2011 tsunami in Japan. L abel printing continues to make great strides in efficient technology, and most wineries continue to utilize the expert services of established commercial printers for most of their lab ling requiree ments. But just as office desktop printers have become smaller, faster, cheaper and more reliable in recent decades, so have label printers manufactured specifically for wineries of any size to use in-house, producing professional-quality labels in short runs at a reasonable cost. Of the roughly 8,000 wineries in North America, more than 6,000 produce fewer than 5,000 cases annually (and 1,000 make less than 1,000 cases), per WinesVinesDATA. Virtually all of these small wineries produce more than one varietal or brand every year, and even brands with just a few cases per year may carry distinctive labels of their own. Designing these, from wording to art to label stock and shape, can be daunting, especially when bottling dates may vary depending on the type and varietal of 30 W in e s & V i ne s M AY 2 01 3 wine and available equipment. TTB Certificates of Label Approval (COLAs) must be in hand, along with bottles that work with the desired labels, plus closures and capsules, and workers who can use all the equipment. With sufficient planning, many small wineries (or wineries with short-run labeling needs) effectively work with dozens of North American commercial printers that specialize in wine labels. These pros have the resources and experience to help with COLA requirements, and they can provide the most advanced materials and design options, including foil stamping and embossing. Automated bottling lines are expensive and space consuming, and they may not be used more than a few days in a given year. Tiny wineries often lack the capital and floor space to invest—these can use mobile bottling or avail themselves of nearby bottling services. Still, the labels must come from somewhere. Standard office computer printers are quite primitive for the job, but a few Highlights • n-house label printers continue I to improve in automation, speed and price. • ncreasingly compact and userI friendly, they can be ideal for small wineries, especially those with multiple varieties or brands. • ineries that are—or would like W to be—in the custom-labeling market will probably want one of these printers. • few manufacturers dominate the A market in North America. U.S. manufacturers make high-quality printers that are almost as compact and simple to use. Primera and QuickLabel gave demonstrations in their Unified Wine & Grape Symposium booths in January. These two printers are the major players in this