Amherst Label scores TLMI Printing Excellence Award

At the 2024 TLMI Printing Excellence Awards, Amherst Label has scooped the ‘best-in-class’ prize in the alcoholic beverage category for Baxter Brewing Co.’s ’13 Below’ Cold IPA label.

Printed on an MPS-Domino hybrid press, the label was recognized by judges for its look and feel, which highlighted the sharp contrast of the high-opacity white print against the metalized film, as well as the tactile, 3D feel provided by the label’s rough-textured matte UV varnish.

Creating an award-winning label like ’13 Below’ takes a combination of partnership, design creativity, technical expertise and print technology know-how.

Amherst Label and Baxter Brewing Co. have worked together since 2022, when the craft brewery sought a new printer for its short-run labels. The partnership has evolved since the companies’ initial engagement, with Amherst now printing nearly all the labels for Baxter’s limited-release beers.

Devin Smith, sales and marketing manager at Baxter Brewing Co., said: ‘We try to stay true to our brand and our brand style. Every label features the Mount Katahdin ridgeline to honor our namesake from Baxter State Park. Baxter written in the large text up the left side is our way for the consumer to recognize our product and be able to explore more within our portfolio.

‘For our 13th anniversary ’13 Below’ Cold IPA, I was thinking of the sky on a cold winter night. Someone suggested including the Northern Lights, which was a perfect idea. Adding the Northern Lights above the ridgeline and tree silhouettes into the foreground, it all came together.’

For Baxter, it was key for the Northern Lights to stand out. This led to a collaborative brainstorming session in which the two teams looked at substrates Amherst had previously used on the Domino hybrid press before agreeing on the reflective metalized film.

‘This label turned out way better than I could have imagined,’ added Devin. ‘The reflective film, the printed gradient and the tactile coating that we add to all labels – it all worked well together.’

 ‘The matte UV textured varnish definitely enhances the way the label feels. It also helps when applying the labels to the cans in their high-speed canning line. It runs a lot smoother than other finishes, ensuring the labels are applied securely,’ commented Shane Beaton, account executive at Amherst Label.

Amherst has three Domino N610i presses, two hybrids, and one roll-to-roll press, which means the label converter can offer a range of different printing services depending on its customers’ needs.

‘Although much of our growth in recent years has been driven by our digital capabilities, it’s important for us and for our customers to have access to both digital and flexo technologies. Every scenario is different, and flexo has its place,’ Beaton added. ‘For the label in question, it would have been possible to produce the design on one of our flexo presses, but as we were producing a small run of labels, this would have worked out more expensive, considering the setup and cost of creating plates for every color.’