Xaar’s Versatex Printbar adds embellishment functionality

Xaar has added a new creativity print mode to its Versatex Printbar that provides label and flexible packaging producers an option to laydown varnish as an embellishment functionality.  

The enhancement comes as a response to customer feedback and the growing industry demand for using creative effects and embellishments in the production of premium labels. High build gloss, standard or spot varnish and matte textures are all now available to deliver the high-quality, ornate tactile effects increasingly seen on premium labels in wine and spirits, cosmetics, perfumes and other luxury items.

The Versatex Printbar leverages the architecture of two print banks, each equipped with six Xaar Nitrox printheads to achieve up to three different laydown effects in a single pass and with one varnish. Previously, the Versatex Printbar offered three different printing modes which could only be independently selected, meaning it was not possible to jet varying varnish levels concurrently in one pass. Now, thanks to the new creativity print mode and Xaar’s high laydown technology, customers can print between 15 to 100µm laydown at the same time.  

The new capability builds on the Versatex Printbar’s launch last year. Designers can now explore endless creative opportunities with textured and high-build print effects, varnishes and foils alongside the printing of high opacity whites and vibrant colors on labels and packaging. 

With sustainability in mind, the machine, when compared to screen printing, already offers shorter setup times and a higher utilization rate, resulting in short-run jobs being completed faster. Now, the additional ability to jet three varnish effects in one eliminates the need for multiple passes of the substrate through the press, delivering greater production efficiencies while also cutting energy use and costs.

Graham Tweedale, chief operating officer at Xaar, said: ‘The Xaar Versatex is proving increasingly popular for those label and packaging producers looking to create a real difference in their products. Now with its ability to add three different varnish effects in one pass the Versatex Printbar is enhancing aesthetics, aiding brand differentiation and even serving as part of an anti-counterfeiting strategy, through the innovative and sustainable use of inkjet technology.’