The Evolution of Darwin’s Dairy Label: From Flexo to Digital – Samuel Eyre

A particular label that holds considerable significance to Acorn is the dairy label of Darwin’s, which in 2015 because the first successful digital print on the Domino N600i. NP & DJ Darwin Ltd, based in Oxspring, Sheffield, is a producer of free range milk and has been an existing customer of ours since 2007. When they initially proposed an idea for a label to go on their milk bottles, our custom print capabilities were limited to flexography. Flexography or “flexo,” printing uses flexible raised image carrier, otherwise known as “plates,” which wrap around a cylinder. Before the printing process began plates were acquired in the approved style of Darwin. A plate is needed for every pantone colour used in the procedure. The original Darwin’s Dairy Semi Skimmed Milk label used a pantone Green on a plain white label: Although this label printed well and met Darwin’s requirements the introduction of the Domino digital printer in 2015 meant we could evolve the label into a more colourful and modern appearance. Creating digital labels is a process of printing a graphic file. This file is typically a PDF which can be simply edited using Adobe. Once the design is approved by the customer, the PDF is ripped using software which will convert the PDF into a format that the printer will identify. Once the file has been successfully ripped and sent to the Domino, it arrives as a file to print. The Domino N600i uses UV inkjet technology which sprays the ink onto the substrate without the print heads touching. This therefore allows printing on a variety of materials using a wide range of colours. Darwin opted for Gloss White Poly on permanent adhesive which suitably met the durability required in the life span of a milk bottle label.

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