No two labels the same
Variable data printing changes part of the artwork on every impression as the run goes through the press. The design holds; a field inside it is different each time. A serial number, a lot code, a date, a name, a barcode or QR that resolves to one unit rather than to one SKU.
In every other respect it is an ordinary label run. The difference is that the file PPO prints from carries a list as well as artwork.
What it is used for
Unit-level serialization and track and trace. Lot and date coding printed into the label rather than applied to it downstream. Unique codes for promotions, warranty registration, or loyalty. Regional, language, and flavor variants run together instead of as separate jobs. Short personalized runs.
It runs on the digital press
Changing the image on every impression needs a press that images each one, rather than one printing from a plate. PPO runs digital alongside the Mark Andy P7 flexo line, on the same site, so a variable job is coated, converted, and finished here like any other.
The data is proofed with the artwork
Send the data with the file. What gets proofed is the layout and records drawn from your own list, so what you approve is what runs.
This matters more here than on a fixed job. A field that fits the shortest record and overruns on the longest is a proof problem when it is caught at proof, and a press problem when it is not.
Substrates
The same films, papers, and thermal stocks as any other label run. The full list is in the substrates section on the homepage.
Who it’s for
Food and beverage brands running lot-coded packaging, nutraceutical and personal care brands carrying unit-level codes, household and chemical brands, and contract packagers running variable work for their own clients.
Dates and minimum
Proof back within 24 hours. Production three weeks from approval. $1,000 minimum, as an order value rather than a piece count. Ships anywhere in the United States.
What to send for a quote
The artwork, which field or fields change, how many unique records the run carries, the format you hold that data in, the finished size, the quantity, and your date. Pricing and a firm timeline come back within one business day.