Label Automation Suite: Your software for more label printing jobs in less time!
The 2-in-1 solution for label production combines production planning and print data optimization. With the comprehensive Label Automation Suite digital label printers can speed up their production by automating time-consuming manual tasks. Complex incoming files are simplified to ensure an errorless and fast printing process. Throughput will be significantly increased by combining multi-customer orders in a single collect-run. The Label Automation Suite simplifies the label production of label converters. As a single unified system it manages complex PDF workflows and offers you maximal transparency and reliability in all production steps.
Watch our video and see how a smooth label production process looks like. Together with press manufacturer SCREEN GP Americas we present a holistic production workflow ranging from prepress to post-press.
As a comprehensive 2-in-1 solution for automated label production, the Label Automation Suite simplifies complex workflows for digital label printers, combining print data optimization with subsequent label production planning. Since the software is able to process production data from various MIS, it can then intelligently access pre-press tools and thus control the production workflow. The advantages of this capability are safe production processes and essential gains in efficiency. Some years ago, after discussing with label printing professionals who were customers of OneVision, it became clear that a paperless digital order process would help avoid many errors. This idea was the birth of the Label Automation Suite. The same professionals also came asking OneVision whether there was any automated software solution available for label printing using PDF technology in PDF workflows.
The Label Automation Suite imports production data and then automatically optimizes it. It is precisely in the area of preflighting and image data normalization for fault-free printing, that OneVision has acquired a leading position in the printing industry. This expertise has now been applied to label printing. Whether in color management, with its latest development of 4D color management, HD rasterization technologies or PDF workflows – in expanding its expertise, the Regensburg software manufacturer is always customer-oriented. In addition to newspaper and magazine publishers such as the Financial Times or Bauer Media, print shops have been among the customers who have profited from the high rate of automation and hence the essential cost cutting potential and added efficiency offered by the OneVision software solutions. OneVision is always abreast in product development and innovation by keeping in close regular contact with its customers.
The Label Automation Suite uses this end-to-end expertise in prepress production workflows. It imports print data directly or via third-party system interfaces, runs QA checks and optimizes it. Take preflighting: the checking and creation of a preflight report is automated; then the data is optimized for fault-free printing. This includes the flattening of transparencies or machine and material-specific color management.
In the next phase, the Suite supports both the prepress and graphic design process by automating various necessary steps. For instance, if a customer sends a file containing comments or in a format too large, the “Trim to cutting die” function crops the superfluous parts of the PDF and the label to the cutting die, which helps avoid processing the label again in an external graphic design system. The Label Automation Suite also supports the automatic creation of standard cutting formes. Furthermore, the software recognizes cutting die colors, which are set up as spot or special colors, separate from CMYK.
Other useful functions such as creating white masks or varnish masks further contribute towards the reduction of manual tasks. Another useful element is bleed generation. Label printing often involves a variety of forms to be printed. In such cases the Automation Suite allows real time savings by automatically extending the bleed without needing any approximating procedures such as enlarging the artwork. The software is very deft at this, also being able to finish curves and handwriting. Then the software automatically creates a release PDF to send to the customer thus facilitating coordination with the customer. The PDF lists the essential order data, shows a preview of the label and its placement on the roll.
To printers working with die cutting machines, the Label Automation Suite offers the possibility of saving pre-used die cut forms for later use in customer orders with the same form. A special algorithm recognizes random shapes and matches them to die cut forms from a library. To those working with laser cutters, the Suite offers fully automatic set-up of the laser cutter via bar codes from which the cutting contours and other laser parameters are generated also fully automatically.
Fully automated multi-customer collect run production of labels is a unique selling point of the new software. The Label Automation Suite assembles open orders and combines labels of varying shape, size and batch sizes to be printed on the same material into one collect run and transmits this to the presses. This eliminates error sources in the production line, delivers time and material savings by eliminating test print runs and increases throughput. The printed products are checked and then released for shipping or reassigned to production planning for a new print run.
The capability of underlaying a white mask to transparent material or training the system with one click to recognize special color names, that the customer has defined as cutting lines, is new on the market. The automated generation of bleeds and multi-customer collect run production are also new features. The Label Automation Suite also visualizes the digital order folder workflow in its user interface. This allows orders to be forwarded and exchanged between departments and the order folder to be tracked.
A system comprising every step from order receipt to actual production and allowing access to all parties involved is another market first. This ensures smooth and time efficient production processes. Its transparency allows errors to be tracked back to source and thus effective quality assurance. The high degree of automation saves time and increases throughput. All software components are developed, supported and serviced by OneVision. No third-party vendors or time-consuming integration are needed. The Label Automation Suite is an Intranet solution for standard web browsers, easy to install and quick to link up to the production machinery. It is particularly beneficial in environments where small batches of labels are printed since it allows even multi-customer orders to be assembled for collect run production. The aim of prepress expert OneVision is to establish a presence in the label printing industry for its PDF process expertise and with its innovations to help label printers achieve real advantages.
Any questions about the Label Automation Suite? We are happy to help you – contact us!