We are pleased to announce the additional investments of an AB Graphic RTS Sheeter at our main location in Lye, West Midlands.
The additional equipment will save considerable amount of time in our finishing department enhancing our capability and speeding up the conversion of roll to roll printed media into sheet form. This will allow us to make better use of our Dantex Pico Colour Digital reel to reel machine, a 2019 investment that we are very proud of.
Customark has taken on a raft of new laser engraving equipment and will install more new kit over the coming weeks.
In October the graphics and label business took delivery of two additional Trotec S400 high-speed machines at its Calne facility, as well as two other laser engravers – a Trotec S100 and a Rayjet 50.
The company had also considered other alternatives but told Printweek the Trotec kit complemented its existing equipment at the site, which includes other machines from Trotec and Universal Laser Systems. The business now operates nine laser cutting and engraving machines in total at the facility.
Customark managing director Greg Lerigo said: “While 2020 has been quite a challenging year for the manufacturing industry, and of course the rest of the world, Customark has found it to be the perfect time to complete a further £70,000 investment at our Calne facility in Wiltshire.
“The Trotec S400s will help support the business development of this site, improve output and increase efficiency.”
He added: “Further investment of nearly £70,000 has also been planned in the next eight weeks to support the increased business activity. This will include additional screen print capacity, a Quadra semi-automatic pick and place machine for keypad and membrane capacity, along with an additional Trotec S300.”
Headquartered in Lye, West Midlands, Customark produces a wide range of industrial labels and graphics for electronics manufacturers, including Sharp, Makita, Honeywell and Schneider Electric.
It also produces floor stickers, POS and digital labels at its Lye site, where it invested £350,000 on a PicoColour from Dantex in 2019.
With 60 staff and a turnover of £4.8m, Customark also has facilities in Cambridge and Oxford and its four sites total 2,740sqm of space.
Article by Richard Stuart-Turner for PrintWeek. View the original article here – https://www.printweek.com/news/article/customark-in-major-laser-investment
Are you considering the planet when you’re purchasing your labels. point of sale or printed products?
With already 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating in our oceans, being more conscious of single use plastics can be incredibly important to solving the environmental crisis, especially since 73% of beach litter include items like bottles, cigarette butts, cheap shopping bags, food wrapping and sanitary products. All single use items. With the current war against COVID-19, single use surgical masks, test kits and bacterial wipes as fast becoming big problems too.
So why make your labels and POS part of the problem?
Before we get into products, materials and solutions let’s talk about the difference between biodegradable, compostable and recyclable.
Biodegradable:
This means that it can be naturally broken down by micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi in certain conditions. Biodegradable products decompose much faster than the traditional materials which may take hundreds of years to fully breakdown.
Compostable:
Compostable products are made out of natural materials (like starch) and deteriorate into ‘compost’ without leaving behind any toxic residue when they break down. To be classed as compostable, products must meet specific requirements. Composting is a controlled process that typically happens in an industrial setting – compostable products are not suitable for home composting unless it has been certified as Home Compostable. It is important to check spec sheets and labelling to make sure the product is disposed of correctly.
Compostable and biodegradable plastics are not currently recyclable and can actually contaminate the recycling process. However, developments are happening which means that work is underway to create compostable products that are also recyclable.
Recyclable:
Recycling is a process of turning used materials into something new, which then keeps products away from landfill for longer. There is a limit in how many times some materials can be recycled; for example – plastic bottles and paper can usually be recycled a handful of times before they become unusable. Whereas others like glass, metal and aluminium can be endlessly recycled.
From recent surveys we can see that the Coronavirus pandemic has made a vast range of people become more ethical consumers. With sales in vegan food products soaring, organic fruit and veg becoming popular and clothes are becoming more sustainable; it makes perfect sense that the labelling and packaging that comes with them are also ethically sourced. Whether that being inks, materials, adhesives; talking to suppliers about more eco-conscious options isn’t as difficult as it sounds.
With how the world is changing and evolving, companies need to too. That’s why so many label and point of sale suppliers are making big steps to make eco-friendly products more accessible for even the smallest of businesses – from a simple design for a vegan soap company to intricate shelf edge strips to advertise an indie wine in a farm shop.
Like many companies – we are evolving too! Joining our card shelf point of sale items is a planet-friendly label. Produced from a Home Compostable material and paired with an eco-friendly adhesive, it’s a perfect alternative for your every day labels; and this is only the beginning for Customark, big steps are being taken to make sure we can provide you with labelling that is not only environmentally friendly but is friendly to your budget too.
Depending on what you want from your labels, either it being a white base label, clear or semi-gloss label. Both the white and clear materials are made from wood pulp, a sustainable raw material, and the semi-gloss is made from wood-free FSC certified printing paper. All materials come with an acrylic based permanent biodegradable and compostable adhesive. If you have an idea in mind why not talk to a member of our friendly team – our experience in the print industry is second to none.
Our eco-friendly journey doesn’t just stop there – we’re even working on making our overlays and keypads too. Keep an eye out for more information on this soon!
We hope that this has helped you with making conscious decisions for your brand as well as the planet. For more information, please call 01384 264700 or email sales@customark.co.uk
Information sources:
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing stickers have helped pave the way throughout various businesses such as supermarkets, pubs and restaurants. Social distancing stickers have been an evolving product and have helped us all get used to the restrictions put into place by the government.
The general public and social distancing
Whilst in the comfort of their own homes, people have been trusted to act responsibly. With the use of social distancing stickers, the general public have been strongly advised to practice enforcing safety measures outside if their homes. For some, the distancing stickers have been a useful aid for helping them get used to the distancing rules.
Originally, social distancing stickers were used to reinstate the 2m distancing rules enforced by the government. Recently, due to the compromise of the general public, distancing rules were reduced to 1m. For a range of reasons, some have opted to stick to the 2m rule.
With the new government advice of “stay alert and safe”, social distancing stickers can help the general pubic with keeping a safe distance and also guiding them towards the eased distance restrictions. The stickers are easy to use, meaning they can always be adjusted as per the changes with restrictions.
How have social distancing stickers guided the public?
Social distancing stickers have also acted as traffic flow in a range of settings for the general public such as queueing outside supermarkets, keeping a distance whilst shopping and even which direction to walk in down the aisles of shops. Due to the changes of restrictions, some establishments have used bright coloured tape, arrows and even specific stickers which state the exact distance needed.
Due to the ease in distancing rules, some establishments have opted for the more relaxed social distancing stickers. This could help some get used to their “new normal” but still reinstating that we should be aware of the virus. The more relaxed stickers can also help children with remembering the rules without feeling too scared.
As the restrictions continue to change depending on the risk level, we should expect to continue to see social distancing stickers in a wide range of public spaces.
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Customark has created a range of Social Distancing Floor Stickers. Government advice has been to stay 2 meters apart from people outside of your household when in public. We have created our range for you to stick to the floor, two meters apart, so when queuing or when working, people can remain safe. Our stickers are simple, yet effective with the intention of keeping your customers or workers safe.
The government has warned us that social distancing may remain in place for a long time to come, so it is vital, as a business owner, to invest in hard-wearing and durable stickers. Our range includes long- term indoor and outdoor stickers meaning you will not have to replace the stickers frequently. We have kept the current situation in mind when designing the range and have given the stickers properties accordingly.
Our social distancing floor stickers are built with the location in mind; we have considered where you will be placing the stickers and made sure that they will last in their positions. Our stickers are made from non-slip vinyl and are all scratch-resistant and waterproof. For those stickers that will be used indoors, the vinyl is peelable. Those that are intended for long-term use outside are made with a white permanent non-slip vinyl which can last up to 12 months, subject to footfall.
We have ensured that our labels are fire resistant with our long-term indoor and short-term outdoor social distancing floor graphics possessing an ISO3795:1989 fire rating and our long-term outdoor stickers being fire-rated according to DIN EN-13501-1.
Finally, we have also taken into account how important the positioning of social distancing floor stickers is. To stay within government guidelines, we have provided you with a free applicator alongside the stickers.
Customark guarantees quality and fantastic customer service.
It’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of another financial year and we understand that budgets can be stretched, especially in School and Education environments.
With that in mind we are offering a special discount on our ever popular Sensory Floor Sticker Kits. Any orders placed during March using the code “SEN10” will receive a further 10% disocunt off the usual selling price.
So if you ordered our Flower Garden kit as an example, instead of paying the normal price of £300 + VAT you would pay £270 + VAT.
Giving you even more value for money in a kit that already has a large amount of colorful fun graphics for you to brighten a dull corridor or learning space. Each different themed kit also allows certain parts to be customised to your own school colours.
Why not visit our floor stickers website using the following link :
SENSORY PATHWAY FLOOR STICKERS
Alternatively speak to one of our friendly sales team by ringing 01384 264700.
Tampo Printing, also known as Pad Printing, is a process that transfers a 2D image onto a 3D object. It is mostly used to print on to more difficult products in an array of different industries which include but aren’t limited to medical, automotive, electronic and promotional. It can also be used to deposit purposeful materials like conductive inks, adhesives, dyes and lubricants.
The process usually involves an etched plate (also known as a cliché), a silicone pad to transfer the image and the substrate. An image is etched on to the flat printing plate which is then filled with ink. The silicone pad that is used has a very smooth surface with chemical resistances which is then used to carry the ink from the plate and transfer it onto the object. The reason silicone is used for the pad is because the properties of the material means that it can’t absorb the ink into itself, it can also adapt to irregular shaped surfaces.
For those of you who aren’t too sure on what Screen Printing entails, it is a process that uses a mesh stencil which ink is transferred to the material underneath. The stencil created from shapes, letters or words, blocks a portion of the screen. The screen sits atop the item that will receive the image, a shirt or poster, for example. The item is usually called a substrate. The print person places ink on top of the screen and stencil. They then squeegee the stencil and ink to create a sharp image on the subsrate. The main advantage of screen printing is in fact the durability due to the thickness of the inks that are used. A few advantages are that more colours in a design the more money it will be; this is because a screen has to be created for each colour. The other is the surface that are being printed on need to be flat.
As we are talking about the disadvantages of Screen Printing, Pad Printing does have its flaws. Speed isn’t one of its strongest points, you also have to apply different colours separately which does take time but there is also a possibility that the registration could then become off. Has you can see, Screen and Tampo Printing do have their similarities but they both have a place in the print industry.
Thanks to this amazing technology you can more or less print on anything. Take a look at your desk, we guarantee that you will find something that has been Tampo Printed! Keyboard, pens, calculator… You never know, this might be the print process that is needed for your business.
Reputed to be worth $73 Billion USD by 2025, the printed electronics market is growing exponentially. Printed electronics have been used in product design for decades and the impact of PE on everyday products design has been enormous. As an example, every Smartphone uses this technology as it is instrumental in the smart compact designs and incredible functionality. Without Printed Electronics we would still all be carrying around bricks for phones. According to Statista, that affects 3.3 Billion of us as 42.63% of the world population own a smart phone device.
Is the application of conductive media onto a substrate. Usually flexible in nature but sometimes applied to solid surfaces. The ink can be made with carbon, Silver, gold or copper dependent on the application. Recent developments also allow for a clear conductive ink.
At Customark, we have been designing and printing electronic circuits since 1993 mainly circuits for membrane keypads and capacitive touch fascia’. The demand for this type of product or at least the membrane keypads has been around since the late eighties. The thin film, plug in connector nature of the products has steered fascia design since the late eighties. Originally, printed electronics related to plastic components that use one or more inks made of carbon-based compounds. As demand for thinner film electronics has increased, we see them in flexible keyboards, antennas and more. The process is usually as inexpensive as it is efficient and the expansive range of substrates and inks allows for selection of the correct film for the application.
This increased demand means that technological advancements in conductive inks and substrates are now significant. We generally use polyester as a substrate as it is extremely durable and recent developments also allow for significant forming to match complex geometry. To cope with the demands of durability and reliability the ink systems have also come a long way since the beginning. Allowing more flexibility without impairing conductivity.
All markets are affected by advances in the printed electronics market such as Defence, Healthcare, Consumer products, Media and of course IoT. IoT is a huge driver in increases in the use of PE. Home electronics and smart user interfaces take advantage of the technology in many forms such as capacitive touch fascia’ and flexible displays and allowing for more compact design as the markets demand.
Another huge contributor to the increased PE market is electronic wearables, smart clothing with embedded sensors, heating elements or smart glasses with integrated displays. All good examples of where we are now. This market should grow at an exponential rate in years to come with increasing demand for thin film flexible electronics. Smart clothing currently targets mostly the active market and sports professionals. However, most are now pursuing new markets in gaming, healthcare including care of the elderly which make a lot of sense. New market segments not only expand wearables market but expand the use of printed electronics technology worldwide.
One of the most recent new developments in the use of PE is In Mould Structured Electronics (IMSE) which is an advancement on in mould decoration, mainly used by the Automotive industry and consumer products. The printed electronics are placed in the cavity of the plastic injection mould tool so becoming an integral part of the finished moulding. The Automotive industry is significant in the growth of IMSE due to the attractive design, process efficiency and robustness of the finished components.
The final word. There is no doubt of the impact of printed electronics nor the importance of this technology in the hugely expansive electronics markets. Printed electronics are making everything better designed and smarter. From keypads and capacitive sensors to displays, printed electronics are being integrated into plastic film, fabric, and 3D printed objects. Printed electronics are opening a host of possibilities for electronic device applications and are influencing a range of industries including Automotive, Defence, Healthcare IoT and Wearables.
We have found that Domed Labelling has become a popular brand/product labelling technique across a vast range of industries; this is because of the plenitude of benefits these labels have for all kind of environments. If you are on the fence regarding using Domed Labels, also known as Gel Badges, this blog post that we have put together will help explain all that you need to know.
First of all, let us explain what we mean by Domed Labels or Gel Badges. A Domed Label is a 3D label with a clear ‘bubble’ appearance. This is because there is a layer of resin applied over the top of a standard label, the resin is a measured quantity of liquid plastic that is poured on top which then flows to the edge of each label, creating a plastic dome shape. As it’s a standard label underneath, the labels are extremely versatile; from full colour photographs to a brushed metallic look, almost any design and quantities can be printed.
There’s so many uses when it comes to Domed Labels. One of which is in fact the Beer Industry! Beer pumps to be exact. The 3D effect with the shiny finish is very appealing to the eye when matched with a sleek new beer tap. Got a clothing store and looking to spread your brand? Why not use Gel Badges on your coat hangers? It will definitely make your name stand out! Automotive sector? Domed Labels look great on boats and motorbikes, being water and UV resistant they are a perfect option. Name badges, musical instruments, outer packaging for food products, industrial machinery. Domed Labels look great on all of these!
There are many ways that these can be made, one of which is a slight ‘do it yourself’. The first of many components that are needed is print media that has been cut to shape, this will be the standard labels that are underneath the resin dome. A doming kit or a doming machine that either applies the resin manually or automatically as well as various accessories including resin applicators , work trays, mixers, wipes, spirit level and repair tools are also needed. Mercury-free is now an EU requirement, so polyurethane resin is now used in the doming process. And finally, a curing oven; this isn’t a requirement as they can also air-dry.
The environment needs to be right! Ideal for temperature in the room should be 25˚C with less than 35% humidity. It is also free of dust and any fibre particles as this could affect the clarity, smoothness and finish of the resin.
After printing and cutting the images or labels, the sheet is lay flat on a work tray. This is so the resin sits perfectly level.
The resin is then loaded into the applicator with a 90-degree twist and then the static mixer is added by using the same twisting motion. 5ml of material is discarded from the cartridge before use to begin the chemical reaction and prevent any air bubbles from appearing.
Patience is key when applying the resin, time and care is taken when applying around two thirds of the labels size is resin. It will then flow to the edge. Before dust and air bubbles are removed, the newly domed labels are left for a few minutes to sit; if after this time air bubbles have been spotted, the surface is given a quick flash of heat with a flame torch. This isn’t done to excess as it will cause the doming process to fail.
If they are being cured naturally, they are covered with the next work surface and left for 4 hours. By then the domes should be dry. It is faster in the oven, but both have the same end result.
Gel Badges aren’t just limited to what we have mentioned, if you feel like a Domed Label is what you need to make your brand pop then why not speak to a member of our friendly Sales Team? They can be reached on 01384 264700, alternatively you can email sales@customark.co.uk
Customark Ltd was founded in 1968 and since then it has grown to be one of the UK’s most diverse industrial printing and graphic businesses.
In 2017 we completed an investment of £465,000 in its sites, which included new EFI management information system, buildings and new equipment. To further cement its position as one of the most diverse graphic and labelling business we have just completed another investment totalling £350,000.
We needed to advance our print capability and with ever increasing shorter run volume we needed a versatile, small footprint label printing system that offered us superb printed results at a competitive price.
It had to be suitable for short and medium run jobs and offering all the benefits of digital printing in a reel to reel format. We needed to be able to offer no minimum quantity, little waste and exceptionally quick turnaround.
Being able to accommodate a printing width of 210mm and have the flexibility to print on a variety of different substrates with print media thicknesses up to 300 microns was very important to us and the PicoColour from Dantex was the perfect choice.
Better still the PicoColour is built to last, simple to operate and easy to maintain. The press is designed and manufactured by Dantex in the UK, with an emphasis on operational efficiency, robust precision engineering and durability.
Being a proud British manufacturer supplying globally we wanted to support British manufacturing ourselves.
Customark is now poised to enjoy the growth that they feel is sure to come from this investment.
