Flexo Magazine recently published an article about the trend toward servo drive press technology. In fall 2008, Dion Label Printing, Inc. invested in a servo-driven MPS press.  Here are some of its features.

1. Our MPS press is servo controlled. It prints full auto registration at speeds to 650 feet per minute. Each printing station, laminating station and NIP point of the press is controlled by a separate Servo Motor/Control System. This allows us to maintain web tension throughout the press, thus reducing waste and improving overall quality.
2. Full UV Flexo capability with IR (Air) drying available in any station for use with water-based printing inks. UV Inks allow for higher speeds, cleaner print and more vibrant colors!
3. Web chillers on all stations to control web temperature. This allows us to run unsupported films, including shrink sleeves. This custom, large diameter, driven chiller rolls eliminate material distortion due to temperature changes in the printed web. With chillers and servo tension controls we are able to run very thin unsupported films.  These include heat seal foils/film and shrink/ stretch films.
4. Ability to use both print sleeves and print cylinders - even simultaneously on the same print job. The MPS press is the only press in our industry that allows the use of either print sleeves or print cylinders. All other presses are limited to one or the other. Print sleeves are lighter and easier to work with, but do require special care in storage.
5. Two sided printing, including adhesive side. Adhesive side printing makes it possible to print extended content labels.
6. Two sided corona treater. Corona treating the web during the press run ensures optimum adhesion of the printing inks to even the most difficult to print materials.
7. Two sided web cleaner. Cleaning of the web prior to printing ensures defect free printing.
8. Advanced programmable BST camera system. This system is programmable to give feedback to the operator when the printed image is not exactly like a preapproved master.
9. Cold foil transfer. Cheaper initial investment and high press speeds make cold foil a perfect fit for the alternative to hot stamp.
10. Gearless print cylinders.  No gears means no barring in your printing!
11. Gearless anilox roll technology.
12. Rubber coated, free spinning impression rolls ... for reduced DOT Gain.
13. Lean Inking® pump system with no need for meter rolls.
14. Waste break, web break and splice detect sensors.

Beverage manufacturer Steaz has recently announced their line of Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Teas. This is an extension of the company’s sparkling green tea line, and they are the first certified organic, all-natural, calorie-free carbonated drink. Diet soda drinkers should particularly intrigued because this carbonated beverage provides the natural antioxidants of tea rather than the controversial, harmful effects of soda. The teas are sweetened with stevia leaves, a process that took the company several years to refine.

There are no calories, no carbs and no sugar added to Steaz Zero Calorie. Like all Steaz products, the line is certified organic by Quality Assurance International as well as Fair Trade Certified® by TransFair USA. Steaz Zero Calorie is available in four delicious flavors -- Raspberry, Orange, Blueberry Pomegranate and Black Cherry. Steaz Zero Calorie is sold in 12 oz. fully recyclable glass bottles and eye-catching four-packs. Suggested retail pricing for a four-pack is $4.99. It replaces the current line of Diet Steaz Sparkling Green Tea.

The first annual Dieline Awards have just been announced. Thedieline.com is a constant source of new and innovative design, and it only seems fit that they announce an international design competition in partnership with the FUSE Conference 2010. A total of 30 winners from 10 different categories will be chosen, along with a best of show winner. A panel of industry experts will judge submissions from the following categories: Food, Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Wine & Spirits, Bath, Beauty & Health, Home Care & Pets, Books, Office & Art Supplies, Electronics, Technology, Movies, CDs, and All Other Categories. Winners will be features on The Dieline and at the FUSE Conference, and the top 11 winners will receive a prize package reportedly worth over $4500. For more information on The Dieline Awards, click here!

Silver Hills Bakery shows off a pretty drastic brand redesign that allows their whole-grain breads to really stand out. This may be the best thing since sliced bread in its former conventional packaging. The Vancouver, BC-based company brought the project to Karacter Design Group who found that the "Squirrelly" bread had the greatest brand recognition and recall than any other for the company. All of the breads have since been creatively renamed, and the quirky illustrations that incorporate the product window are the work of Robert Hanson. The bags are very colorful and also biodegradable.

Seeking differentiation in an over-crowded bread section, this redesigned packaging picks up on the company’s simple, authentic values, and partners with a whimsical feel to leave the consumer smiling. A range of bold colours covering most of the package draws focus to the custom illustrations and the feature bread windows. This unique packaging jumps off the shelf and into the consumer’s shopping cart.

WeilBaby from Key Baby, LLC has recently introduced its product line of baby bottles, sippy cups, nipples, pacifiers and other accessories made with TritanTM EX401. This is a copolyester resin from Eastman that is BPA-free. Research within the last few years has caused some controversy for consumer products made of plastic because of the harmful effects for humans when exposed to Bisphenol A (BPA). It is especially thought to be harmful in the development of infants, making this product line even more intriguing. The bottles and cups also feature the AirWaveTM venting system which is said to reduce or eliminate air bubbles which can cause colic, gas, and spit-up for infants and toddlers. With its sleek and contemporary design from HLB, Inc. combined with its child safety and health features, WeilBaby clearly targets the modern mom.

"We recognized a gap in the marketplace for well-designed, healthy, safe, yet practical baby bottles," says Steve Schmidt, CEO of Lutz, FL-based Key Baby. "We’ve provided what parents are looking for--BPA-free bottles that are clear, durable, long-lasting--as well as good for the environment."

A partnership between a computer manufacturer and nail polish manufacturer seems odd at first glance, but the intriguing collaboration results in more customization options for consumers. Dell’s Design Studio will have rights to 26 OPI colors for Dell Mini, Inspiron and Studio laptops. There will be 20 classic colors with names like "Big Apple Red," "Strawberry Margarita," "Rosy Future" and "Kyoto Pearl," and my personal favorite "I’m Not Really a Waitress." During the holiday season there will be 6 Holiday Collection colors including "Dear Santa," "Merry Midnight" and "Smitten with Mittens." This customization only adds to Dell’s marketing strategy of building your own computer, and specifically targets women already familiar with the shades they are sporting on their nails on a daily basis.

"Dell and OPI’s offerings are a fresh collision of style and power, color and technology," said Rachna Bhasin, general manager, partnerships and personalization or global consumer. "OPI’s high style and Dell’s award-winning technology combine to offer people stylish options that deliver the ultimate combination of color and connectivity on the go."

The 2009 Pentawards were recently announced and crowned the Kleenex "Slice of Summer" as Best in Show giving Kimberly-Clark the Diamond Pentaward.

Pentawards is the first and only worldwide competition exclusively devoted to packaging design in all its forms. It is open to everybody in all countries who are associated with the creation and marketing of packaging. The winners will receive bronze, silver, gold, platinum or diamond Pentawards according to the creative quality of their work.

The Platinum Pentaward winners receiving nods as the best packaging for the five major categories are:

• Beverages: Turner Duckworth, London & San Francisco, for Coca Cola Summer 2009.
• Food: Nosigner, Tokyo, for Kanpyo Udon
• Body: Wolff Olins, New York, for Living Proof, No Frizz
• Other Markets: Mouse Graphics, Athens, for Petrocoll, Spatula Putty
• Luxury: Dragon Rouge, Paris, for L’Or de Martell.

For a look at all of the winners, click here! The next competition will open on April 5, 2010.

The first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) took place in October, 1985, making this month the 25th year for the program. With other organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society on the Board of Sponsors, attention continues to grow for breast cancer awareness. Due in part to the collective efforts behind NBCAM, there has been a 2% annual decrease in breast cancer death rates since 1990. The increased survival rate is inspirational, but the fight continues.

About 192,370 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2009. In 1975 the incidence of breast cancer was 107 per 100,000 for white women and 94 per 100,000 for black women. Thirty years later in 2005, the number of new cases per year had risen to 126 per 100,000 for white women and 114 per 100,000 for black women.

As you go about your normal shopping habits this month, notice the various promotions to support breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure alone has over 150 corporate partners that make generous donations (proudly, some are customers of ours), which include percentage donations based on sales. For example, every pink Yoplait lid mailed back to the company contributes 10 cents to Susan G. Komen. Or if you’re in the market for a new car, Ford will donate $20 for each Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle test driven at a Ford dealership – up to $1 million until December 31st. For a full list of corporate sponsors and how your purchase can help, click here.

As huge "So You Think You Can Dance" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" fans, we also wanted to share this video in celebration of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.