Dion Quality: Perfection Through Process - Pre-Production

Gina Lisella • Jan 14, 2020

 At Dion, the companies we do business with are our partners. Our mission is to provide superior printed label solutions and unparalleled service to every one of our partners, and we consider those two goals inextricably linked. That’s why our quality process begins long before your labels ever make it to press. Several members of our team work with each individual customer so your needs are always met. Every label order we receive goes through a vast number of quality checks in our customer support department, and then many more checks once the design files are in the hands of our outstanding prepress department. Our team works closely with you every step of the way, so whether you are a big brand with decades of experience ordering labels or a startup who’s purchasing product labels for the first time, Dion will make sure everything is aligned so your final labels are pristine.

Artist using spectrophotometer to inspect colors
Internal Material Handling & Testing

The process that enables us to provide impeccable service and unparalleled quality begins before you ever place a label order with us. We store all our materials in an environmentally controlled facility to ensure the integrity of our stock. All raw materials that enter our facilities are quarantined and inspected, and our team is diligent about inventory control. We track all rolls and lots that we receive and have barcoding for our different stocks for internal tracking. When your labels make it to you, we know exactly where they came from if an issue were ever to arise.

What’s more, we carry out many different kinds of stock testing. We test for a huge number of variables. Is your label going to be machine-applied? Will it be exposed to changes in temperature? We work hard to make sure that no matter what your label might face, our team of label specialists can recommend the right material and print combination for you.

Our Customer support Team

While advances in technology over the last 50+ years have brought about many changes to the way Dion conducts business, our core emphasis on providing impeccable service has remained. That’s why our team works directly with every one of our partners to help guide them to the perfect label. We do not use a call center, so you can be sure when you call us, you’ll be speaking to a real person right in our Westfield, Massachusetts office. Each of our specialists is trained extensively and ready to be of service.

Two members of our team working at their desks

Once you’ve placed an order with us, it is thoroughly reviewed by your customer support representative. They compare the artwork provided to the formal quote to ensure all the specifications (size, copy position, number of colors, number of items) match. They also confirm the new order details like pricing and finishing specifications match the formal quote. Finally, they review the final application specifications provided on the new order form to ensure they are compatible with the formal quote (i.e. Does the material quoted work on the product container? Does the roll size make sense for hand application?).

Our team checks to make sure every detail is correct, from the material to the coating to the die size and much more. They are extremely detail-oriented and they are ready to work closely with you whenever they see something that may be of concern. When your order is entered and reviewed, however, the pre-production quality checks are really only just beginning. Your order is then preflighted, where we confirm the digital files required for printing are all present, valid, correctly formatted, and of the proper type. It then travels to our prepress department, where even more checks occur.

Our Prepress Team

Prepress is the term in the print world that describes our art department. This team plays an integral role in making sure all aspects of your label design are set up exactly right so that the label you envisioned is the label you receive. One of our artists will create a proof from your artwork which is then sent to our proofreaders. Our proofreaders’ jobs are to make sure that the proof can be read both by our production team and by you, the customer. They check every aspect of the proof, verifying that the information on the ticket, such as substrate material, copy position, label size to die size, all match the proof.

An artist using a spectrophotometer to inspect colors

Our proofreaders also do a manual copy and graphics check. After over 50 years in business, our team is trained to spot things that just feel “off” but are not technically mistakes as well. Whenever our proofreaders find something that may be an issue, they send it to you for approval and a new proof is created. Communication is integral at this stage, and our art department works closely with oue customer support team to ensure that you have all the information you need.

The Dion prepress team creates color standards for each label we print, so when you re-order with us, you don’t have to worry about whether your new labels will match the old. For customers that have color-critical jobs, we are a GMI certified platinum printer, so we can meet the most extreme color matching standard. We also incorporate software that compares customer-supplied artwork with Dion-created proofs to make sure everything is aligned, and we have barcode verification to ensure your products will scan correctly once they’re on the shelf. Once you give approval on the proof, we even give it one more proofread ourselves before sending it off to press!

 

When we say we are committed to creating superior quality print packaging, we really mean it. That’s why we have so many checks in our process before your label ever makes it to press. Of course, these pre-production checks are only the beginning of our quality process. Check back next week to see how we maintain superb quality during production!

 

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE

RECENT POSTS

by Gina Lisella 05 Dec, 2023
Designing a label can be an involved process; logos, fonts, layout, material, and finish all must be taken into account. Then there’s the product-specific copy and information to include. It’s easy to get hung up on any or all of these things, but don’t forget to consider the importance of color selection While you may be choosing your colors based on your product or on your own color preference, you always want to make sure your colors are communicating the right thing to potential customers.
by Gina Lisella 30 Nov, 2023
Our friends at Ananda Hemp shared this excellent article to provide some insight into labeling requirements for hemp and CBD products!
Press operator printing labels
by Gina Lisella 21 Nov, 2023
As part of Inovar Packaging Group, Dion Label Printing is working to creating a world-class enterprise by building an innovative platform to drive sustainable growth and handle the increasingly complex demands of our diverse range of customers. Over the last several years, our parent company Inovar has acquired new facilities at a quick pace, including, most recently: Cimarron Label in Sioux Falls, SD and Amherst Label in Milford, NH. Acquiring is a major part of Inovar’s strategy to grow the company and better serve our customers and our internal teams, and we are concurrently working to expand our capacity, capabilities, and service offerings in other ways. To that end Inovar has recently moved into a newly renovated headquarters building in Dallas, TX. Located just a short distance from Inovar’s previous facility headquarters, the new location was built to showcase the mission of our brand. At triple the size of the last facility, this brand new building with its huge increase in both office and production space will enable us to provide even more solutions and support to our customers. The new facility is not just larger, however. In order to increase our capacity, capabilities, and offerings, and give our customers the highest quality labels and packaging solutions, we’ve added two new flexographic presses and a new digital press. Our Director of Marketing, Ashley Stewart, states, “the additional capacity, services, and embellishment capabilities will greatly increase our ability to meet all the requirements of even the most demanding brands. The team is thrilled to debut the new facility and showcase our capabilities to our existing and future customers.”  We also have other expansions in the works. An addition of almost 20,000 additional square feet of production and warehousing space will expand Inovar’s Milwaukee, WI, location, Flexo-Graphics, and its presence in the area. We are excited for the opportunities our growth provides us to continue our rise as a premier label and packaging solution provider. Contact us today and let our growth help fuel yours.
Show More
Share by: