Since the beginning of the month, the German printing company specialising in high-end applications Kolbe-Coloco Spezialdruck has been testing the metallising technology known as EcoLeaf. Kolbe-Coloco Spezialdruck is the first pilot customer for this solution, which was announced as a "revolutionary, sustainable and economic" by its manufacturer Actega Metal Print.
Unveiled at Drupa 2016, this technology, unveiled at the The HP Indigo Printing System, invented by Benny Landa, who also invented HP Indigo Printing and Landa Nanographic Printing, would enable the production of metallized prints at half the cost of conventional stamping. The German chemical group Altana bought the technology from Landa in 2017 and has been working on it since then through its specially created EcoLeaf division, Actega Metal Print (read more Landa separates from its Metallography technology ).
EcoLeaf's metallic printing is based on a silver pigment that can be overprinted. This results in a range of metallic colours, including gold. This technology can be integrated in-line with offset or digital presses or finishing equipment.
At the Kolbe-Coloco Spezialdruck printing plant in Spezialdruck, technicians are currently installing EcoLeaf on the Gallus RCS 12-colour press, a press that combines offset, flexo and screen printing. The printing company will use this solution to produce metallic decorations on self-adhesive labels for various markets.
"The core of our business is printing services that create a stronger connection between a brand and the consumer and ultimately drive sales. To achieve this, we use the best printing technologies available on marché?; EcoLeaf is a perfect example of this," he added says Michael Leon, Managing Director of Kolbe-Coloco.
With this solution, the printer intends to eliminate the use of embossing foils and improve the environmental impact of metallized printing. "Eliminating the use of stamping foils is a huge issue, incredibly important in our industry, and this technology seems to be cut out to allow for this evolution. That's why we're confident that our customers will enthusiastically embrace EcoLeaf, but we also know that they'll love the ability to add metallic effects to their product at low cost - it's a real game-changer
EcoLeaf could be launched in the summer of 2020.
