Case Study: Waldo Ltd. (UK)

Friday, 07 January 2022

Direct-to-substrate proofing:
„Something new, that no one else offers“

As an established supplier to the packaging industry, Waldo Ltd. is renowned for delivering high quality files and plates. To maintain this hard-won recognition, the company requires the best available state-of-the-art technology in order to ensure high-quality spot and brand color reproduction as well as accurate halftone proofing. As an additional service, Waldo Ltd. also provides realistic mock-ups of final products.

At the end of 2020, the reprographics and platemaking specialist invested in the new proofing system developed by CGS ORIS and Mutoh Europe: A unique end-to-end digital print solution allowing direct-to-substrate proofing for packaging.

“This is what the flexo packaging industry has been looking for a long while,” states Phil Walmsley, Managing Director at Waldo. “We have been looking into different ways to produce proofs that are more lifelike. Paper proofs are OK but don’t give a true representation of the final printed product.”

Mutoh printer web

“We wanted something that could actually create proofs on client’s original substrate. With a paper proof you have to make allowances for what it will look like on the final substrate”, he explains the challenges his company was facing.

“With this solution the proof and mock-ups look like the finished product product – particularly with a metallized film. Notoriously, metallized film will not back all the colors, chiefly the white. Now we can be sure it will match”, Phil summarizes the experience his team made during the first months using the new system.

This is what the flexo packaging industry has been looking for a long while

Phil Walmsely, Managing DirectorWaldo Ltd.

The new opportunities open up a lot new chances: “That will give us the edge against our competitors,” says Phil on the system that is already opening doors. “It is something different and new that no one else offers. We are working closely with Modern Packaging, who has relationships with all the major retailers in the UK, to develop this. They are looking to put it out to their customers.”

Waldo also offers the new solution to design houses: “Our experience show, that many are not really aware of the intricacies of flexo packaging. But now we can deliver that touch and feel in the proofs which adds another level of excitement around the design development.”

Waldo Ltd Darren Havercroft and Phil Walmsley edit web

As for return on investment Phil states: “We believe there is massive potential for this service. We can offer some significant savings in price. I was used to paying £120 a SKU for a mock-up. Now, we can make a considerable saving on that, especially, if we use offcuts that are sent to us to test. The finished print is also touch dry so we can easily get something out in the mail to meet deadlines. Being able to supply a more realistic and economically commercially viable proof is a win-win all round.”

Aside from immediately seeing how the solution answered Waldo’s needs, Phil said the longstanding relationship built up with CGS ORIS was also an important factor in the investment: “In 2014 I went to Packaging Innovations and saw the CGS ORIS software for the first time. I bought it there and then. I knew it could do what we were looking for. It did and we have worked with CGS ORIS ever since. I had a very similar feeling this time. It is great to work with CGS ORIS and Mutoh.”

Mutoh sample web

Steve Chappell, Managing Director, ORIS Packaging Innovations UK, adds: “It has been great to work so closely with Phil and the team at Waldo as they have adapted their proofing capabilities to enhance the service they offer. They are committed to continually developing their customer focused approach to support creativity and exploration of new possibilities cost effectively. Their customers know they are in safe hands when they want to try something different. We are proud to be able to help create a solution that helps everyone involved push boundaries in a considered way that achieves outstanding results.”

Founded in April 1984 by Jim Dows and Phil Walmsley, Waldo Ltd. services the flexible packaging industry. The Louth, Lincolnshire, firm has 28 employees and supplies leading UK companies and brands, many of whom require special colors to be reproduced.

CGS ORIS´ well-known packaging proofing and mock-up system FLEX PACK work with the Mutoh ValueJet 628 MP, 630mm wide digital piezo inkjet printer, specially optimized for the specific requirements of the packaging industry.

FLEX PACK, is a cost-effective solution for flexible packaging proofing and mock-up production. At the heart of the application is CGS ORIS’s patented four-dimensional iterative color management software which, combined with a specially designed custom interface, enables the ultimate in production flexibility for halftone and continuous tone proofing.

The Mutoh ValueJet 628 MP runs newly developed multi-resin XG series inks (C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm, White). The non-toxic, pigmented inks deliver excellent adhesion on coated and uncoated substrates. The correct distortion of a shrink sleeve prototype can be checked thanks to their unique stretch and shrink capabilities. They also support accurate proofing on uncoated label stock and corrugated board.

Unlike UV inks, CGS ORIS XG INKS retain the look and feel, as well as all other physical properties of the target substrates, intact. As such the proofs have the physical feel of the final product.

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