Xaar has unveiled a new whitepaper, showcasing how its Versatex Printbar can be retrofitted to analogue presses in order to produce braille packaging embellishments
Industrial inkjet manufacturer, Xaar, has unveiled its latest whitepaper, showcasing how its Versatex Printbar can be used to produce braille packaging embellishments.
Using the Versatex Printbar print engine module, users can implement high build varnish embellishment to support variable data printing for blind and partially sighted users.
Versatex offers two dedicated modes for braille printing tailored to different production needs. In High-Build mode, it delivers dot heights of 200µm at up to 19m/min, which is reportedly rated most comfortable by blind readers. The mode is designed to ensure well-shaped cells with precise spacing for optimal fingertip recognition.
For higher throughput, High-Speed mode prints at approximately 22m/min, while reportedly maintaining compliance with Marburg Medium standards and ISO 17351.
Versatex is designed as an ‘out-of-the-box’ solution which can be integrated into new machine configurations or retrofitted onto existing presses, available for both left-to-right and right-to-left press directions.
The module can be integrated into a variety of existing analogue presses and converting/finishing lines, allowing users to upgrade their existing equipment with digital inkjet capabilities such as high-opacity whites, varnishes, and variable data, without needing to purchase an entirely new digital press.
The information about Versatex’s braille capabilities was also delivered at two presentations, namely at Labelexpo Asia in Shanghai, and Packaging Europe’s Digital Print for Packaging (DPP) Conference in Berlin.
Speaking at the DPP Conference, Xaar’s head of strategic marketing, Neil Cook, highlighted the opportunity that digital inkjet can provide for accessible packaging, an area where he believes legislation, brand expectations, and consumer needs are becoming increasingly aligned.
Cook said: “Accessible packaging is moving from a niche requirement to an essential part of the brand experience.
“High build varnish delivered through inkjet provides the accuracy and consistency needed for tactile features while still supporting variable data. It allows converters to meet both creative and regulatory demands in a single process and demonstrates how digital print can have a meaningful impact on the everyday lives of consumers.”
At Labelexpo Asia, Shawn Feng, Xaar’s sales and application development manager for Asia, outlined the challenges converters face when integrating digital capability into analogue lines.
Feng said: “Converters want to add more value without adding more complexity and that is exactly where digital inkjet is proving its strength.
“With Versatex, we are showing how embellishment and braille can be achieved more flexibly and with far greater control. It gives manufacturers a practical way to adopt digital without disrupting their existing workflow and opens the door to premium effects that brands are increasingly asking for.”
More information can be found in Xaar’s recently released whitepaper, titled ‘Implementing braille printing in labelling & packaging with Xaar’s Versatex Printbar’. The whitepaper is available to view online via Xaar’s website.
