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The very first Gallus Five label printer has been installed by Artes Etichette in Italy, accelerating its shift toward scalable digital production
Gallus Group, a subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (HEIDELBERG) and a major manufacturer of label printing technology, has officially announced the first installation of its high-performance hybrid press, the Gallus Five, worldwide.
Italian label specialist, Artes Etichette, has expanded its digital printing capabilities by being the very first to acquire and install the Gallus Five.
Artes purchased the machine to save on setup time and materials, as well as simplify production. First installed in December 2025, the new system has already enabled Artes to migrate a significant portion of its conventional workload over to digital operations.
According to HEIDELBERG, the investment reflects a broader continued growth across the Italian label market, which is valued at approximately $2bn (£1.5bn) in 2024 and forecast to expand steadily over the coming decade.
Speaking of the expectations of the market, Luca Airoldi, chief executive officer of Artes, says: “Quality is being taken for granted.
“There isn’t a customer who says, ‘make me less beautiful labels for a lower price.’ Labels must be perfect, and the Gallus Five delivers the precision required to hit that standard every time.”
Artes is now using the Gallus Five to handle a growing share of its production, particularly for food label applications, while also supporting work across chemicals and detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and durable goods.
Developed together with HEIDELBERG, the Gallus Five was designed to bring hybrid production into mainstream production at scale, addressing volume-driven markets where consistent, industrial-level speed and efficiency are critical.
The press incorporates the newly developed HEIDELBERG Saphira UV05 ink set, which offers a high-pigmentation formulation that can cut ink consumption and lower total cost of ownership.
The ability to respond quickly to urgent jobs thanks to the nature of digital printing, is another key advantage. As Airoldi explains: “The Gallus Five allows us to meet challenging delivery times.
“When customer demands are urgent, quality and dependability are paramount. With this machine, it is very difficult to make mistakes.”
The press now operates two shifts per day for a total of 15 hours of production and is already running at full capacity.
According to the company, the installation process was smooth and efficient, supported by close collaboration with Gallus technicians and the broader HEIDELBERG customer support network.
Airoldi adds: “The installation was very fast and well-coordinated, without any problems. We already have experience with the Gallus One, so we prepared everything before the machine arrived. It was all quite quick and simple.”
Dario Urbinati, chief executive officer of Gallus Group, says: “Artes Etichette’s success demonstrates how hybrid technology has moved beyond potential and niche applications, to become a true industrial production solution.
“Innovations only matter when they create tangible value for customers, and this installation clearly shows how the Gallus Five is enabling converters to scale digital efficiently while maintaining the highest quality standards.”
