Dave Shirley is Vice President of Master Craft Labels, a world-class label 
converter, focused on providing high-quality service, professional label printing, and follow through for their customers. They provide labels by using flexographic, foil stamping, and digital technologies.
The Proof is in the Printer: Handling Customer Crises
“We originally purchased the Afinia Label L801 Color Label Printer primarily for proofing. But, we have realized that is very effective in handling crises and supporting our customer’s needs. Now, I’d consider it to be part of our crisis management system.” Shirley explains, “When a customer calls and says, ‘it’s 4:00pm and I need labels today,’ we are able to produce something instantly. We can print a 4-color process job without proofs. We start from a PDF and that is the niche that the L801 fills for us. It has been very effective in saving the day.”
Smaller Orders, Greater Speeds
“The label industry has changed drastically since I started with Master Craft 22 years ago. It has moved from large orders (15 million at a time) to smaller orders with multiple copies. It’s part of how our country has become more individualized on taste. For example, you’ll see lots of different flavors of salsa instead of just hot and mild.” Shirley clarifies that this transition increases the number of customers Master Craft deals with, and the speed at which they need to turn over the projects. “You’re not looking at a 10-week lead time for a large order, you’re looking at ‘I need it now.’”
Case Closed: A Solution to Saving Time and Money
Master Craft has had a number of cases in which the L801 professional label printer has saved them both time and money. “We had an order come in that was a large volume, but required many different copies (200 or so). The Afinia eliminated the need to buy plates for all of them, and that enabled a tremendous cost and time-savings. For customers with really small quantity orders, it’s easy to take the Afinia and literally put a PDF in and print it out. Instead of $300-$400 in plates, you get the printing done in about 10 minutes.”
“That’s the beauty of the L801 – there are no plates or time lag. It’s economical and it allows you to quickly satisfy an urgent need or get it at the price the customer can afford to pay.”
Rave Reviews
Shirley is a huge supporter of the L801’s capabilities. “The L801’s printing quality is phenomenal,” he exclaims. “It can take a low-resolution image and it prints it like a photograph. I’ve experienced other equipment where the ink and consumables costs would eat you alive. I could have bought the plates and run it flexo and it would have been cheaper. The Afinia Label L801 Color Label Printer has a great capacity in its printing cartridges, which is unlike any other digital printer that I’ve seen on the market.”
A tip from Shirley: “If you’re looking to expand your label business, and you’re considering digital, the L801 is your best option. It’s inexpensive to get into, it provides a surprising ability to help out customers, and it can print bigger jobs than any other label printer in its class.”
