Fast, waterproof and in color

Smart2B sells labels, is supplier of various types of printers and for some time the only Gold Partner of the special series of Epson printers Colorworks in the Benelux. "These printers are special because they feature a new technology," Anton explains. "The classic printer has a moving head that zooms rapidly from left to right across the paper. Epson has developed a technique in which said head is no longer necessary, but the material to be printed is as it were pulled through an ink shower. The paper will only became "wet" where it is intended to be so. A kind of car wash, so you can visualize it. Epson has succeeded in doing this with a high quality and with a phenomenal printing speed. In addition, the reliability of the printer and print head is unprecedented."

These kind of printers have been around longer, but have until now only been available to print in black and white. The fact that now waterproof color labels can be printed is a welcome invention for the floriculture industry. "So you can hang or paste a label on a package of flower bulbs, which clearly shows its content. Or what will come out, depending how you look at it. Or how a plant or flower will look when in bloom. Now this is often not possible because these products frequently are in contact with moisture during processing and packaging. The material that we print on, has a special coating that is moisture resistant. But even more important: the printers can be used for conventional labels, but also for other types of media, such as slot labels and crate cards."

The fact that printing can be done water-resistant can be explained by the combination of the type of ink and the material that is used. "The paper must be treated with a specific coating," explains son Levi, who also works in the company, "and the used ink is called a pigment ink. The molecules that make up the pigment and that provide the actual color sit as it were in a bubble, so that the material sucks itself into the coating. The result is not only a waterproof connection, but is so strong that even with alcohol, acetone and many other cleaning chemicals it can not be brushed away."

Thus Smart2B believes it has a solution for the ornamental industry. However, for logistical reasons, it is important that a company has the necessary software available. "A printer may print beautiful labels, but without listings and review capability, it is of little use. Numbers, product information and pictures, prices, harvest data and other variable data and/or customized texts have to be accurately recorded if you want to get the most out of the printer. Therefore in practice the customers often will be the larger companies, or medium-sized companies that have outsourced their IT to a third party."

In order to offer an interesting solution for as many players as possible in the market, Smart2B is looking for partners in the ornamental sector that can assist in the development of the necessary software and/or integrate this into existing systems. "With such partners it will be possible to come to attractive collaborations," Anton remarked, "such as closing exclusive supply contracts, which will continue to generate revenue after implementing the software (maintenance, updates, cartridges, print media, etc.). We will provide these partners with a free on-loan test unit, and if they encounter problems, we will give them a helping hand."

"With Epson we are currently growing very fast," concludes Anton. "it is very evident that this is a desirable product that people want. We think this is because it gives great flexibility - you print small or large quantities, just as many as you need, and you can change everything at any time (also convenient for example for Mother's Day or Valentine's Day) - and of course the color aspect. Color increases the attention value and opens up so many more possibilities."