Quick answer: Label production runs four stages: artwork and plate preparation, roll printing (flexo for volume, digital for short runs), die cutting to shape (VLD), and slitting/rewinding (VLS) to finished rolls. VIE’s label family covers each stage — matched roll widths, 2-year warranty.
Adhesive labels look like stationery. They convert like industry: rolls of adhesive-backed stock moving through printing, die cutting, matrix stripping and slitting at high speed. Converters entering the trade usually underestimate stage three and four — the cutting side — and over-index on the printer. Here’s the whole chain, in order.
Stage 1 — Artwork and prepress
Photopolymer plates for flexo (or plate-free digital files) prepared to your label dimensions. Color count drives printer configuration: the VFP flexo family configures color decks per your artwork — confirm colors before purchase, extend later only with planning.
Stage 2 — Printing
Two families, chosen by run length:
- Flexo (VLP label printing machine class) — high-volume roll printing on paper, film and metallic stocks; fast-drying inks; anilox metering for consistent color
- Digital (VDP-I inkjet / VDP-S eco-solvent) — plate-free, for short runs and frequent design changes; the on-demand end of the market
Most growing converters eventually run both: flexo for the backbone SKUs, digital for the long tail.
Stage 3 — Die cutting (the stage that decides quality)
The VLD label die cutting machine cuts the label shape from the printed web. Cutting precision here defines the finished product — a beautiful print with a ragged die cut is a rejected shipment. Magnetic cylinder vs. flatbed tooling is the sub-decision; your shape complexity decides.
Stage 4 — Slitting and rewinding
The VLS label slitting machine splits the web into finished rolls at your customer’s count and core spec. Underrated machines: they determine how smoothly your customer’s applicators run. Clean slit edges, consistent tension, accurate metering — that’s what “label quality” means at the applicator.
The integration rule
Label jobs live or die on web width and registration matching across stages. One vendor for print + die cut + slit (matched widths, shared tension philosophy, one support channel) removes the two gaps where labels go wrong.
Start here
- Label process machinery: https://viemachinery.com/products/label-process-machine/
- Label printing methods guide: https://viemachinery.com/comprehensive-guide-to-label-printing-methods-and-steps/
Wenzhou VIE Machinery, Ruian, China. 2-year warranty, English manuals, worldwide spare parts.