Heidelberg, Gallus Announce New Matte Finishing Technology for Digital

Gallus Group, a subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, has launched Gallus MatteJet technology. Announced at Labelexpo Americas 2024, the innovation represents an important advancement in inkjet printing, unlocking a premium matte finish previously unachievable with digital inkjet, bringing the possibilities of inkjet technology to the wine label market for the very first time.

Exemplifying Heidelberg’s position as a total solution provider for all modern printing processes – offering the entire spectrum from toner to inkjet, offset printing to flexo and all controlled from a common Prinect workflow – MatteJet was developed in-house at Gallus’ innovation hub in St. Gallen, the Gallus Experience Center.

At Labelexpo Americas 2024, Gallus exhibited alongside Heidelberg, where it will explain how this transformative innovation addresses one of the key challenges that has historically restricted the growth of digital inkjet technology.

Visitors at the show will also learn how MatteJet will transform the entire market segment for wine and spirit labels and provide converters with the key to a profitable new area of business growth.

The glossy finish inherent to digital inkjet technology has been one of the foremost barriers to its widespread adoption across labels and packaging – specifically in premium segments such as wine and spirit labels where brands traditionally expect a sophisticated matte finish.

Until today, this was only achievable through conventional printing, or the addition of post-processing equipment to utilize matt varnishes, adding time, complexity and cost.

Now, in a groundbreaking industry milestone, Gallus MatteJet technology delivers fast, cost-effective, and high-quality matte finishing capabilities, integrated directly into the digital inkjet process. This will allow converters, for the first time, to achieve a high-end matte finish at the touch of a button, without changing inks or adding overprint varnish, eliminating the need for external finishing processes or separate conventional machines.

By removing one of the key barriers traditionally restricting the expansion of inkjet printing, Gallus’ new innovative process presents an enormous opportunity for converters to now access a highly profitable market segment. Importantly, MatteJet will also enable more converters and brands than ever before to enjoy the benefits of digital printing, such as more profitable short runs, personalization, and on-demand printing.

“The development of Gallus MatteJet technology marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of inkjet printing, opening up a world of new opportunities and ultimately, completely transforming the very foundation of what’s possible with inkjet technology,” said Dario Urbinati, CEO, Gallus Group. “By unlocking matte finishing for digital inkjet, we’ll be able to make an entirely new market segment accessible to converters without the sizeable investment into separate offset solutions – boosting profitability and exemplifying our commitment to building a new era of flexibility that will enable our industry to thrive long-term.”