IN Brief:
- Polipress has installed more than 20 Xaar Versatex printbars across Italy.
- The systems apply digital varnish and cold-foil embellishments for premium labels.
- Installations span printing and converting stages, targeting high-value wine applications.
Xaar and Polipress International are expanding digital embellishment capability in Italy’s premium label market through the deployment of Xaar’s Versatex printbar. The companies say the installations are aimed at high-value applications, with a particular focus on wine labels where tactile finishes and metallic effects are increasingly being specified.
Polipress has installed more than 20 Versatex printbars across Italy, with systems deployed at both printing and converting stages. The roll-out signals increased adoption of digital embellishment workflows for label converters seeking to deliver premium finishes while maintaining throughput and repeatability across shorter runs and product variation.
The Versatex platform is designed to apply varnish and cold-foil digital embellishments from a single unit. Xaar says the printbar supports applications including tactile varnishes, cold foiling, and high-opacity whites, and is available in left-to-right and right-to-left configurations to support integration into existing line layouts. The companies also highlight compatibility with established label workflows, including Nilpeter and HP Indigo label presses, as well as ABG label finishing lines.
In practical terms, digital embellishment is being used to build premium effects without the same plate and set-up requirements associated with analogue finishing. That includes textured varnish layers for tactile impact, cold-foil features for metallic accents, and dense white layers for premium substrates and high-contrast designs, particularly in beverage labels where shelf differentiation is often driven by packaging detail.
Tom Mooney, Versatex Product Manager at Xaar, said: “Polipress’s success in the Italian wine label market is a testament to the power of partnership and innovation. Versatex enables converters to deliver stunning embellishments such as high-opacity whites, tactile varnishes, and cold foiling with precision and speed, helping brands stand out on the shelf.”
Polipress says the equipment is enabling converters to expand creative options while keeping production efficiency and unit economics under control. Angelo Tribocco, Sales Manager at Polipress International, said: “Together with Xaar, we have introduced a technology that quickly proved to be a real game changer. From the very first installations, our customers immediately recognised the value: the ability to unlock new levels of creativity while achieving an efficiency and cost performance that traditional analogue solutions simply cannot reach.”
With installations now spread across multiple points in the label value chain, the partnership is positioning Versatex as a standardised digital embellishment module — one that can be added where converters need varnish build, foil effects, or dense whites, without forcing a wholesale change in press fleet.
