Germany’s Ebro Color is to be the first adopter of Fujifilm’s FS-1 food-safe ink in Europe, having previously invested in the manufacturer’s Jet Press inkjet digital press.

Based in Albstadt, Ebro Color was founded in 1925 and is a cardboard packaging print specialist. It produces cardboard packaging and display units for a huge range of customers in a variety of sectors, from cosmetics and food, to jewellery and tourism.

Back in 2018, the company chose to make its first digital press investment and augment its capability to produce short runs. This saw Ebro Color opt for a Fujifilm Jet Press 750S, based on quality and reliability considerations.

According to German Brodbeck, who runs the business with his brother Simon, ‘The Jet Press 720S gave us the ability to offer ultra-short-run jobs, down to runs of one, both quickly and profitably; enabled us to produce high quality samples and prototypes; and to seriously target the end user market and move our business to an online model for the first time.’

It has since added a second Jet Press, this time choosing the 750S high-speed model and also has an Acuity B1, which it is using to print large format packaging products.

Mr Brodbeck continued, ‘Following the business success we saw after using the Jet Press 720S, we decided to invest in the 750S high-speed model to keep up with growing customer demand. Our main reason for choosing this press was the output and large print volumes it could produce. It has enabled us to keep downtime to a minimum, especially during our peak season, and alleviated pressure elsewhere in the factory, allowing us to move many jobs from offset to digital. Another key reason for this investment was the sustainability benefits it offered. As a packaging business, sustainability is at the forefront of our customers’ minds. With our Fujifilm investments, we make significant savings on waste, downtime, and consumables, helping us and our customers to contribute to a more circular economy.’

More recently, the company has become the first in Europe to use the Jet Press 720S with Fujifilm’s new FS-1 food-safe ink. This is used to produce not only food packaging but also toy and cosmetic packaging.

‘In the past, we had to produce all food-safe packaging for our customers on offset, regardless of run length,’ noted German Brodbeck. ‘Using the Jet Press 720S with Fujifilm’s food-safe ink has given us the option to produce food safe packaging products quicker, at a much lower cost, offering us the flexibility to produce both short and long run lengths. The press is much easier to use with significantly less downtime and greater environmental benefits, so we could not be more pleased with the investment. One of our main concerns was if the quality of print produced on the press would be affected, but we were delighted that both the quality and reliability has remained the same and the difference to offset is undetectable.’

Taro Aoki, head of digital press solutions in the EMEA region at Fujifilm, said, ‘The first use of the food-safe ink in Europe represents decades of innovation from Fujifilm and marks an exciting time for the digital print industry.

‘We are delighted to see how the combination of the Jet Press and our food safe ink have been real gamechangers for Ebro Color’s business over the years. We are excited to be able to continue this long-term partnership with Ebro and look forward to seeing what is next for the company.’