UV offset and the success of Angolan labels

[Original article from MetaPrintArt translated in to English]

With confidence in UV Ray, Tipografia Angolana continues to successfully establish itself in the production of self-adhesive offset labels for the chemical sector and, for 99 percent of its business, able to meet the needs of Abruzzo wine producers.

Tipografia Angolana celebrated its half-century in business in 2019, but had to wait until the end of the pandemic to install a new 5-color UV LED offset press with conventional UV flexo coating units, in operation since May 2022.

For both the offset press and the UV drying modules, Antonino Mazzocchetti, Graphics and Printing Manager, in agreement with the owners Lorenzo and Federico Mazzocchetti, chose to maintain the path that has so far given the company satisfaction and, above all, the security of being supported technically as they had been accustomed to for years: a Miyakoshi for the offset semi-rotary press, UV Ray with Alberto Maiano for the UV LED drying lamps on the offset units, and mercury lamps, also UV Ray on the flexo unit.

From continuous form to labels

Tipografia Angolana was established in the historic center of Città Sant'Angelo in May 1969, from the brilliant mind of Cav. Renato Mazzocchetti imposing itself over the years for professionalism and competence. Experience with narrow web offset presses started with the continuous form market, in the early 1990s, when the move to the company’s current location took place. It strengthened the company in the printing and prepress sector, and expanded their fleet of machines with new, more technologically advanced units. Since the year 2002, Tipografia Angolana has further expanded its production range by specializing in the printing of adhesive labels on rolls, first with flexographic printing and, currently, with lithographic printing and screen printing finishing, embossing, and hot lamination.

Experience that is entrusted to their Gidue flexographic press (Bobst) which moved their experience of water-glue labels to self-adhesive labels.

From flatbed offset to narrow web

But the passion, and especially the experience gained from flatbed offset printing, led to the decision to install a Miyakoshi with UV offset printing units. And it was on this occasion they discovered UV Ray curing modules, with which a collaboration was born that over time was consolidated with mutual trust.

Although over time the company also added a digital line, Tipografia Angolana is always oriented to offset to which it entrusts, in agreement with its clients, all important work—even in short runs such as 1,000 wine labels (although the average run in this sector is 20,000 labels).

Fine screen-printing embellishment

As decided by the company, embellishment is done off-line on their Gidue and a silk-screen semi rotary with a hot-foil module, with which we see very fine work being done: like a four-color printed black background, with negative in register, hot-foil transfer on which decorative elements are silk-screen printed in glossy black and black threads superimposed on the foil.

A demonstration of expertise and precision, thanks to both a top-notch prepress department and UV Ray lamps that ensure perfect drying of the inks. Both the mercury lamps and the LED modules are water-cooled, with a dual circulation system developed by the Pregnana Milanese company. A company that Antonino Mazzocchetti does not hesitate to call "the UV professionals".

Out of curiosity, why was the company named Tipografia Angolana ?

The name chosen by the founder, Cav. Renato Mazzocchetti, derives from the ancient Roman city of Angulum, from which, according to legend, Città Sant'Angelo originated. Angulum had, according to the earlier Italic term of pre-Roman origin, the meaning of 'curved valley'.