Holosafe Security Labels combats counterfeiting

It’s not a new problem: counterfeit products pose a risk for companies. Consider the fake medicines a customer may fail to recognize as an imitation. When not held to the same manufacturing standards as legitimate brands, these imitation products may risk customer health. Not to mention the harmful side effects on the brand’s reputation.

The risks are real—but there are solutions, and label manufacturers can be the first line of defense against counterfeits.

Preparing the defense mechanism

One such company that has embarked on the journey to fight counterfeiting is Holosafe Security Labels, based in Greater Noida, India. The company was started in 2008 and offers solutions ranging from anti-counterfeiting, labeling and packaging products to various IT-enabled supply chain management solutions. The company serves various industries such as FMCG, pharmaceutical, beverages, automobile, government and more.

Holosafe believes in constant innovation to develop security printing techniques to not only combat counterfeiting but also enhance the look of the label through aesthetic design. After all, brand protection doesn’t have to compromise on print quality or shelf appeal, says Manjula Mishra, the managing director of Holosafe Security Labels.

‘Nowadays, buyers are looking for a combination of a security label with beautification, a combination of high-quality printing and print embellishment,’ Mishra says. ‘We are trying our best to provide beauty with brand security.’

Holosafe is led by Manjula and her husband Pankaj Mishra. Pankaj comes with strong technical acumen and more than 20 years of experience in the label and hologram industry. That’s how the idea of Holosafe Security Labels came into being in 2008.

Holosafe combines flexo printing with holographic techniques to provide anti-counterfeit security features.

‘We started our business by manufacturing holograms and other holographic products. We saw a lot of scope for printed labels with holography. Hence, we started the printing vertical where both holograms and printing find applications together,’ says Manjula.

For the same reason, the company recently installed a Nilpeter FB line 10-color narrow web flexo printing press. The 430mm wide FB line press can print up to 230m/min and combines flexo, gravure, hot foil and cold foil with a die-cutting unit, a specialized conveyor and a stacking system. It can be used for a wide variety of jobs, including pressure-sensitive labels, security labels, shrink sleeves and in-mold labels.

Commenting on the Nilpeter FB line press, Alan Barretto, managing director, Nilpeter India, says, ‘It is crucial to ensure that the products are genuine and have not been tampered with, counterfeited, or diverted. Our many label types and brand protection tools help achieve just that – from plastics with exceptional barrier properties, multi-faceted lamination possibilities, RFID inlays, braille and other embossing capabilities.’

Standing out with brand protection

The Nilpeter FB line has several added features such as an automated plate positioning system (APPS), pre-register and re-register functionality and is designed to print value-added labels efficiently and at high speeds. Nilpeter says the machine represents the latest generation of label printing with increased automation, that is easy to use and operator friendly.

Barretto adds, ‘Nilpeter printing presses are tailored to help meet the extensive quality, safety, and product information requirements of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, healthcare, medical and chemical labels. All while maintaining a high printing quality without compromising design.’

Connecting the dots

Working to serve industries across the country and overseas, Holosafe looked no further than Nilpeter. Manjula says: ‘The European giant is the only overseas company which has a manufacturing unit in India.’

Holosafe grew about 15 percent last year and wants to further establish itself as a top label company in India and a provider of security solutions.

‘Although counterfeiting activities can never be fully stopped, when we do labels, we try to add solutions that can reduce counterfeiting,’ says Manjula.

In addition to the Nilpeter press, Holosafe is equipped with three other fully automatic UV flexo, high-speed printing machines from Multitec. The Multitec equipment is fully loaded, 8-color with online UV coating (gloss, matte, combination) capable of printing a wide range of substrates from paper to a variety of films, and capable of producing special effects like hot foil and cold foil stamping, serial numbering as well as lamination, die-cutting and automatic defect detection.