S&G Creative invests in Gallus One press from Heidelberg

S&G Creative, a full-service label, packaging and commercial printer based in Tustin, California, is set to install a new Gallus One digital hybrid label press from Heidelberg later this year.

Built on the Gallus Labelmaster platform, the new press combines digital inkjet technology with two flexographic units upstream and downstream, plus cold foil, lamination and full rotary die-cutting. With this hybrid technology, S&G expects to cut turnaround times in half while delivering even higher quality for both long- and short-run labels.

S&G traces its roots to a print brokerage started by co-founder Lee Garriott in 2009. Even as a broker, Garriott had a vision of building a full-service print company with complete in-house capabilities. Teaming up with fellow broker Geoff Schnitzer in 2012, the two grew the business, starting with two small digital presses, moving later into offset printing and eventually breaking into label production in 2018 with their first flexo press. Today, S&G operates out of a 70,000 sqft facility with an additional facility under construction, offering a complete range of print services including custom packaging, graphic design and wide format printing.

Known for its customer service, fast response times and quality, S&G is rapidly growing its label business, particularly for the beauty industry. To meet this demand, Garriott and Schnitzer are investing in digital label production, positioning S&G for long-term growth.

Garriott said: 'The print quality of the Gallus One was far and away superior to anything else that we looked at, so selecting Heidelberg was really an easy decision.'

He added that the machine’s superior ink laydown, 1200 x 1200 DPI resolution and advanced trapping were the real 'turning points' in his and Schnitzer’s decision to invest in the press.

With its two existing 13in flexo presses, S&G often has to slow production on longer runs to maintain quality. The Gallus One, combining the strengths of flexographic and digital printing with in-line embellishment and finishing, gives S&G the flexibility to handle even long runs efficiently. Garriott expects the press’s 'pinpoint accuracy' to deliver consistent results at full speeds of 70 m/min.

'This press will drastically cut turnaround times on our long runs, reducing the overtime we previously needed to complete these jobs,' he said.

The Gallus One will further enhance S&G’s efficiency by enabling the company to bring very short-run and variable-data jobs entirely in-house, reducing the need for outsourcing. 

'When we received requests for 100 or 200 labels in the past, it didn’t make economic sense for us to take them on,' Garriott explained. 'Now it’s simply on press, off press and out of the door.'

In addition to its advanced digital printing capabilities, the Gallus One’s 17in web width allows S&G to tackle flexible packaging jobs that were previously not feasible.

'We can’t wait to see what new doors will open for us thanks to this cutting-edge technology,' he said.

The Gallus One marks the first time that S&G has purchased a press from Heidelberg. While purchasing a new technology from a new provider can be daunting, Garriott explained, 'With Heidelberg, you just have confidence that you’re going to get a solid product. Seeing the quality that is produced by the Gallus One only reinforces that it is the leading press on the market for both flexo and digital labels.'