Xeikon and Herma bring live thermal-label workflow to Labelexpo Europe

Xeikon and Herma have confirmed a joint demonstration at Labelexpo Europe 2025 of a live thermal-label application printed on the Xeikon LX3000 digital label press using Hermatherm top M (912).

The team will produce a charcuterie tray label on the stand and then add variable data, such as the ‘best before’ date, on-site with a standard thermal printer. 

The demo shows a line-ready workflow. Customers print brand-forward labels digitally on the LX3000 press and add the date and lot data at the time of packing with a simple thermal overprint. The system requires no plates, pre-press loops, changeovers for codes. Customers can move from artwork to applied label, then print the ‘best before’ on the line. 

Hermatherm top M (912) offers suitable adhesion for plastic trays used in food packaging. It sticks reliably through packing, chill, and transport, yet still runs cleanly through the thermal printer when to add variable data. 

Choosing the release liner 501 with approximately 50 percent unbleached fiber supports responsible sourcing goals without complicating production. Customers get a material choice that also reduces virgin content while keeping the converting process and the application straightforward. 

Digital versions mean less waste.  

‘For us, it was important to demonstrate that a sustainable label solution can also be practical and reliable. Hermatherm top M (912) with the adhesive 62P offers exactly that balance: the material adheres firmly to the packaging while running cleanly through thermal overprinting. This gives customers supply chain security and more freedom to work sustainably,’ said Milos Kojic, B2B marketing manager at Herma. 

On the press side, the Xeikon LX3000 digital label press prints the job in a production-style setup at 42m/min, so visitors see the quality and throughput they can expect on their floor. For media, Hermatherm top M (912) thermal label material is used. An adhesive tuned for all sorts of food packaging applications, paired with a release liner that includes 15 percent unbleached fiber. 

The application is a label for a cold cuts tray, full branding with a clear zone reserved for variable data. The workflow is simple and familiar. Print on the LX press, apply the label to the tray, then overprint the ‘best before’ date with a standard thermal printer. Visitors leave with printed samples and a concise one-pager covering media specs and key LX settings, so they can replicate the setup in their own trials. 

‘With this demo, we show how easy it is for brands and packers to set up a line-ready workflow. You combine the power of digital printing for brand graphics with the flexibility of thermal printing for variable data. Xeikon's dry toner systems are first in choice when it comes to printing labels for food applications, and by combining the LX3000 with the Hermatherm top M (912), our customers now have a thermal-label workflow solution running at 42m/min,’ concluded Frank Jacobs, senior product manager at Xeikon.