On March 25th and 26th, the Gallus Experience Center at the company’s headquarters in St. Gallen, Switzerland, hosted printers and converters from across Europe for the “Gallus Wine Label Days” event, a perfect opportunity to unveil, in a world premiere, the Swiss manufacturer’s new Gallus MatteJet technology. This new module – fully integrable with the Gallus One press – is now commercially available, and indeed has already been sold.
If the saying “a good beginning bodes well” is anything to go by, the upcoming Labelexpo Europe is shaping up to be packed with exciting innovations, not only due to its new location, with Barcelona becoming the epicenter of Europe’s label industry from September 16 to 19, but also because of the tantalizing Gallus preview during the two-day open house event in Switzerland. The groundbreaking Gallus MatteJet module enables inline matte finishing for digital labels, and it has the potential to reshape the market for premium wine and spirits labels. This innovation can be seamlessly integrated into the Gallus One, a configuration that, has already seen its first global sale – with further customer details yet to come.
A leap forward in matte finishing, in partnership with GEW
Gallus MatteJet represents the culmination of an evolutionary path of innovation that began with the launch of the Gallus One. After the beta version was announced at last year’s Labelexpo Americas, where it garnered significant interest, Gallus decided to fast-track the development of this new technology for commercial launch in March.
With the Gallus MatteJet unit, traditional limitations of inkjet digital printing are finally overcome: for the first time ever, an exclusive matte finish can be achieved with a simple push of a button, automatically activating the module without the need for complex configurations. This eliminates the need for costly inline flexo units or offline post-finishing processes, reducing turnaround times and streamlining the entire production workflow. As a result, converters can produce high-end digital labels that align with the growing demand for “smart, connected printing”, and meet the needs of an ever-expanding premium market with a solution that sits at the intersection of digital printing and rotary flexo systems.
“With this solution, we are confident we can promote the adoption of digital printing in the wine and spirits label market, where matte embellishment is essential to give labels that extra touch of elegance and prestige”, commented Dario Urbinati, CEO of Gallus Group. He also noted how the usual glossy effect of digital printing does not suit premium labels.
Since its opening in 2023, the Gallus Experience Center has welcomed over 2,000 visitors in just two years, hosting technical sessions, industrial events, and successful collaborations with many partners. One of these is GEW, who played a key role in the development of the Gallus MatteJet technology. Bernd Prattl, Managing Director of GEW, was present at the launch event and confirmed that, in addition to utilizing its LED curing systems for the standard Gallus One digital press, GEW’s longstanding partnership with Gallus evolved into a close collaboration on the innovation of Gallus MatteJet, actively contributing to its successful introduction to market. The Gallus One usually prints at 70 meters per minute, and with the addition of the Gallus MatteJet unit, it currently operates at 54 meters per minute – still highly competitive for the digital printing market.
Dario Urbinati emphasized that Gallus MatteJet represents a crucial step in breaking down the traditional barriers of digital printing and encourages the adoption of innovative solutions in the label market. According to Urbinati, the ability to achieve matte finishing in a single step without the need for additional materials or processes allows converters to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), simplify production setups, and most importantly, ensure greater sustainability and customization. These are all key factors for premium segment brands.
His remarks outlined the vision of a more accessible, cost-effective digital printing, ready to support the evolution of production processes in an increasingly connected era. Confirmation of these benefits will require data from early installations, which will serve as a benchmark to verify the data. However, it is reasonable to expect savings when comparing with competing offline technologies.
Market impact and growth opportunities
The premium wine and spirits label segment, currently estimated at over $3.5 billion globally, with growth potential up to $5.8 billion by 2033, represents a great business opportunity for label converters.
Gallus MatteJet enables the industry to overcome the long-standing obstacle of glossy finishes, often clashing with the sophisticated and modern image sought by premium brands. Thanks to this new technology, converters can tap into new revenue streams, while also benefiting from the “System to Compose” concept created by Gallus: a flexible, modular platform providing compatibility across the entire Gallus solutions range and the ability to adapt to the demands of a constantly evolving market.
The Gallus Wine Label Days event provided the perfect stage to showcase these innovations. Visitors saw live demonstrations of the Gallus One and MatteJet unit, along with other solutions aimed at different sectors, such as cosmetics and packaging.
In addition to the main event highlight, the Gallus MatteJet demos and job changes, attendees also saw further live demos, including a second job with the six-color Gallus One for the cosmetics sector, and one with the Gallus Labelfire 340, equipped for folding carton packaging production. Also, in action was a HEIDELBERG Versafire, along with finishing and embellishment systems by Prati and Steinemann DPE, completing the lineup of technologies at the Gallus Experience Center. Together with HEIDELBERG, who this year celebrates 175 years of business, Gallus is committed to leading the industry towards a smarter, more connected future, centered on cutting-edge technologies designed to help customers overcome the daily challenges of the market.
Gallus world celebrates Ferdinand Rüesch and his well-deserved retirement
A heartwarming moment took place featuring Ferdinand Rüesch, who personally guided us through the Gallus museum, a place he passionately envisioned and created. He was recently named ambassador of the Gallus Group, the company he helped grow and establish as a leader in the label industry. CEO Dario Urbinati, as a token of gratitude for his longstanding service, gifted him a pen, a symbolic gesture for someone who was known for gifting pens to clients during contract signings. The other gift was a traditional Swiss high-prestige personalized belt, perfect for traveling around the world.
After a career full of successes and satisfactions, the time has finally come for Ferdinand to enjoy some well-deserved rest, but always with Gallus in his heart!
