The event took place under the theme "Digital and Flexo, a Perfect Match" and compared print jobs produced on the company's flexo machine and its newly-installed Xeikon 3000 digital label press.

Bill Hine, managing director of Hine Labels, said he expects digital print's presence in the label market to increase going forward.

"We have to face the fact that run lengths are decreasing across many of our markets, and this is what tends to determine which print process we use for a given job," he said.

A number of jobs were printed throughout the day using EskoArtwork’s Backstage software to process the artwork for both digital and flexo production.

The Xeikon 3000 has been designed for the production of short- to medium-run lengths. Its can print at speeds of up to 9.6m a minute at resolutions of 1,200dpi.

As well as printing on standard stocks, the Xeikon 3000 can handle substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films and transparent and opaque foils.

Greg Neesham, sales director of Punch Graphix UK, said the company was "especially pleased to be able to show off Hine Labels new Xeikon 3000 to a wider audience."

He added: "Visitor numbers on the day were excellent, and many label producers were particularly excited to see the match we were able to show them between digital and flexo label printing."