Gallus Group, a subsidiary of Heidelberg, has announced that Italian label specialist Artes Etichette has expanded its digital printing capabilities by acquiring the first Gallus Five hybrid press in the world.

Installed in December 2025, the new system is already allowing Artes to migrate a significant portion of its conventional workload over to digital. This has saved setup time and materials while simplifying production. The investment reflects broader continued growth across the Italian label market, valued at approximately $2 billion in 2024 and forecast to expand steadily over the coming decade. The evolving packaging requirements and increasing product variation are driving the trend.

Gallus Five reaches industrial production levels

Within months of installation, Artes is leveraging the industrial capacity of the Gallus Five to handle a growing share of its production. The press has proven particularly successful for food label applications. Plus, it has supported work across chemicals and detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and durable goods.

Routine jobs sit at 10,000 linear meters, with regular successful runs up to 60,000 linear meters. Artes has proven the press’ capability to achieve industrial-level productivity. For customers requiring high-volume, precise results, the Gallus Five is increasingly becoming Artes’ preferred platform, addressing the pressing need to deliver greater speed, flexibility, and consistent quality as customer demands continue to evolve.

“Quality is being taken for granted,” states Luca Airoldi, CEO of Artes. “There isn’t a customer who says, ‘Make me less beautiful labels for a lower price.’ Labels must be perfect, and the Gallus Five delivers the precision required to hit that standard every time.”

Developed together with Heidelberg, the Gallus Five was designed to bring hybrid production into mainstream production at scale. The press addresses volume-driven markets where consistent, industrial-level speed and efficiency are critical. The press also incorporates the newly developed Heidelberg Saphira UV05 ink set – a major advancement in ink technology. The ink features a high-pigmentation formulation that cuts ink consumption and lowers total cost of ownership.

According to Airoldi, the ability to respond quickly to urgent jobs, thanks to the inherent nature of digital printing, is another key advantage. As he explains, “The Gallus Five allows us to meet challenging delivery times. When customer demands are urgent, quality and dependability are paramount. With this machine, it is very difficult to make mistakes.”

About the press

Operating at up to 100 m/m, the Gallus Five combines color stability, predictable registration, reduced waste, and shorter make‑ready times. Airoldi adds, “With conventional technologies, if you have four or five colors, you need to factor in time to start up. With digital, you save time in setup and material. There are no ink leftovers, no startup waste. This means that a complex job that may have previously required several hours of preparation can now be started in around 30 minutes.”

Past success with Gallus

The new installation builds on nearly five decades of experience Artes has with Gallus machinery. The relationship dates back to traditional flexographic and typographic systems from the 1970s. In recent years, the company’s digital journey was accelerated with the installation of two Gallus Labelfire presses in 2018 and 2022. Those installations were followed by Europe’s first Gallus One in 2024.

The new Gallus Five was printing within weeks of its December 2025 installation date, before year-end, and entered full production at the beginning of 2026. The press now operates two shifts per day, for a total of 15 hours’ production, and is already running at full capacity.

According to Artes, the installation process was smooth and efficient. “The installation was very fast and well-coordinated, without any problems. We already have experience with the Gallus One, so we prepared everything before the machine arrived. It was all quite quick and simple,” Airoldi explains.

Furthermore, its modular, flexible design under Gallus’ System to Compose platform concept also equips Artes with the ability to scale and adapt production as application requirements evolve. These capabilities support greater flexibility and long-term investment security, without disrupting existing operations.

Working with Artes

“Seeing the Gallus Five deliver immediate, measurable impact for customers like Artes, as well as providing all-important assurances for long-term success, reinforces how Gallus, as a system integrator, is successfully supporting converters in deploying digital production reliably in real production environments,” concludes Dario Urbinati, CEO of Gallus Group. “Artes Etichette’s success demonstrates how hybrid technology has moved beyond potential and niche applications, to become a true industrial production solution. Innovations only matter when they create tangible value for customers. And this installation clearly shows how the Gallus Five is enabling converters to scale digital efficiently while maintaining the highest quality standards. As more customers begin to realize these benefits, we’re excited to see this technology drive the next phase of smart, connected printing at an industrial level, across the label industry.”