25.03.2025
St. Gallen, March 25, 2025 – The Gallus Group, a subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), today announced at the Gallus Wine Label Days the global commercial availability of its new matting process, Gallus MatteJet, for the Gallus One. For the first time, this innovative technology enables printers to produce profitable digital labels with a high-quality matt finish inline at the touch of a button – a development that will drive digital label production in the growing wine and spirits label segment.
Originally presented as a breakthrough in research at Labelexpo Americas 2024, strong market demand led Gallus to accelerate the development of Gallus MatteJet technology. Gallus MatteJet offers a high-quality print result without the glossy finish typically associated with digital printing – historically one of the biggest obstacles to the acceptance of digital labels – and thus opens the door to even more versatile applications in the label and packaging sector. The technology opens up new opportunities, particularly in high-end segments such as wine and spirits, where brands demand a sophisticated, matte premium finish. With an estimated value of over USD 3.5 billion and stable growth forecasts rising to USD 5.8 billion by 2033, this new technology offers print shops a lucrative new source of income.
Dario Urbinati, CEO of the Gallus Group, comments: "Gallus and HEIDELBERG are delighted to announce the market launch of Gallus MatteJet technology and to present the opportunities it offers. Until now, a matte surface for digital inkjet printing was only possible through the use of integrated flexographic printing units or finishing machines for applying matt coatings, which meant time, complexity, and costs. By eliminating these coatings, customers can now take advantage of various efficiency gains while maintaining the surface structure of the desired substrate. As a result, there is no longer any need for tools or cleaning of external finishing machines, which leads to a significant overall advantage."
"Three years ago, we successfully removed the TCO barrier for profitable digital labels with the launch of the Gallus One. With Gallus MatteJet, we have further developed this concept and now offer companies all the advantages of digitally printed matte labels – including short runs, reduced inventory, improved sustainability, personalization, and on-demand printing. These strategic developments demonstrate our commitment to bridging the gap between the great promise of digital technologies and the current reality for companies in our industry. This innovation makes digital solutions accessible and profitable for a larger number of printers and further supports the trend toward 'smart, connected printing.'"
Gallus MatteJet is designed to integrate seamlessly into Gallus One, the company's flagship digital label printing press. The new innovation can be used in both the 340 mm print width and the newly expanded 430 mm print width, which extends the System to Compose concept and further increases performance and flexibility for companies. The System to Compose offers a modular combination of machine, workflow, and service options, enabling printers and converters to cost-effectively adapt their technology offering to changing market needs for long-term success. Furthermore, this new addition to the Gallus portfolio strengthens the future of "intelligent, connected printing" by embracing the shift toward new digital technological advances and reinventing processes in various areas of the printing industry.
Gallus MatteJet is also the latest innovation to emerge from the Gallus Experience Center, which was launched two years ago as a cross-industry meeting place to promote innovation through collaboration. Today, the center is a valued hub for education, training, research, and development, as well as for the advancement of the printing industry. It serves as an incubator for numerous important technology and business partnerships and brings together key players in the industry. These include GEW, a long-standing partner of Gallus, which was involved in the development of Gallus MatteJet – an example of collaboration to drive innovation and deliver efficient, practical solutions that move the industry forward.
Dario Urbinati sums it up: "It's incredible to see the enthusiastic response from our customers to Gallus MatteJet and to share their excitement. We believe that MatteJet is an example of the innovation, expertise, and customer focus that Gallus and HEIDELBERG bring to the industry. We look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the market and the opportunities it will open up for label companies.
The introduction of the new digital technology reflects HEIDELBERG's position as a total solution provider for all modern printing processes – covering the entire spectrum from toner to inkjet, from offset to flexographic printing, all controlled by a common Prinect workflow. As a subsidiary, Gallus remains an important part of the company's growth strategy for the packaging and label market and will continue to play an important role for HEIDELBERG in the future.
1. Verified Market Reports (2025) 'Wine Labels Market Size, Industry Analysis & Forecast', Verified Market Reports, February. Available at: https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/wine-labels-market/ (Accessed: 13 March 2025).
25.03.2025
St. Gallen, March 25, 2025 – The Gallus Group, a subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), today announced at the Gallus Wine Label Days the global commercial availability of its new matting process, Gallus MatteJet, for the Gallus One. For the first time, this innovative technology enables printers to produce profitable digital labels with a high-quality matt finish inline at the touch of a button – a development that will drive digital label production in the growing wine and spirits label segment.
Originally presented as a breakthrough in research at Labelexpo Americas 2024, strong market demand led Gallus to accelerate the development of Gallus MatteJet technology. Gallus MatteJet offers a high-quality print result without the glossy finish typically associated with digital printing – historically one of the biggest obstacles to the acceptance of digital labels – and thus opens the door to even more versatile applications in the label and packaging sector. The technology opens up new opportunities, particularly in high-end segments such as wine and spirits, where brands demand a sophisticated, matte premium finish. With an estimated value of over USD 3.5 billion and stable growth forecasts rising to USD 5.8 billion by 2033, this new technology offers print shops a lucrative new source of income.
Dario Urbinati, CEO of the Gallus Group, comments: "Gallus and HEIDELBERG are delighted to announce the market launch of Gallus MatteJet technology and to present the opportunities it offers. Until now, a matte surface for digital inkjet printing was only possible through the use of integrated flexographic printing units or finishing machines for applying matt coatings, which meant time, complexity, and costs. By eliminating these coatings, customers can now take advantage of various efficiency gains while maintaining the surface structure of the desired substrate. As a result, there is no longer any need for tools or cleaning of external finishing machines, which leads to a significant overall advantage."
"Three years ago, we successfully removed the TCO barrier for profitable digital labels with the launch of the Gallus One. With Gallus MatteJet, we have further developed this concept and now offer companies all the advantages of digitally printed matte labels – including short runs, reduced inventory, improved sustainability, personalization, and on-demand printing. These strategic developments demonstrate our commitment to bridging the gap between the great promise of digital technologies and the current reality for companies in our industry. This innovation makes digital solutions accessible and profitable for a larger number of printers and further supports the trend toward 'smart, connected printing.'"
Gallus MatteJet is designed to integrate seamlessly into Gallus One, the company's flagship digital label printing press. The new innovation can be used in both the 340 mm print width and the newly expanded 430 mm print width, which extends the System to Compose concept and further increases performance and flexibility for companies. The System to Compose offers a modular combination of machine, workflow, and service options, enabling printers and converters to cost-effectively adapt their technology offering to changing market needs for long-term success. Furthermore, this new addition to the Gallus portfolio strengthens the future of "intelligent, connected printing" by embracing the shift toward new digital technological advances and reinventing processes in various areas of the printing industry.
Gallus MatteJet is also the latest innovation to emerge from the Gallus Experience Center, which was launched two years ago as a cross-industry meeting place to promote innovation through collaboration. Today, the center is a valued hub for education, training, research, and development, as well as for the advancement of the printing industry. It serves as an incubator for numerous important technology and business partnerships and brings together key players in the industry. These include GEW, a long-standing partner of Gallus, which was involved in the development of Gallus MatteJet – an example of collaboration to drive innovation and deliver efficient, practical solutions that move the industry forward.
Dario Urbinati sums it up: "It's incredible to see the enthusiastic response from our customers to Gallus MatteJet and to share their excitement. We believe that MatteJet is an example of the innovation, expertise, and customer focus that Gallus and HEIDELBERG bring to the industry. We look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the market and the opportunities it will open up for label companies.
The introduction of the new digital technology reflects HEIDELBERG's position as a total solution provider for all modern printing processes – covering the entire spectrum from toner to inkjet, from offset to flexographic printing, all controlled by a common Prinect workflow. As a subsidiary, Gallus remains an important part of the company's growth strategy for the packaging and label market and will continue to play an important role for HEIDELBERG in the future.
1. Verified Market Reports (2025) 'Wine Labels Market Size, Industry Analysis & Forecast', Verified Market Reports, February. Available at: https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/wine-labels-market/ (Accessed: 13 March 2025).