Interviews | March 01, 2022

InkWise Shows Digital and Design Expertise

By Annabel Steele, Brand Chain Staff

Mike Harvanek’s official introduction to the brand solutions industry came when he was just a kid. He’d visit his father’s label printing company after school and help out, usually mopping the floors or picking up trash to help keep the place neat and tidy. As he grew older, he took on more responsibility; running the presses, helping with art and design, lending a hand with customer service and eventually getting involved in what he calls the “big stuff”: strategic planning and management.

“It was a slow progression, and I learned all the facets of the business,” Harvanek explains. “It’s been part of my life since I was 8 years old.”

For years, his father’s company stuck to traditional analog label printing. Eventually, as clients urged them to jump into digital printing, they did. Harvanek led the digital printing side, while his father focused on the analog printing. But just before COVID-19 hit, they came to a decision: it would be better to split the business. So Harvanek spun off the digital printing side into his own company, InkWise Label. After a lifetime spent in the industry, he was ready to lead his own company.

Though InkWise’s origins are solely in digital label printing, Harvanek says the company still does some analog printing. He highlights InkWise’s wide-ranging capabilities and services as a differentiator among its peers.

“We do hot-stamping and embossing, which is kind of rare to find nowadays,” Harvanek says. “Everybody’s doing digital printing, so everybody can do the short-run, low-volume stuff. But to also be able to do the hot-stamping and embossing, that’s a very unique thing. With our specialized equipment, we’re able to do that cost-effectively.”

InkWise focuses on short-run label printing, most often for retail product labeling. Harvanek says he thinks of every job in three ways: planning, designing and printing.

During the planning stage, InkWise sits down with clients and talks through their goals. Harvanek says they discuss the client’s packaging requirements and what kind of object the label will be associated with. They also explore the client’s branding and how they can show consistency across different product lines to further cement brand identity. The goal, Harvanek explains, is to “consider what works best for the product and what’s going to connect them with their customers.”

Next up, InkWise manages the design. The company has an in-house graphic design team and prides itself on helping clients find the most creative design so their products pop. In fact, Harvanek says his favorite type of job is one that allows InkWise to evolve its clients’ branding.

“They come to us, and we help them redesign and get something really sharp for their products,” he says. “Seeing the difference side-by-side, and seeing how it helps their sales get a revival, is pretty satisfying. You’re experiencing the whole redevelopment and the impact it can have on a client’s business.”

An added benefit from the design stage is that InkWise can help solidify its clients’ branding. Harvanek says that while “brand is more than just a logo,” the logo itself is often “the easiest place to show your brand.” InkWise’s contributions to designs and logos help its clients build and reinforce their brand identity.

The final step in the process is the printing itself. This is where InkWise’s capabilities come in handy, according to Harvanek. From the printing to the embossing and stamping, InkWise can accommodate a number of intricacies, he says.

By the end of the process, the goal is to deliver a consistent experience — no headaches, no hiccups, just a smooth and easy sequence. When InkWise builds up a long-term relationship with a client, Harvanek says the client knows it can just send an email requesting more of a certain product label and trust that InkWise will get the job done.

“They know we’re delivering what they need, and that the whole process is simple and straightforward,” he explains.

Harvanek first heard about Brand Chain from a member in his network. The member mentioned Brand Chain as a place where he had found vendors, and Harvanek decided to explore the association himself. He liked what he saw and was enthusiastic about the potential to expand his network, so he joined.

Early in his membership, Harvanek has found himself perusing PS Magazine and reaching out to fellow members. He is excited to start using the Brand Chain Community and diving into the association’s online presence — as well as potentially attend future Brand Chain events, if the timing and circumstances allow for it.

“I thought this would be a good opportunity to make connections with other printers out there,” Harvanek says. “We’d like to develop more of those relationships, and I think Brand Chain is certainly the place to do it.”

Harvanek and nearly 3,000 other members take advantage of all Brand Chain has to offer. Interested in joining them? Find out more about membership.

Tags:
Business/Growth Strategies Manufacturers/Suppliers Digital Printing Packaging Labels Interview