Barcelona in the late 19th century is an industrial port city undergoing a major transformation
History
Letter from the 1920s addressed to the Valdespino winery
The typography department was crucial for many years
Engraving plate produced by Fidel Armadans
The energy of a new era
The streets of Barcelona are buzzing with an air of change in 1893. The emergence of a new era can be felt everywhere: factories and workshops, new streets, docks, shops and cafés. The city is hurtling towards its status as a metropolis. This atmosphere, this “incessant chugging of countless powerful machines”, as one author at the time describes it, is both the backdrop and driving force for Manuel and Antonio Vidal to found the company M. y A. Vidal, the origins of today’s Vidal & Armadans.
A growing society
M. y A. Vidal soon begins producing labels for very diverse sectors by taking advantage of major developments in lithography and accompanying techniques such as relief, embossing and gilding. Artistic trends such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco help to enhance the uniqueness of labels from an aesthetic perspective.
The printing press begins specialising in the wine and spirits segment as consumer society grows in the 1920s and 1930s, including some outstanding work for clients such as the Valdespino winery in Jerez. Management during this time is in the hands of Manuel’s son, Jaime Vidal, who will become associated with the engraver Fidel Armadans.
The company adopts its current name, Gráficas Vidal & Armadans, after the Civil War and gradual recovery in activity.
Technical progress, industrial leap
The installation of the first Oris offset press in 1960 represents a leap in terms of technology and business for Vidal & Armadans. This path of progress continues unabated in the following years, now with the third generation and personified by Juan Armadans Benet, who moves the company to its current location: a functional production plant in Poblenou.
Opened in 1976, the printing press in Carrer Perú helped to incorporate decisive technical improvements
Labels for today
The activities of Vidal & Armadans have been decisively geared towards reel-fed labelling for two decades now and it continues to focus on value orientation: top-quality workmanship. Now managed by the fourth generation, the company underlines its commitment to the profession, know-how and constant quest for ideal solutions. Vidal & Armadans prints many of today’s most important labels in the wine sector.
Our goal: excellence
Our position today is defined by service excellence from a position of leadership in the highest quality segment. From the printing press to the client, passing through the graphic designer. Collaborating with creatives is essential for turning a good design job into a physical element that can enhance the bottle. A goal that is as old as our printing press.
Vidal & Armadans specialise in wine labels with high quality creative finishes