Method and apparatus for providing text on printed products

An apparatus for providing text on a printed surface having printing thereon of each of a plurality of printed products comprising:

• a conveyor system for conveying the printed products along a path of travel in an overlapping imbricated stream and such that a border region of the printed surface of each printed product is exposed by the imbricated overlap;
• label applying means disposed along the path of travel for applying a partially transparent contrast label to the exposed border region of each printed product so as to overlie the printing on the printed surface of the printed product and to allow the printing to be seen therethrough, said label applying means comprising means mounting a supply roll of a strip of partially transparent label forming material, a cutting system for withdrawing the strip from the supply roll and cutting the same into individual labels, and an application device for sequentially applying the individual labels onto the printed products;
• and
• printing means for printing information either onto the strip of partially transparent label forming material or onto each individual label, so that each individual label has the information printed thereon, and
• wherein the conveyor system comprises a plurality of clamps arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction for gripping respective ones of the printed products.