Flexograf customers rival gravure and Litho results

Italian prepress service provider Flexograf is helping flexo printers compete with gravure and litho after investing in the Kodak Flexcel NX technology.  The company began using the Kodak Thermoflex platesetter six years ago, and has now upgraded to the latest digital plate technology.
 
‘Using Flexcel NX has enabled us to make big strides in terms of efficiency and plate quality,’ explained Alberto Bramanti, Flexograf’s CEO.  ‘Once the design is finalized, Kodak’s technology ensures excellent repeatability and predictability of the printed result on any substrate,’ he added.  A crucial aspect of Flexcel NX is the lamination step, where direct contact between the imaging layer and the plate prevents contact with the air and protects against oxidation. The result is stable, full-amplitude, flat-top dots on the plate.
 
Bramanti has also been impressed by the imaging system with Kodak Squarespot Imaging Technology: “The system ensures dot uniformity and tonal stability of the screens, giving us high line screens.  Our customers appreciate the reliability, even on very long print runs, as well as the wider tone range on offer, with higher density and brighter lights, and no shifts in tone. The ability to have high-density print while preserving subtle gradations allows a wider color gamut and simplifies prepress processing,’ he said.
 
The quality guaranteed by Flexcel NX means that Flexograf can compete on applications traditionally dominated by gravure printing, such as food.  Bramanti continued: ‘We’re beginning to get the message across to flexo printers that things have changed—with this technology they no longer have to accept poor print quality and can set the bar higher than they thought possible.’
 
Imball Center is one of Flexograf’s long-standing customers, specializing in producing flexible packaging for the food and medical markets. Renowned for its high quality flexo work, it is now capable of rapid start-ups, reduced waste and less rework thanks to a longer plate life.  And, it is able to use the four process colors to print jobs that previously required seven or eight colors, which saves money.
 
Increased quality on thermal envelopes and films for food packaging translates as printed images with screens up to 70 lines/cm (175 lpi), using only the four basic colors, plus white.  Customers now realize that flexo quality is fast approaching gravure print quality, and the benefitsare reduced start-up costs and better reprints.
 
Flexograf and Imball Center believe the new Kodak technology will help flexo to lose its reputation as a poor man’s printing technology, and make inroads into the gravure market, and confirmation comes with Flexograf’s order for the wide version of Flexcel NX, which gives a maximum plate size of 1067 x 1524 mm.