Creation accelerates packaging and label sustainability drive

Creation Reprographics, a dedicated pre-press and repro partner for packaging and label printers, has confirmed it will be advancing its operations and range in 2023 as it looks to remain the go-to name in printing pre-press sustainability.

Focused on matching precision with low-carbon solutions, Creation supports printers in all aspects of packaging pre-press, origination and colour management. The business believes that environmentally responsible pre-press is the most effective way to turn packaging and label printing into a key part of business sustainability strategy.

Matt Francklow, managing director at Creation, said: ‘For printers, 2023 is going to be an important year in terms of sustainability. There are multiple plates to spin in quality and volume, but we are another year closer to Net Zero goals and consumer appetite for ethical and responsible brands is still high. As a result, the coming year will be one of bolder printing supply chain innovation across the board. It’s about viewing the “bigger picture” of the supply chain, rather than each part in isolation.

‘We have worked hard to carve out our name as a specialist in sustainable pre-press but the sector rarely stands still, so we need to ensure our product and service range is always reflecting the latest technology available. For example, we have adopted a number of solutions in our range this year, including varnish plates for offset printing that are designed to tackle the scourge of waste, dry offset plates for the expanding can market, and rotary screens for the flexographic printing market.’

One of the examples is Flenex FW, a water-washable flexo plates technology developed by Fujifilm, that the company now offers to its customers. Creation believes that pre-press excellence can be achieved without harmful VOC solvent washout, and these plates are testament to that.

‘There is still the belief that sustainability is a concession, if something is lower carbon it must compromise in other areas. Flenex FW completely dispels that, by offering high quality precision print over even the longest runs, and the plates are ready in a fraction of the time of typical solvent plates. We have added the plate to our range and have even become a designated Centre of Excellence’, where printers can come to our HQ, see the plates in use and witness the advantages in real-time,’ added Francklow.

From its position as a pre-press provider to a wide roster of printers, Creation receives valuable perspective on the overall label and packaging market direction. The business uses this insight to evolve its own services. Creation has its own long-term sustainability strategy, dubbed ‘Project Zero’, which outlines the company’s commitment to change.

‘Over the coming year, printers will be under more pressure to deliver sustainable print, and we will be with them every step of the way as a proud champion of greener pre-press. We’re at a real tipping point in printing sustainability; the technology is now where it needs to be to affect change on a global scale. Now, we expect to see more printers making bold investment and fully embracing the benefits of sustainable pre-press,’ concluded Francklow.