Veepee Graphic Solutions gains Esko HD flexo certification

Established as a design studio in 1961, the Bangalore office, a part of the Veepee Group, supplies flexo plates to flexo converters. Among its key customers are Pragati Packaging, Sai Packaging, Multiflex, ITC, Ajanta Packaging, Positive Packaging, Kalpana, Propack and Universal Print Systems.

As a longstanding Esko customer, Veepee followed the development of Esko's Full HD screening and inline UV technology. ‘With numerous developments in the flexible packaging industry favoring flexographic printing, there was a need for higher solid ink density and better ink lay to match the quality of gravure printing,’ says Chandra. ‘Though there were a few competing technologies, we decided, again, to work with Esko as Full HD Flexo has proven to be a stable, consistent and reliable technology.’

Veepee’s relationship with Esko started in 2006 with the installation of a CDI (Cyrel Digital Imager). Other investments over the past years include licenses for a raft of Esko prepress software solutions such as PackEdge, FlexRip and Plato to name a few. In 2009, Veepee installed the first CDI with inline UV and HD screening in the Asian region.

Last year, Veepee extended its cooperation with Esko by adopting Full HD Flexo, which enabled the company to increase production capabilities. ‘Working with Esko Full HD Flexo, we achieve higher solid ink densities with the existing press parameters. We can print clean solids and extend the color gamut thanks to the microcell technology; and we can eliminate the halo around text and lines - a common phenomenon with flexo printing. Thanks to these benefits, we took label and flexible packaging printing to the next level and produced results that can be readily compared to offset or gravure. A lot of trials are being undertaken in corrugated post print, which is the next emerging market for flexographic printing. Our decision to invest in Esko Full HD Flexo was a game changer,’ says Chandra.

Veepee is now poised to embrace the emerging possibilities. Chandra says, ‘The flexo prepress business is expected to grow in the next 10 years, with an important part of that growth in the flexible packaging and corrugated sector. As business is getting more localized, we will be looking at a 'spoke and wheel' module, where prepress will be done at a centralized location and multiple plate processing units close to our customer sites. This will help us service our customers better with faster turnaround times and also reduce investment costs on software and infrastructure. With stable imaging systems such as Esko CDIs with Full HD Flexo, we are confident to make this business module a big success.’