Delivering Improved Predictability, Stability and Quality for flexo printing Question If current traditional digital flexo plates provide good enough quality why should you even consider switching to plates made using the Kodak Flexcel NX Digital Flexographic System? Can it really be worth it? Surely the plates you are using today are perfectly OK. Aren t they? Answer Printers that have already switched to Kodak Flexcel NX Digital Flexographic Plates tell us that there are good reasons to make the move. Why? Because it has made their flexo printing process more robust, allowed them to be more efficient and to save money. In addition it has improved their quality capabilities in both print reproduction and consistency and allowed them to grow their business. We want to show you how and why: The Flexcel NX System can provide you with greater predictability and stability in print Improved print consistency, and print reproduction that rivals gravure can allow you to grow your business and move into new markets The Flexcel NX System can help you manage your costs and help you to grow your top line So we approached a printer to print a comparison print job to compare their previous plate technology with Flexcel NX Plates. The wider impression latitude with the FLEXCEL NX flat top dots was the single biggest production benefit for us. Fast to color, we run to the densities and we re stable throughout the run. Andrew Sharp, CEO Packstar Flexible Packaging Read through the whole document to get the full story or click on the links below to navigate Background What did we ask Packstar to do, and why? Profile of this printer / converter Technical specifications for the printing job What the printer said about improved predictability and stability, with the Flexcel NX System How does this comparison demonstrate it? How does the Flexcel NX System achieve this level of predictability and stability? What the printer said about improved print quality How does this comparison demonstrate it? How does the Flexcel NX System enable this level of print quality? In Summary What business benefits have other users experienced with the Flexcel NX System? For more information
Background What did we ask Packstar to do, and why? Our customers that have switched to the Flexcel NX System tell us about the benefits their business has seen since converting from their previous traditional black mask digital flexo plates. They tell us about the significant cost savings they experience due to the predictability and stability of the plates on press and the new business they are winning due to improved quality and consistency. So we wanted to find a way of demonstrating this to you, a way that would enable you to see what the Flexcel NX System could possibly do for your business. So we thought a fair approach would be to find a customer that has experience of printing with both Flexcel NX Plates and traditional digital plates and ask them to print exactly the same job with both systems. To make it even fairer we asked them to print a job that was fairly typical of their regular production. We asked them to give no special treatment to the different jobs just to print the way they normally would with Flexcel NX Plates and the way they normally would with the traditional digital plates. We asked them to use the same crew to print each job and we did not intervene throughout the process. We just asked them to produce 25,000 copies of our shrink label design with each plate system. So we wanted to find a way of demonstrating this to you. A way that would enable you to see what the Flexcel NX system could possibly do for your business. So we thought a fair approach would be to find a customer that has experience of printing with both Kodak Flexcel NX plates and traditional digital plates and ask them to print exactly the same job with both systems. To make it even fairer we asked them to print a job that was fairly typical of their regular production. We asked them to give no special treatment to the different jobs just to print the way they normally would with Flexcel NX and the way they normally would with the traditional digital plates. We asked them to use the same crew to print each job and we did not intervene throughout the process. We just asked them to produce 25,000 copies of our shrink label design with each plate system. We then asked for their feedback on both systems and we set to work to look at the final printed results. If you are reading this article as a result of a sample card that you received in the mail
then maybe you already have the comparison print samples to hand. If not, don t worry, we can show you the results here and we ll be very happy to send you physical printed samples to view. Profile of this printer / converter First, some information about the printer. Packstar Group is a full-service, turnkey supplier of seamed, seamless and pre-form shrink labeling products based in NY, USA. They offer both flexographic and roto-gravure printing and converting for leading consumer brands. www.packstargroup.com Packstar has 5 years of experience printing with traditional digital flexographic plates and 6+ months experience using the Flexcel NX System. Their core business is primary and secondary shrink labels. Technical specifications for the printing job With the help of Kodak Prinergy Workflow this printer has automated the majority of their prepress tasks. Neither job in this case study received any special treatment in prepress or was subject to any retouching. Prepress, platemaking and printing followed their standard prescribed procedures. Plate production for Flexcel NX Plates Plates used Flexcel NXH plates 0.067 Imaging System Kodak Trendsetter NX Thermal Imager Plate Processing Solvent processing: Kodak Flexcel XP Washout Solution Plate production for traditional digital plates Plates used Dupont Cyrel plates 0.067 Imaging System Esko Graphics CDI Plate Processing Solvent processing Workflow Proofing Printing Specifications (same for both plate systems) Press Substrate Inks Kodak Prinergy, Screen ruling, 175lpi Kodak Veris Digital Proofer Aquaflex 8C LX running at 200fpm 0.05 PLA sheet film Sericol UV Black (x2), PMS 1788, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, White Anilox 1 st Black 700l / 3.94 bcm, 2 nd Black 1200l / 2.0 bcm PMS 1788 360l / 4.6 bcm, Cyan 1200l / 1.6 bcm Magenta 1200l / 1.6 bcm, Yellow 900l / 1.77 bcm White 360l / 5.28 bcm
What the printer said about improved predictability and stability, with the Flexcel NX System Wider impression latitude means more consistent printing without operator intervention. The plates come to color quickly and stay there The result of this is a more consistent product, less press waste, less operator intervention and therefore reduced production costs The plates keep well, are easy to clean up and when they go back on press give the same predictable results as they did the first time around. Less plate remakes mean reduced cost and a better carbon footprint How does this comparison demonstrate it? Predictable and Consistent First let s take a look at six random samples taken from various places throughout each print run Traditional Digital Flexographic Plates random samples from 25,000 print run Flexcel NX Plates random samples from 25,000 print run
The Flexcel NX Plates deliver consistent printing throughout the run, no unexplained color shifts or degradation in print quality. Flesh tones are always challenging to keep consistent and natural looking and the wide impression latitude of the Flexcel NX Plates mean that they are resistant to the inevitable variations in print conditions throughout the run preserving beautiful tone reproduction in the most challenging of subject areas Print Stability Now let s take a closer look at another area of the print and see how it holds up during the run. On the back of the label towards the right hand side of the bar code is a design element that makes use of a process build fine line. The design intent is a series of light fine lines that complement the black vignette immediately below them. Elements of this nature are truly a challenge for the flexo printing process and as a consequence are often avoided. Start of the run Traditional digital plate prints End of the run Start of the run Flexcel NX Plate prints End of the run If we examine the prints from the beginning and end of the run for both sets of plates we can see a marked difference in the ability to firstly reproduce the lines as light, fine elements and secondly, to consistently print them this way throughout the run. A much greater degree of magnification and measurement of the individual printed dots confirms what is happening at the micro level to produce the visible differences.
Traditional Digital plate prints Start (C = 71 um, M = 98 um) End (C = 84 um, M = 66 um) Flexcel NX Plate prints Start (C = 65 um, M = 59 um) End (C = 63 um, M = 59 um) How does the Flexcel NX System achieve this level of predictability and stability? The significant improvements in consistency and print robustness can be explained by simple physics and in order to understand it we must look at the profile of the plate dots. Flexo print consistency is all about even pressure and ink transfer. Dot profiles that are resistant to changes in impression will always print more consistently Plate dots on Traditional Digital Plate The micrograph below shows the dot profile of a typical digital flexo plate. Note how the dots are bullet shaped with rounded tops, steep shoulders and narrow bases. This dot profile is due to the oxygen inhibition that occurs during the exposure of the plate through the black mask.
Throughout the course of a print run there are inevitable changes in impression, even those that are not intentional. With a rounded top dot those changes in impression can result in dramatically different printed dot sizes. With light impression the dot size is quite small, just the tip of the rounded dot is printing. As impression increases more of the dot surface is in contact with the substrate and as a result a larger dot is printed. Plate dots on Flexcel NX Plate Flexcel NX Plates are made using a process that completely eliminates oxygen inhibition. The result is a dot profile on the plate that has a flat top, broad shoulders and a wide base This dot shape is incredibly robust and resistant to changes in impression. The flat surface is in full contact with the printing substrate and regardless of changes in pressure between the two surfaces the resultant ink transfer, and hence dot size, remains consistent. This is the secret to consistent and robust printing with the Flexcel NX Plates What the printer said about improved print quality The Flexcel NX System allows them; through improved print reproduction and consistency to print jobs with flexo they would have previously printed gravure. Turnaround times are quicker, print runs can be shorter It has allowed them to grow further into primary label market, something they had not been able to do effectively with traditional digital plates The Flexcel NX System has helped them to grow their existing business and win new business.
How does this comparison demonstrate it? Let s look at one of the detailed areas of the design. The Palm Naturals motif is a feathery palm tree with a great degree of detail printed as a small element on the front of the label Printed from the traditional digital plate Start of run Middle of run End of run Printed from the Flexcel NX Plate Start of run Middle of run End of run The Flexcel NX System prints are clean and delicate with fine detail preserved that is evident at this level of enlargement but also clearly perceptible to the naked eye. The printing is consistent from the beginning to the end of the run The Flexcel NX Plates allow highlight detail to remain clean and high contrast with fine image detail preserved. They allow shadow detail to remain open and avoid the muddy effects A greater degree of magnification allows us to examine the print capability at the finest level and really see the open shadows on the Flexcel NX system print.
Magnified view traditional digital plates Magnified view Flexcel NX Plates 50X 200X How does the Flexcel NX System enable this level of print quality? The improved image quality and the ability to reproduce it consistently can be explained by two key features, the flat top dot structure described in the sections above and the unique ability of the Kodak Flexcel NX Digital Flexographic System, using SQUAREspot Imaging Technology, to provide true 1:1 image reproduction from the file to the plate. What you have in the file, you get on the plate EXACTLY and the stable flat top dot structure allow ALL of those image elements to print, retaining detail in the highlights and preventing fill-in in the shadows 2,400 dpi 10,000 dpi (4x4)
In summary The examples described here and demonstrated by the print comparison test represent just some of the benefits of printing with Flexcel NX Plates. This comparison has focused on consistency, robustness and print quality but there is much more. Wider impression latitude brings with it faster set up times Faster set up times mean less waste Strong flat top dots mean plates that don t wear and consequently last longer Strong flat top dots mean plates that are more resistant to cleaning and reuse Reduced waste and reduced plates made brings significant environmental benefits 1:1 image reproduction means simplified prepress and more predictable proofing This list goes on. Try the plates for yourself and experience the difference. What business benefits have other users experienced with the Flexcel NX System? This particular comparison was performed by a narrow web shrink sleeve label printer, but there are benefits to be seen in all packaging printing segments. Here are just a few examples of what other users are saying: Label printer in California At Labeltronix, our mission is to provide customers what they want, when they want it. We've built our business by providing great delivery times, great pricing and great quality. With its exceptional consistency and quality, KODAK Flexcel NX Technology is a perfect fit for our business model. It's enabling us to produce offset quality in a flexo process, on demand, with competitive pricing. Flexcel NX Plates are a game changer for us, and are driving business with new and existing customers. - John Trail, President, Labeltronix Flexo Trade Shop in Canada The Flexcel NX System is allowing us and our customers to produce work that we couldn t produce before using flexo. - Ben Abray, President, Autumn Graphics, LLC Flexible Packaging Printer in UK We have successfully used Flexcel NX Plates with several of our customers with significant success. We at Primopost feel that the Flexcel NX System offers us the opportunity to match gravure quality contributing to our ability to offer innovative and cost effective packaging solutions - Barry Bearman, Primopost Ltd Flexo Trade Shop in Slovenia We experienced runs of more than 750,000m with no stops and with consistent results. Prepress is just easy; the system is so reliable that contract proofing will match the final printed results consistently - Rok Setina, Compress d.o.o.
For more information The next step is to try the plates for yourself. For additional printed sample copies or to learn more about how using Flexcel NX Plates can help YOU save money and grow your business please contact your local Kodak sales representative.