Offset Printing

KBA and FLEXcon Premiering Unique Substrates at Graph Expo

FLEXcon’s glow-in-the-dark substrate is shown here as a novelty promotional decal.

Monday 13. October 2008 - Silver metalized, one-way vision and phosphorescent substrates enhance printer capabilities

KBA North America, a global press manufacturer based in Williston, Vermont and Dallas, Texas, has collaborated with pressure sensitive film maker FLEXcon Co., global manufacturer of pressure-sensitive film products located in Spencer, MA, to premiere three new and unique substrates for the KBA Rapida 106 41-inch sheetfed press.

Samples of silver metalized polyester, perforated one-way vision synthetic laminate, and phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) materials will be distributed by KBA during Graph Expo 08 in Booth 4429, October 26-29, in Chicago’s McCormick Place South.

“We are pleased to be working with FLEXcon and their one-of-a-kind substrates,” says Holger Garbrecht, president and CEO of KBA North America. “Once again, KBA is taking a leadership position in providing its press customers with the ability to produce high-end, high-value jobs that set its customers apart in the market.”

“FLEXcon is the global leader supplying thousands of customized substrate solutions for branding, identification and promotion applications to the printing and fabricating industry,” says Laura Ostrout, Technical Service Representative at FLEXcon. “We collaborated with KBA to insure that our pre-primed substrates provide reproducible, high quality, results on KBA’s Rapida 106 press. The substrates KBA will be distributing are pre-primed for consistent print results via UV and conventional sheet-fed inks formulated for plastics. These pressure-sensitive adhesive backed products can be further customized to suit the needs of the end-use application. Each substrate is engineered to meet the lay-flat properties required for sheet-fed converting.”

FLEXcon’s silver metalized polyester substrate provides uniform surface smoothness, excellent dimensional stability and endurance to varying temperatures. This eye-catching silver substrate is ideal for creating a high-end, durable look whether used in graphic advertising applications or for product identification labels.

FLEXcon’s glow-in the dark is a plastic substrate that has been pre-primed to offer consistent printability with either UV or conventional lithographic inks, and removes the need to test the dyne level. The phosphorescent properties of this substrate are activated via incandescent, fluorescent, black lighting, as well as by direct or indirect sunlight. This substrate will glow brightest during the first 30 minutes after activation has ceased. The phosphorescent vinyl substrate is coated with an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive that bonds well to a variety of surfaces, and is backed with a lay-flat 90 lb. moisture stable-polycoated release liner ideal for sheet-form converting. This glowing substrate designed specifically for novelty applications, can be used to light up any point of purchase display, for use as novelty stickers, or can be used where ever consumer attention is needed.

FLEXcon’s perforated white/black plastic is the ideal solution for see-through, one-way window signage with a 70/30 perforation pattern. The 70/30 pattern offers retailers 70% material and 30% hole pattern to allow for more printed image adding more pop to your brand. FLEXcon’s perforated plastic has been pre-primed to offer consistent printability with either UV or conventional lithographic inks, and remove the need to test the dyne level. This perforated substrate is coated with a specialty removable adhesive system that aids in clean removability at the end of the graphics life and allows graphic removal in one piece compared to thinner products that shred upon removal. Specific applications range from simple indoor debit/credit, store hours and push-pull decals; to interior/exterior P-O-P advertising, event promotion and novelty signage; to large-format promotional window signage.

FLEXcon is an ISO 9001:2000 global manufacturer of pressure-sensitive film products for applications that include outdoor and indoor advertising, primary labels, product identification and safety/hazard labels, bar coded labels, and bonding/mounting. FLEXcon’s custom manufacturing capabilities, comprehensive offerings of plastics in custom sizes, and successful collaborations with ink and press manufacturers provide offset printers the ability to distinguish themselves from competition and offer more value to their customers. Headquartered in Spencer, Massachusetts, FLEXcon has operations throughout North America and Europe, with distribution worldwide.