Prepress
KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System Makes Special Canadian Printer Cover Possible
Monday 11. May 2009 - Sporting two different covers that can be compared side by side, the March issue of Canadian Printer magazine gives readers a chance to see firsthand the outstanding print quality enabled by the KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System.
With its traditional offset paper cover, as well as a flexo printed polyester over-cover, the magazine is an ideal platform for showcasing the ability of the FLEXCEL NX System to open new doors of opportunity in flexo printing.
The concept began months ago when Marcelo Marziali, flexographic division supervisor at Cenveo McLaren Morris and Todd of Mississauga, Ontario, wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of the latest flexo technology. Marziali credits the FLEXCEL NX System with producing plates that have the flat top dots and higher line screens needed to achieve the quality seen on the polyester cover.
Autumn Graphics of London, Ontario, provided prepress and platemaking services for Canadian Printers polyester cover and installed the first FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System in Canada. President Ben Abray has pushed the system to its limits and said, “For the flexo printer with print processes in control, this plate technology allows production of phenomenal work. The printer can run higher line screens or different types of screening than possible in the past, and ultimately, it allows expansion into new markets where the flexo world has not been able to compete in the past.”
Printed on 5 mil polyester using a GALLUS EMS 510 S 20-inch press, the flexo cover included clear areas to provide a 3D effect over the magazines paper cover. Each component, from the plates and anilox rolls to the inks and cylinder sleeves, must work together to achieve the desired results and was chosen specifically by Marziali for their proven performance.
First introduced in 2007, the FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System has captured several awards, including the 2008 PIA/GATF InterTech Technology Award; the 2008 Flexographic Pre-Press Platemakers Association Technology Innovator of the Year Award; and the 2009 Flexographic Technical Association Technical Innovation Award. Capable of imaging on a variety of substrates, including paper, film, foil, label stock and folding cartons, the FLEXCEL NX System provides outstanding quality and consistency from job to job.
“This cover project was an ambitious undertaking for our staff and all of our production service providers,” said Susan Ritcey, publisher of Canadian Printer magazine. “We are very pleased with the results, and feel that it does an excellent job of showing the power and flexibility of flexo. All the pieces came together as we hoped, yielding the unique cover treatment our readers see on our March 2009 issue.”
Complete details on the cover and the production process can found be found by visiting the Canadian Printer website at www.canadianprinter.com.