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FPPA Member News

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Clemson University to Host November Corrugated Symposium

Clemson University will host the Fundamentals of Quality Print on Corrugated Symposium November 12­14, 2003. This 2­1/2 day symposium provides an in-depth overview of the elements of the printing system, examining board liners, anilox rolls, doctor blades, inks and plate systems to demonstrate how they are integrated together to produce enhanced graphics, from clean solids and line work to halftones and process color.

The symposium features a number of interactive breakout sessions and a troubleshooting workshop to identify press issues and recommend corrective action. Participants will develop a thorough understanding of controlling the combinations of anilox rolls, inks, plates and pre-press possibilities to best suit their needs. The discussion will include tools and methods that any plant can implement to analyze and improve print quality.

The symposium gathers together industry leaders from around the country to share their experience and knowledge of corrugated print. Participants have the opportunity to freely discuss their printing concerns with these experts and Clemson faculty in panel discussions and breakout sessions. The learning opportunities are extended into the evenings with social hours and a banquet featuring a Q&A session with a panel of industry vendors and technical representatives.
 
For full program information, contact Liam O'Hara (864-656-6897, e-mail lohara@clemson.edu) or visit the Clemson University Department of Graphic Communications web-site at http://graphics.clemson.edu.

Creo Announces New Prepress Developments for Flexo

Creo Inc. is pleased to announce new developments to the Prinergy Powerpack(tm) packaging workflow and the ThermoFlex® family of computer-to-plate (CTP) devices. These improvements are designed to make flexographic packaging trade shops and converters more successful.

New Flexographic Image Enhancement Technology

The latest addition to the specialized flexo technologies available in Prinergy Powerpack is DigiCap(tm) digital plate capping, which improves print quality in solid areas. "Plate capping" is a traditional technique in which the plate surface is slightly textured to improve ink coverage. While effective, it is a slow, costly and impractical as a general solution. DigiCap simulates the plate capping effect digitally by applying a pattern of small reverse dots in the surface of the plate. This minimizes visual artifacts, and in some cases reduces dot gain while increasing solid ink densities.

From a prepress efficiency perspective, DigiCap is a simple, effective solution. It can be applied to any file, without investing additional time or effort. Solids and midtones are improved, and line art and process color are improved. Even archived 1-bit TIFF files can be processed with DigiCap.

How DigiCap Works

The surface of the photopolymer plate is smooth like the surface of a glass table. When ink is deposited on the surface of the plate, it cannot maintain a uniform thickness and bleeds into the non-imaged areas. Therefore to completely cover the substrate with ink, the printer must add impression (squeeze) between the plate and print substrate to compensate for the uneven amount of ink on the plate. This process leads to several problems in the appearance of the images: uneven density in the solids, excessive dot gain and slur.

DigiCap technology applies small reverse dots to the surface of the plate, which helps to minimize visual artifacts, and in some cases reduces dot gain while increasing solid ink densities. By applying a tint to the solids, the 'white' reverse areas in the print are reduced in size, which increases ink density and improves the visual appearance. This is very apparent near or around reverse copy as the application of a tint in the solid eliminates the noticeable darker keyline that forms around the reverses.

Additional Flexo Technologies

Another Creo solution for flexo is Raster Scaling, which applies scaling (distortion) to screened files. Experienced prepress and press operators know that the flexibility of flexo plates can cause problems. The flexible plate material can stretch and distort while being imaged, and cause slight variations in dimension that can affect registration. These variations can create color shifts, moiré and other visual artifacts. Raster Scaling provides digital correction to the plate image. By applying slight adjustments to the X and Y scaling and placement of the image, Raster Scaling maintains a plate set that will be in correct register when mounted on press.

Creo Maxtone(tm) hybrid screening was developed to improve the ability of flexographic plates to reproduce highlights and detail. Maxtone is a hybrid screen-an AM screen that applies FM techniques. Maxtone allows the operator to set a minimum dot size in order to prevent the formation of dots that are too small for the flexo medium. To extend the tonal spectrum, Maxtone uses an FM-like screening technique. To create lighter shades, dots are removed in a random pattern. Producing lighter colors with fewer (rather than smaller) dots results in improved highlight detail and a more robust plate. Color blockup in darker shades is also controlled by selectively removing dots.

GATF InterTech(tm) award-winning HyperFlex(tm) is a plate resolution enhancement technology that improves the quality of Maxtone screening. It extends the imaging potential of flexographic plates by enabling smaller dots to be formed and held throughout the print process. The ability to produce a smaller minimum dot size increases the effective resolution of the flexo plate and allows highlights to be reproduced more faithfully, with a less discernible transition in vignettes.

All of these screening and image enhancement solutions are available as options in the Prinergy Powerpack packaging workflow.

Creo to Report 2003 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results on November 13, 2003

Creo Inc. (NASDAQ: CREO; TSX: CRE) will distribute its 2003 fiscal fourth-quarter and year-end financial results on Thursday, November 13, 2003 at 4:30 pm ET (1:30 pm PT). Creo will host a conference call at 5:00 pm ET (2:00 pm PT), featuring remarks by Amos Michelson, CEO, and Mark Dance, CFO and COO, followed by a question and answer session.

The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at http://www.creo.com/investors for approximately one hour and will be archived on the Creo investor site.

Listening to the live webcast requires Real Player or Windows Media Player. Broadcast quality will be best for listeners with at least a 28.8 Kbps connection, but will still be available to slower connections.

Creo Releases New Version of Synapse Insite

Creo Inc. (NASDAQ: CREO; TSX: CRE) releases version 3.5.5 of the innovative Synapse® InSite prepress portal for remote job submission, proofing, collaboration, approvals and workflow automation. The new version provides unprecedented prepress workflow integration, control and performance.

Synapse InSite software tracks job activity in the database of the prepress workflow management system and communicates this data to users online and with a Management Information System when using the Synapse® Link interface. It allows printers, trade shops and publishers to track all uploads, alteration requests, approvals and comments for accurate billing and better job management.

"Creo continues to develop its market-leading solutions for even greater integration, performance and control. This solution provides our customers with greater efficiency, customer satisfaction and profitability," says Pat Lord, Creo product manager. "The new features deliver more value to printers, trade shops, publishers and agencies than every before making Synapse InSite an essential part of a Networked Graphic Production(tm) solution."

Saving More Time with New Integration Options

The new version of the Synapse InSite prepress portal features enhanced integration with Synapse® Prepare software, the graphic designer tool for easy creation of press-ready PDF files. Synapse Prepare users can now upload files directly from their creative desktop application to the Synapse InSite server, without launching a web browser. Synapse InSite automates many functions, such as sending the file into prepress for processing, and tracking every file submission and other operation, creating a managed, easy-to-use environment.

The Synapse InSite Uploader feature supports any file type, including PDFs prepared by Synapse Prepare software, page layout files, image files or ICC profiles. Synapse InSite 3.5.5 also features the option of using a new WAM!NET Connector which enables WAM!NET services to be used as an alternate upload mechanism, while users retain access to the full set of Synapse InSite capabilities.

New Tools for Better Control

Version 3.5.5 of the Synapse InSite prepress portal provides print providers and their clients with greater visibility and control over their jobs. The latest version of Synapse InSite includes new and improved mark-up tools for use while collaborating on a job in the Smart Review forum. New tools include image rotation, an enhanced measurement tool, and the ability to place guides to aid the review process. Users can now easily create and download a multi-page PDF of selected pages for desktop proofing.

Synapse InSite provides users with instant access to job status information at any time using a simple web browser. This allows users to collaborate effectively; manage job files, progress and approvals more efficiently; reduce proofing cycle times; and make more informed decisions.

Enhanced Performance

An updated file transfer engine means that Synapse InSite uploads job files into the prepress workflow faster than ever. The same transfer engine also downloads job files for remote proofing and collaboration. An enhanced user interface makes Synapse InSite even easier to use.

Platform Update

The latest version of the Synapse InSite prepress portal supports both Windows® and Macintosh® platforms, including Mac OS® X and the Safari(tm) web browser. Synapse InSite does not require any custom software to be installed on a remote user's client.

Now Available for Third Party Workflows

Until now, Synapse InSite was exclusively available for the Prinergy®, Brisque® and Spire(tm) workflows from Creo. The Synapse InSite prepress portal is now available for use with third-party workflows, allowing greater process automation that results in faster job cycle times.

Agfa Shows :Sublima XM Screening Technology for Packaging Applications

Early Adopters Report Competitive Advantage Resulting from Significant Quality Improvements and Ease of Use

Agfa released the results reported by early adopters of its new XM (cross modulated) screening technology, :Sublima for Packaging. Packaging prepress companies and converters, both offset and flexo, reported notably higher quality printing with little change in prepress and press handing, as well as significant cost savings. The combination of these benefits, said users, give them a distinct competitive advantage.

Kris Vangeel, director of Agfa’s worldwide packaging business explained that with customers’ co-operation, as well as Clemson University in the U.S.A., Agfa tested :Sublima for flexo and offset for a wide number of applications using a variety of substrates, including poly bags, corrugated, and a number of cardboard and label stocks. “Having heard the excellent results from newspaper and commercial printers around the world we were more than confident :Sublima would perform equally well in packaging. But we needed confirmation from customers using it on real-life projects. They were amazed by how easy it is to improve quality and impress their customers,” said Vangeel.

Eticoll, a label printer in the Netherlands, found :Sublima so easy to use that the company installed the screening and went right into production. “It’s remarkably easy. Once you define the :Sublima screen for a specific press, it just prints. Colours are richer and tints are perfect,” said Eticoll production director, Marcel Smidt.

":Sublima enables flexo printers to attain resolution and tones reproductions that were previously thought impossible, said Marek Skrzynski, director of graphics development, CSW Inc, a packaging prepress firm in Ludlow, Massachusetts, U.S.A. “In spite of the exceptionally high screen rulings, the anilox to screen ratio remains way below industry standard with :Sublima. Many converters were skeptical, but when they saw how little effort they needed to apply to achieve higher screen rulings with :Sublima, they became believers."

"With :Sublima, the image on the package jumps out and grabs the consumer, added CSW president Laura Wright. “It is comforting to know that :Sublima gives us a competitive edge without requiring the converter to make any capital investments."

About Sublima

:Sublima uses a patented technology known as XM (Cross Modulated) to achieve line-screen rulings of up to 340 lpi (lines per inch). It combines the benefits of AM (Amplitude Modulated) screening, which are smooth vignettes and highly controllable midtones, with the benefits of FM (Frequency Modulated) screening—fine detail rendering in shadows and highlights and continuous-tone like reproduction. It aligns FM dots along AM paths and replaces AM dots at the precise point where the AM dot can no longer be held on a specific press. The result is a smooth transition from one mode to the other with no visible crossover.

:Sublima also takes press characteristics into account so that it will never produce a dot the press cannot hold. As a result, every detail, fine line, and delicate typeface gets printed without extra effort both on offset and flexo presses. Flesh tones are perfectly smooth and colour accurate.

Because :Sublima can hold the smallest dot on press, enlarging or reducing images have no effect on quality or the ability to sustain details. Sublima can be used for high line rulings on a wide variety of stocks, including high quality paper, corrugated, flexible packaging substrates, and various carton stocks.

Corton Announces eXact 5280

October 2, 2003. Minneapolis, MN. Cortron Corporation announces the second model of eXact, its award winning, high definition flexo exposure system. eXact 5280 provides the same quality enhancements of the eXact 3040 in a larger format. It can expose any materials up to 52” x 80”. eXact 5280E offers an inexpensive alternative to CTP for the wide web industry and trade shops. Not only that, but the quality of CTP plates is enhanced as well.

Like the previous model it utilizes the patented liquid cooled mercury plasma capillary light source. To maintain fast exposures the 5280 uses two plasma sources rather than one. It is digitally integrated to ensure even exposures from one plate to the next over the life of the light source. The automated flip top allows the back and main exposure to be accomplished without operator intervention. The patented concentrating reflector technology creates shoulders that resemble those created by CTP devices. Collimated light is evenly distributed across the entire plate surface with no falloff. The reflector controls the angle of light between 0 and 26 degrees. Stray light is eliminated ensuring consistent shoulders across the entire 5280 surface.

“The eXact 5280 shows the commitment Cortron has to the flexo market,” says Marc Fioravanti, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Ever since we introduced the 3040 model, the industry has been asking us about the possibility of a larger format device. The 5280 addresses these needs and the market is responding. We have a number of pre-ordered units. The demand is high.”

The first unit will be installed at OEC Graphics in Wisconsin.

Cortron developed the first eXact model in 2002 and has followed with the 5280 one year later. The company is developing additional eXact models to satisfy all format sizes and has other flexo products in the R&D phase that will be introduced in the next twelve months. Cortron is a 26-year-old manufacturer of graphic arts equipment. Prior to eXact the company was best known as the North American leader of litho step and repeat machines. The company also sells the CPM Plate Mounter for the narrow web industry.

For more information contact: Marc Fioravanti, 763 572 1555 or marcf@cortron.com

Cortron announces Additional Flexo Platemaking Equipment

In 2002 Cortron announced the company’s first flexo platemaking device, eXact 3040. It recently announced the second high definition exposure system, eXact 5280. Cortron’s charter is to be a full supplier of platemaking equipment for the flexo industry. To this end the company today is announcing flexo plate washout, drying and two all in one systems. The company will continue to expand its flexo product line in the near future. Look for more announcements in the upcoming months.

The eXact name has become synonymous for high quality flexo plate exposure. In continuing with the name for the washout equipment, Cortron believes this equipment will also be favorably received in the industry. The eXact 2632P, eXact 3648P and eXact 5280P represent three popular sizes of inline processors. Inline processing provides much better washout than the older rotary processors. The unique heater and chiller feature keeps the solvent at precisely the correct temperature whether it increases or decreases. Other standard features such as automatic replenishment and multiple memory channels complete the easy to use feature set. In addition to the washout equipment Cortron announces a Dryer and light finisher for the 5280 format. The 5280DLF combines plate drying and post exposure to complete the platemaking process.

Cortron also announces the all in one A1 and A3 All-in-One products. These easy to use systems combine all the processes of flexo platemaking in one compact unit. Exposure, processing, drying and light finishing are accomplished with one piece of equipment. Plate sizes supported by these units are 26 x 34 inches and 14 x 20 inches respectively.

“These new products demonstrate our continued commitment to be a full service provider of flexo platemaking equipment,” says Marc Fioravanti, Vice President Sales & Marketing. “They compliment our award winning eXact exposure systems. Customers can feel comfortable that we are in this business for the long haul and will be supporting our products for many years.”

All of these units are shipping as of the date of this announcement.

For more information call Marc Fioravanti at 763 572 1555 or visit www.cortron.com.