Brazil-based Clicheria DP Studio has recently upgraded its investment in digital flexo imaging from HD Flexo to Esko Full HD Flexo, becoming the 100th installation worldwide.
Full HD Flexo combines all the benefits of HD Flexo, offering print results similar to gravure. The technology combines high-resolution 4000 ppi imaging and special imaging software, along with a digitally controlled LED UV main exposure within the Esko CDI flexo plate imager.
Thomas Klein, vice president flexo business, said, ‘Launched just 18 months ago, a hundred customers worldwide have already adopted the technology to achieve excellent – and at times, award-winning – flexo print quality results. With Full HD Flexo we broaden the range of substrates and applications upon which flexo printing can truly compete against any other print process. This is continuing evidence of Esko’s leadership in setting new flexo printing standards for quality and consistency.’
A number of Full HD Flexo users have received noteworthy awards over the past year, including the Supreme Award at the FlexoTech International Awards.
With Full HD Flexo, flexo platemaking has become a true ‘Computer to Plate’ process, eliminating lamination, films, and extra steps with light tables. No special consumables are needed, and it works with all popular digital flexo plates and sleeves. Press changeovers are faster and downtimes are reduced.
‘Full HD Flexo’s digital Inline UV exposure delivers quality and consistency, with no surprises. Plate imaging is extremely consistent from side to side, and human errors are reduced,’ said Agnaldo Moraes, technical commercial manager at DP Studio.
‘We created several Full HD Flexo samples and we were amazed with the quality of printing that we could offer the flexo market, meeting the needs and the increasing demands of our customers. Full HD Flexo plates can digitally control the tops of dots, with exceptional ’round top’ highlight dots along with the solid ability and stability of applying ink to flexo plates with ‘flat top dots’, all on the same plate,’ added Mr Moraes. ‘Full HD Flexo delivers superior quality highlights combined with exceptional solid ink printing that you see in gravure. We are able to offer our customers strong, vibrant colors in contrast with lighter shades with smooth transitions to zero.’
On flexible materials, the company achieves improved quality from solids and whites. With paperboard and corrugated stocks there is a reduction in the washboard effect caused by fluting. With higher line screens, they are able to migrate jobs from rotogravure printing, delivering excellent details and exceptional, smooth gradients when they print with special colours.
