Eastman Kodak, Graphic Communications Group

Flexographic printing quality has been approaching that of gravure for some time now. Although it has been attractive to printers due to its lower price point than gravure printing, one of flexo’s shortfalls has always been that its quality is not at the same level as gravure. Trisoft Graphics, Inc. (www.trisoftco.com)—a digital prepress and graphic design company serving the packaging industry since 1993—recently installed a new flexographic platemaking system it expects to use to produce flexographic printing plates that, when employed, will rival gravure’s quality.

Kodak has expanded its solutions for the packaging industry through its acquisition of certain assets of NuPro Technologies, Inc., a company specializing in processing chemistries and solvent reclamation equipment for flexographic printing.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Trisoft Graphics, Inc.—a digital prepress and graphic design company headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif.—recently installed a KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System to more effectively meet the quality demands of its customer base.

“The conference agenda addresses the myriad of issues and approaches to help participants understand and install sustainable procedures in difficult economic times,” said Harvey Levenson, head of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department. Because of the need to assist the graphic communication industry to ‘reinvent’ itself and grow in light of economic cutbacks, the conference will focus on ‘Being Lean, Green and Profitable in a Shrinking Economy.’

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—A new video titled “The Pathway to Prosperity, Choosing a Career in the Graphic Communication Industry,” designed to promote the advantages of a career in the field, features “Ben Franklin” (played by well-known Franklin character actor Ralph Archbold) and Jeff Hayzlett, chief business development officer and vice president, Eastman Kodak Company.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Kodak speakers are participating in several programs designed to educate and enlighten graphic communications professionals at Graph Expo, Oct. 26-29 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The show will offer a variety of free seminars, which are open to all attendees. Mark Weber, vice president, marketing, Electrophotographic Printing Solutions, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, presents “Take Your Business to New Dimensions” on Sunday, Oct. 26, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. in Room S404bc, South Hall, Level 4. Weber will provide insights on some of the latest techniques for expanding digital printing capabilities and increasing revenue potential. “Marketers and others who communicate with print continually strive to

Printed electronics is the new hot topic in Silicon Valley—it enables the printing of circuits, displays, sensors, batteries, and solar cells which have many new attributes not seen before in conventional electronics, attributes such as electronics that are flexible, laminar, stretchable, lightweight, cheaper or which can be made in very large areas. The newspaper that has a moving display; skin patches which automate delivery of drugs; the bill board poster that is a digital display; the package that senses when you take your medication; plastic solar cells. These are all products available today thanks to printed electronics. The world’s biggest chemical, printing, electronics, and

ROSEMONT, Ill.—Despite the current unstable economic situation, Labelexpo Americas—which took place in Rosemont, Ill., Sept. 9-11—still saw a good turnout, with numbers exceeding 12,000. By the end of the show, more than 80 percent of the exhibition space had already been rebooked for Labelexpo Americas 2010. The show saw 420 national and international suppliers bringing their latest developments in technology and materials to demonstrate to the North American market. There were many new presses launched by market leaders: Nilpeter introduced its new FG-line of UV flexo presses; Mark Andy unveiled the Comco C1 ProGlide and demonstrated its updated XP5000 shaftless press. EFI Jetrion

Labelexpo Americas 2008 should have left little doubt in attendees’ minds that digital printing has made major inroads in the package-printing market. This influx is not necessarily representative of other print processes losing market share. Rather, digital printing’s emergence can be attributed to changes in brand owner preferences for shorter runs and the recent surge in regional packaging. Ken Stack, vice president/general manager of EFI Jetrion, stated in his presentation at Labelexpo that four factors are driving label printers toward digital printing: targeted marketing, localization, time to market, and the supply chain. All four factors cause brand owners to migrate toward shorter print runs.

In both conventional printing and package-printing environments, the term “workflow” denotes the steps in an end-to-end production process designed to yield a specified product. In commercial environments, these steps include trapping, screening, RIPing, imposition, color management, proofing, and platemaking, in addition to other labor-intensive front-end tasks. Package printing adds layers of complexity, due largely to combining graphical and structural information in a single, production-ready file, as well as to handle innumerable matched inks and varnishes, step-and-repeat, and a variety of packaging-specific production challenges. Workflow integration is playing an increasingly important role in decision making for consumer product companies (CPCs) and retailers concerned with