Gallus Inc.

For narrow-web press manufacturers, slender is the way to go. by Joy English, Assistant Editor IN THE UNITED States, it seems as though almost everything comes in super-sized proportions, from french fries and sodas to trashbags and toilet paper. But increased numbers do not necessarily equate to increased value. Narrow-web press suppliers will agree. They are offering converters a "super-sized" value, without the extra inches. And converters looking for short-run flexibility with quick changeovers are finding that narrow-web presses are opening the door to increased flexibility and more options. Narrowing the field Narrow-web presses, generally less than 24˝ wide, are making short-runs and

Narrow-web label converters looking to expand into flexible packaging may want to consider press retrofitting as a first step—but there are tradeoffs. Imagine this: your first car is a '92 Ford Mustang, two-door with an obnoxious red interior. While it met your initial driving needs, you are ready for something better—a little extra power, a CD player, and maybe a sun roof. While right now purchasing a new car would be a real stretch, you know you can get some, but not all, of what you want by upgrading what you have. Converters running narrow-web presses designed for pressure-sensitive labels are facing a similar

Experts say much of narrow-web flexo's growth lies in films, but converters must carefully choose technological tactics to combat the competition. "Paper or plastic?" used to be a standard question grocery shoppers would hear on their way through the checkout line. These days, many store clerks don't even bother to ask for a preference. Plastic bags have captured more than three-quarters of the grocery and convenience store market, and are often the only type of bag seen at the checkout. The grocery bag debate has long been closed, but "paper or plastic?" is becoming an ever-more-burning question for printers in

Brand owners need to think hard about developing appropriate anti-counterfeiting strategies, Gadi Hoenig told a group of packaging professionals at PackExpo Chicago 2002. Hoenig is general manager of Tadbik Advanced Technologies, an Israel-based sister company of Logotech, which is a converter of pressure-sensitive labels in Fairfield, N.J. Working together, the two companies produce security packaging for some of the largest national and international names in the world. "Logotech represents all of Tadbik's technology in the United States," says Hoenig. "And one trend I've noticed is an increased use of latent images in packaging." He explains that latent images are embedded in graphics or the

These products and companies were the most sought-after in 2002 by packagePRINTING readers. Top 10: Prepress Equipment 1. Creo—PDF-based packaging workflow Prinergy Powerpack, copydot scanning systems, film imagers, and CtP devices 2. Agfa—Workflow and color management systems including the AgfaScan XY-15 Plus, Sherpa 43 Inkjet system, and Lithostar plates 3. Kodak Polychrome Graphics—Offers Digital and conventional plates, film, and proofing and color technologies including the Kodak Approval XP unit 4. BASF—Offers Nyloflex® and Nyloprint® equipment combinations for processing photopolymer flexo and letterpress plates and sleeves 5. MacDermid—Broad range of sheet, liquid, digital, and water-wash photopolymer plates, platemaking equipment, sleeves,

WITH WINTER WEATHER firmly in place, warmth is something that is on everyone's mind. Here's something that is sure to add some heat to 2004. packagePrinting has put together a collection of the hot products of 2004. In categories including prepress, presses, press accessories, substrates, and inks/adhesives, converters can get a glimpse of the latest package-printing products. Prepress Creo Creo's HyperFlex™ screening is new technology aiding in the formation of smaller dots on a photopolymer flexo plate. It provides a thicker foundation of photopolymer material that allows a smaller minimum dot size to be formed and held throughout the print process. DuPont

The printing possibilities on combination presses has a variety of end-users looking for more out of their applications. by Sean Riley, Associate Editor THE WORD IS now out on combination printing and customers are clamoring to their converters for more mileage out of their package printing. They want packaging that leaps off of store shelves and contains as much color, style, and information as is possible to produce. Combination narrow web presses have been at the forefront in fulfilling these needs quite well, but printers have found that their customers are insatiable when it comes to the combo process. Buyers from new markets

Top-Quality Printing Narrow-web flexo presses incorporate a variety of features that 'set the stage' for superior print quality. THIS YEAR'S JUDGING for packagePRINTING's Excellence Awards had the judges working overtime. The reason: the overall quality of the entries was just so good, virtually each entry had to be analyzed with a fine-tooth comb. Nowhere was this more evident than in the flexographic printing categories. It's obvious that the design improvements incorporated into today's flexo presses are being put to good use in the package printing industry. As usual, it is not just one upgrade that does the job, but a series of well-engineered

Though UV flexo threatens widespread letterpress longevity, suppliers and printers insist it will survive. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor JUST HOW FAR along is the industry's migration from letterpress? And will UV flexo-fondness lead to the complete disappearance of the letterpress label? In an informal poll conducted on the pP Web site, while many respondents predicted letterpress would be phased out within ten years, a majority believed the process would always be in use. For Ko-Pack International customers, the primary letterpress investment has been additional equipment for capacity, notes Sales Director Gerry Nigg. He believes letterpress presses will benefit from incorporation of

Fiscal anxiety may lead converters to delay press investments and additions. See below for a guide to narrow-web press series and their respective levels of investment. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor THE "WAIT AND SEE" mentality has descended upon the narrow-web print set and its purse strings. While press manufacturers continued to heighten the graphic sophistication level of narrow-web presses in 2001 with improved press models, many converters may not consider capitalizing on those technology gains until the economic picture comes into focus. Relatively, the narrow-web market is in a much better boat than many other printer segments. Printing Industries of America's (PIA)