Water Ink Technologies

Package printers want ink options for less, according to the 2004 packagePRINTING Annual Ink Usage Survey. by Kate Sharon PACKAGE PRINTERS WANT one ink supplier with superior products, and plenty of options, at bargain prices, according to the 2004 packagePRINTING Annual Ink Usage Survey. That's not a novel concept, but it's one of many areas where 2004's survey results differed from last year's. Other areas where most of this year's respondents had a different point of view than last year's included the most important ink issues and capabilities, and what specialty inks they employ. With help from industry ink suppliers, packagePRINTING set out

As the quality of metallic inks improve, their roles in package printing are greatly expanding. LIKE HOWARD CARTER, who unearthed the sparkling splendor of King Tutankhamen's tomb 81 years ago, package printers are discovering a valuable glimmering brilliance of their own: metallic inks. The shiny, eye-catching inks have been used for years due to their ability to make packages stand out on store shelves and to create a certain air about packages. Gold inks pop off the shelf and give a look of tradition and richness. Silver inks give a similar appeal, and can also make the product appear cutting edge

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 2001 TLMI Awards bestows its highest stamp of approval on a flexo process promotional label by Valley Forge Tape & Label. by Susan Friedman, Editor PEEL AWAY The trappings, and the big winner in the 2001 Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) Awards looks a little familiar. "Once again, flexography took Best of Show," enthuses Steve Lee, VP/director of technical support at RotoMetrics and chair of the TLMI's Awards Competition Committee. Valley Forge Tape & Label's coup of this year's Best of Show honor, achieved with "Stamp Out Hunger," a flexo process promotional label, follows Adams Label & Tag's capture of top accolades

Industry experts weigh in on the who, what, when, where, and why of the post-cure process. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor THE APPARENT "chemistry mystery" occurring after a UV ink is cured significantly impacts the appearance of a finished printed product. Supplier sleuthing has led to these conclusions: WHAT is (and what isn't) post-cure? Though used throughout the industry, the term "post-cure," in many cases, is technically a misnomer. Rob Stendahl, corporate technical support supervisor for Akzo Nobel, clarifies: "Post cure only takes place with cationic UV-curable inks. The more common type of UV inks is cured through a UV-induced free radical polymerization

McCoy Packaging's "Kuleto Villa" wine label poured on enough printing charm to ace two categories and capture Best of Show honors in packagePRINTING's 15th annual Excellence Awards. by Susan Friedman, Editor If McCoy Packaging's Best of Show-winning strategy was to forge an indelible impression in the judge's minds, it succeeded, hands down. McCoy's "Kuleto Villa" wine label repeatedly stood up to its competitors in packagePRINTING's 2001 Excellence Awards, initially nabbing first place in the Labels—Flexo (Process) category, where judges singled it out as a difficult printing, diecutting, and embossing job well executed. "[This label] holds beautiful register at 175 line screen," commented judge Roy

packagePRINTING congratulates the winners of the 2000 TLMI Awards Competition, offering a special toast to Adams Label & Tag for its Best of Show-winning wine label. By Susan Friedman, Editor The 267 North American and International entries in the 2000 TLMI Awards Competition bested last year's entry draw by 33 percent—making victory even sweeter for this year's honorees. "We were glad to see the increased amount of entries," says RotoMetrics' Steve Lee, chair of the Awards Competition Committee. Quantity was up, but so was overall quality, illustrated in part by the definitive rise in multi-process label entries. "There was lots of good competition," states

Labels—Flexo (Line) First Place LSK Label Co. El Dorado Hills, CA M.G. Vallejo 750 ml Press: Gallus/Arsoma EM-280 Plates: DuPont Cyrel Anilox Rolls: Harper Dies: CompuDie Substrate: Technicote Ink: Akzo Nobel Judges' Comments: Nice combination of flexo printing with foil stamping/embossing. The sharpness of this entry's line work stood out. Second Place MPI Label Systems Stockton, CA Island Essentials Sunblock Press: Mark Andy 2200 Plates: DuPont Anilox Rolls: Harper Dies: Avis RotoDie Substrate: Fasson Ink: INX International Third Place Tape & Label Engineering St. Petersburg, FL Spring Valley Brewer's Yeast Press: Mark Andy 4150 Plates: DuPont Cyrel Dies: RotoMetrics Substrate: Green Bay Ink: Water