Wikoff Color Corp.

News on suppliers to the packaging printing industry, including items from Mondi Americas, HP and Labelexpo, Eskom Xeikon, OEC Graphics, Goss and Schawk.

Flexographic Trade Services held its two-day Open House event at its facility here earlier this month, which included more than 20 table-top displays from many of the industry's leading suppliers, the majority of which have been vendor sponsors since the trade school was established in 2000.

A new study by FocalPoint Consulting finds that ultraviolet- and electron-beam (UV/EB) technologies have the potential to reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas releases by up to 90 percent. Ronald Golden, Ph.D., founder and principal of FocalPoint, will present FocalPoint findings at uv.eb WEST 2013, February 26-27, 2013 in Redondo Beach, CA.

Wikoff Color has tapped Todd Ratigan, branch manager; and Fred Regacho, sales manager, to spearhead its new branch in Sacramento, CA. The new facility was opened to better serve Wikoff's customers on the West Coast.

Since the last drupa held in 2008 the suppliers of digital solutions have become even more important and reflect the mega-trend of digitization. In six halls, drupa 2012, held at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany, will show everything concerning digital printing, workflow, or Web-to-print applications, just to name some important examples.

The TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) presented Supplier of the Year honors to Pat Hague, ink industry executive, and Environmental Leadership Awards to Pasadena, Calif.-based Avery Dennison and Rochester, N.Y.-based Label World.

What can’t UV and EB (electron beam) inks do? They cure fast. They allow for high print quality. They’re nice to look at. And, they’re kind to Mother Nature. No wonder they are becoming common in the package-printing industry. According to Don Duncan, director of research, Wikoff Color Corporation, more than 90 percent of all EB inks and at least half of all UV inks are used in packaging. “As it relates to UV offset inks, the newer ink technologies have a wider operating window, which allows UV offset printers to print using very high screens without having issues relative to water-balance. New UV

INK IS THE colorful part of the package-printing process. Metallics, phosphorescents, pearlescents, fluorescents—ink is often the most eye-catching component of packaging. That may be why, even in the face of rising production and product prices, the ink industry saw growth in 2005. For the last two years, ink manufacturers have had to boost the price of their products between 5-15 percent, with some offerings soaring as much as 30 percent. While some of the price hikes appear to be exorbitant, it's what ink companies have had to do to sustain margins and survive. At the root of this problem is the escalating cost of

RadTech is moving toward making sure UV/EB inks are safe for use in food packaging. Is everyone ready for what this may bring? EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT a fast-paced world it is out there. e-mail has made written communications instantaneous, credit cards have made spending money (you don't have) easier than ever, and some cars are now built to cruise at 180 mph. One other technology that seems to have been developed to save people time is the inception of prepackaged food stuffs. Consumers can quickly grab a packet of rice or noodles from their pantry and have a quick meal in minutes. But

FORT MILL, S.C.—Wikoff Color Corporation has purchased the assets of Frontier Printing Inks, a leading Canadian manufacturer of quality printing inks for the flexible packaging, label, fine paper and paperboard markets. Established in 1951, Frontier Printing Inks has many years of experience developing performance-based printing inks for flexographic and gravure printing. The company has enjoyed particular success in the flexible packaging market through an ongoing commitment to product development and technical service. Frontier Printing Inks has 80 employees and four manufacturing plants in three Canadian provinces: two in Ontario, one in British Columbia and one in Quebec. One of the two Ontario plants is