When a print job meets every brand requirement and the customer says it looks “amazing,” that’s usually a good sign.
Those were the initial reactions to the Vincent & Valerie Skincare Free Sample Envelope, printed by Heritage Envelopes. Judges in the 2022 FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards said much of the same, from a technical point of view.
“The degree of difficulty on this sample was very high,” they noted. “You’ve got a truly great color match, the registration is very tight and there’s a high lpi, plus a combination of AM and FM screening.”
The envelope went on to receive gold and Best of Show honors in its category. Here, Heritage Envelopes CEO Mark Sears talks through the job’s background, details and customer satisfaction.
FLEXO Magazine: How did this job begin? What were the concerns and demands the customer brought to you?
Mark Sears: The job began by the customer approaching us looking for a quality, tactile-finish envelope that would stand out and reflect their product on delivery.
FLEXO: In evaluating the job, what did you identify as potential obstacles or difficulties?
Sears: There are several areas we consider when looking at a job like this.
Firstly, it is the quality of the materials being used, whether it be the paper, ink or plates—even down to the anilox rolls that will be needed. We also take into account the lining up and positioning for register of the three separate areas being used (CYMK print stack, the double lacquer section and then finally the embossing unit).
FLEXO: How did your press operators go about executing the job and meeting the customer’s requirements?
Sears: We have a simple workflow system in place that we use on all our jobs. This is a step-by-step guide starting with the cleaning of the machine and ending with the finished product. If this is followed, we should get the same results every time.
FLEXO: Talk about some of the significant technologies used in printing the job: What press was used? What plates and imaging equipment were used? What inks and substrates were used? What screening technology was used? Were any special effects or embellishments added? How did you apply targets and tolerances to the job? FIRST (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances) practices and methodologies?
Sears: We used our new W&D 628 machine with two separate print stacks and a standalone embossing unit. We run Cheshire Anilox Technology MaxFlo anilox rolls. These have been supplied to us with the spec we found gave us the best results after doing banded trials, first to get the volume and then the correct line count. We currently run ink from Siegwerk UK and this job ran on matte coated paper.
Other specifics of the job:
- DuPont ESX (Easy) plates
- Esko CDI at 4,000 dpi, exposure on Esko Crystal XPS
- Combination of AM and FM screening
- Pattern gloss varnish and embossing
- Printed to ISO-12467-2 standard
- We ran to bespoke specifications, attained from the calibration process
FLEXO: Running the actual job: What speed did you run the press at? Were there any notable aspects of makeready and setup?
Sears: No notable aspects of either makeready or setup. The press ran this job at 700 epm.
FLEXO: Examining the final print: How did your team feel about its color and consistency? What about its future repeatability and predictability?
Sears: We were very happy with the outcome of this job, which was remarkably consistent from start to finish. During this run, the ink checks and densities were checked at half-hour intervals to ensure quality remained the same throughout.
We also complete a report form for every 4-color job we produce, including all the details of everything used along with several samples of the completed envelope. Given our experience, we know that if the same routine is followed, we will get the same results.
FLEXO: What was the customer’s reaction to seeing the printed job?
Sears: The customer’s reaction on seeing the job was that it looked amazing and hit everything identified in the initial brief.
FLEXO: How can recognition in the FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards help to win new business?
Sears: The recognition we received in the 2022 FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards is a brilliant accolade and it will give confidence to any new customer that we produce high-quality envelopes and have an award to prove this fact.
See all the 2022 Excellence in Flexography Awards recipients.