CRAMLINGTON, England—“From a procurement perspective—and even a supply perspective—flexo is winning. When one of the really large brands switches to flexo, the world will shift.”
Andrew Hewitson, co-founder and business development director of UK flexographic prepress house Reproflex 3, is talking about an approaching tipping point when he confidently expects the flexographic process to get the recognition it deserves after a decade of technological refinements and enhancements. “The rate at which flexo is winning converts, especially from gravure, is gaining pace,” he continued. “There’s wide acceptance that flexo can do the job, particularly when it comes to sustainability, which is brand owners’ biggest concern now.”
From its base in north east England, Reproflex 3 has done its share of spreading the flexography word, both geographically and technologically. Expanding overseas to reduce dependence on the intensely competitive UK market, the company has established successful presences in the UAE and India and partnerships with likeminded prepress specialists in the US and—most recently—Italy.
Technologically, Reproflex 3 is best known for its Project Blue solution, launched in 2016. Based on the groundbreaking Kodak FLEXCEL NX System, Project Blue optimizes ink delivery and image consistency by linking superior color separations, differentiated screening, patented plate patterning and specially-designed anilox rollers. The combination delivers outstandingly vibrant and consistent ultra-high definition output, produced at maximum press speeds and within a standard 4-color ink palette.
Project Blue also provides the technology platform for BlueEdge, the first product to result from Reproflex 3’s collaboration with Z DUE. Available exclusively from Z DUE, BlueEdge does everything Project Blue does, but has been adapted by the two partners to meet the requirements of the Italian corrugated postprint market, in which Z DUE has a strong presence (Reproflex 3 specializes in flexible packaging for blue-chip FMCG brands.)
Reproflex 3 and Z DUE owe their partnership directly to their participation in the Global Flexo Innovation Awards, introduced in 2018 to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Kodak Flexcel NX System. At the Istanbul awards ceremony, both companies won Gold Awards for outstanding examples of flexographically printed packaging but, just as importantly, laid the foundations of their present collaboration.
Andrew Hewitson described both companies as “artisans, in the best sense of the word. By this I mean that we both have a real enthusiasm for our craft. We both take pride in developing practical solutions. In Istanbul, we weren’t alone in this because, without exception, all the winners were true artisans. That was one of the real positives we took away from the awards.”
Project Blue and BlueEdge are products of that artisan mindset. “We take technology and put our own stamp on it” is how Hewitson describes Reproflex 3’s business model. He adds that key to the company’s continued growth is the idea of finding “headroom—the space where we can innovate and add value. If you don’t do that you risk becoming a commodity producer.”
The latest example of this philosophy in action—VORTEX—is currently in beta-testing and is the subject of high hopes for both Reproflex 3 and Z DUE. “Vortex has enormous potential because it addresses a wider market than ProjectBlue,” explained Hewitson. “By its very nature, Project Blue isn’t for everybody. To get the best results from Project Blue, the printer not only has to print at the very highest quality, with the highest consistency, but also maintain the process to the highest standard. There is a market sector for this application but not all printers are ready, but there are many more that want to start on the path towards Project Blue. Vortex is for those businesses: it’s about using and adapting screening technology and a 360 advanced color certification solution to help them increase their quality, step by step. Together with our partners, we are very excited about approaching the wider market in all regions with the VORTEX solution soon.”
Both Reproflex 3 and Z DUE are in the process of deciding what to enter in the 2020 Global Flexo Innovation Awards, which are now organized by Miraclon, the new home (since 2019) of Kodak FLEXCEL Solutions.