FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification Archives - Flexographic Technical Association

A Year to Remember: 2020 in Review

2020 brought challenges, changes and adaptations to flexography, flexographers and the industry FTA services and supports.

Three Individuals Honored with FTA President’s Award

As I kick off this announcement each year, I feel it’s important to remind everyone that the FTA President’s Award has been bestowed on a very diverse group of people since its inception in 1991. Admittedly, the criteria are very loose. This was a conscious decision made so that our team had the flexibility to … Continued

Flexography in 2019: Looking Back on What the Year Meant to FTA, FLEXO Magazine & the Industry

With each passing year, innovations in flexography continue to grow and expand, and this year was no exception. In 2019, flexography was once again a preeminent force. Attendees to events like INFOFLEX and Labelexpo Europe saw firsthand the new and upcoming technologies that are allowing companies to streamline processes, automate and become more competitive. Printers … Continued

Anilox Rolls for Coatings

When print designers of the past thought of adding value to the printing for a product, they thought about plate screens, color combinations and fineness of print. For many years, added value also meant hot-foil stamping, cold foil, couponing or some other downstream enhancement. Today, 4-color process—and to a large degree 7-color process—have become well-established, … Continued

Bringing the Year Together: FTA, Flexography & the Industry Continued to Grow in 2018

The phrase “Bringing It All Together” may have only applied to the four days of Forum 2018—after all, that was its official theme. But the idea extended both before and after the early May event, with flexographers seeing it play out during the entire year. From Forum and INFOFLEX in May, to Labelexpo Americas in … Continued

“FIRST in Motion”: Ink & Press

The Steps Taken to Optimize Crucial Parts of the Project & the Relevant Sections of FIRST to Follow This is the third installment in a series of articles chronicling the wide web, flexible packaging pouch job at the center of the Forum 2018 FIRST in Motion session. Other articles in the series include: FIRST in … Continued

Bay Tech Label Improved Work Methods & Problem Solving with FIRST Individual Certifications

Better communication, predictable results and less stress—Bay Tech Label Inc attributes these skills and more to Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST). With employees who have completed each FIRST Individual Certification, the company says it is better equipped to speak with customers and meet their evolving needs, with improved skills and work methods. “We … Continued

Best Label Co Sings the Praises of FIRST Individual Certifications & FIRST Company Certification

When FTA member Best Label Co decided to pursue FIRST Individual Certifications, it was for a simple reason: “Because statistical process control and printing to the numbers are essential,” recalls its General Manager John Crammer. As press operators, prepress personnel and implementation specialists at the company’s Union City, CA location achieved their individual certifications, it … Continued

FTA Member Autumn Graphics Uses FIRST Individual Certifications to Improve Employee Knowledge, Customer Interactions

Printing to the numbers, process control, color management—these are data-heavy concepts at the heart of Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST). But the numbers, equations and measurements are means to an end, and in getting to that end, it’s important to keep sight of basic questions, like “Why are we doing this” and “How … Continued

MacDermid Graphics Solutions Receives FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification

ATLANTA, GA—MacDermid Graphics Solutions, a leader in the manufacturing and marketing of flexographic printing plates, announced it is the first plate supplier to receive the Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST) Implementation Specialist Certification, Level III from FTA. FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification yields experts in flexographic printing support, consultation and communication, who are proficient … Continued