FLEXO FLASHBACK: 1996

Future focused flexographers took to our pages in large numbers in 1996, as the magazine celebrated 20 years in print and the industry embraced calls to differentiate and capitalize on any and every competitive advantage possible.

Common ground was explored whenever and wherever feasible:

• Color was a concern
• Controls were being emphasized
• Compliance requirements were changing business strategies
• Printers were stepping up and becoming agents of change
• Efficiency topped the list of critical issues demanding everybody’s attention

Forecasts were favorable. Optimism prevailed. Specifications, standards and scientific approaches to advancing the quality of package print first came into vogue. FLEXO documented the actions of trendsetters and trailblazers and reported on the major movements and highly regarded technological advancements that served to shape the industry.

Right out of the gate, in January, Bruce Riddell, Donald Voas, Fran Moscardelli, Dave Horsman and Chip Schiffenhaus penned views on coming trends. Riddell saw narrow web going wide and wide web going narrow, and asked, “Why?” The answer—shorter runs.

Moscardelli indicated that, “If we keep improving on our process efficiencies, buy smart and sell smart, the future of flexo in folding cartons is a bright one.”

Horsman opined, “The effects that strict guidelines regarding scanning of Universal Product Codes will have on the flexographic industry are very far reaching. It will force the printer to become a great deal more knowledgeable about UPC symbology. This will cause the printer and designer to have much more serious dialogue than they do traditionally regarding this little symbol. Therefore, they will achieve a better understanding of each other’s tasks and lots in life. It will make flexographic printers even better printers, and force us to adopt a much more scientific approach to printing, due to the risks of falling behind in this technology. This will narrow the gap between flexo, gravure and litho.”

Voas hinted at what would become Flexographic Technical Association’s core strategies. “Traditional flexographers cling to what they do best, while astute competitors analyze and adjust short and long range plans to take advantage of new technology and a changing marketplace.”

He noted that press size had become a controversial topic and said that a new breed of mid size flexo presses, which allows for fast setup and high quality, has been introduced. “Line color consistency and technology advancements are causing a number of package printers to replace older, large sheetfed offset equipment with new mid size web fed flexo presses capable of inline cutting, creasing, lamination, cold seal, etc.”

FIRST’S Foundation
More to the point, was this statement: “Flexography, with its diversity of markets, press configurations, substrates, inks, plates, anilox rolls, etc., needs to identify common, general and specific achievable production targets and tolerances in a way that will increase print quality, consistency, speed, cost savings, color matching, accuracy, etc. The industry needs to document flexo specifications in order to distinguish our requirements from the predominant offset litho process.

“Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST) is expected to become as important to flexographers and our customers as Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) is to lithographers.”

Those observations prompted an announcement that Jeff Randazzo would lead FTA’s Specification Committee. It evolved into FIRST.

Voas elaborated on his earlier comment: “With virtually all prepress art being generated digitally today, the logical step is to develop software and correlation curves to produce higher digital proofs which show text, image placement, color break, trapping and a true color representation of flexo production… Establishment and adoption of FIRST guidelines are key steps in documenting data, which can be used to develop a realistic, meaningful flexo proof.”

Schiffenhaus also alluded to key elements of FTA’s charter. “Advances in flexographic print quality will be made because our industry will continue to invest in the training of our people and our future employees. The proliferation of educational institutions on both college and high school levels, that have started flexo printing curriculums, are a testament to our understanding that training continues to be a critical issue. Training will forever be the hot button issue and for good reason.”

Notable Debuts
Thin plate technology made its debut. Advantages were explored by John P. Jones, Charles E. Dye, Jr. and John Murkin. They cited tighter process controls and the evolution to higher line screens as counted among promising benefits.

FTA’s Technical Innovation Award made its debut with FIT Group winning for its AUTOFlex inker coater.  June’s issue examined runners up: PCMC’s Vision press, Harper Corporation of America’s Echotopography, DuPont’s single head video drill, BST Promark’s Bar Code Monitoring with ANSI Grading, Polycello’s laser engraved process plates, Professional Computer Corporations’ digital proof, SICPA’s Envirowash and Sigma Chemical’s automated plate workflow.

Experts & Evaluations
From inks and substrates to environmental regulations and compliance procedures, to best practices and in plant experiences, FLEXO’s authors offered their take on all that was happening in 1996 and what it might mean for the industry. Specifically:

• Discount Labels converted 68 flexographic printing lines from solvent based to water based ink in one year and offered a step by step guide to how it was accomplished
• Fred Shapiro put out a primer on conducting a flexo environmental audit
• Wayne Tusa commented on ISO 1400 and its fit in the printing industry
• Philip E. Barnes wrote on understanding and deploying an environmental management system
• Stephen Bergman painted a how to portrait on evaluating inks in partnership with EPA, saying, “The Design for the Environment Flexography project promises printers information about solvent based water based and UV flexo inks”

Other noteworthy features and the contributors associated with highly relevant topics list out as follows:

• Kurt Hudson tackled UV/EB and thermal/EB hybrid processing
• R.L. Bedard addressed paper coating formulations
• Michael Impastato talked to pigments and their performance
• Richard Grandke wrote of next generation polymer
• Ray Turnball discussed video web inspection and what it is all about
• Dennis J. Gaber cited advantages to laminating in the fast lane
• Thomas Roddy highlighted benefits of direct digital plate making
• Sue Barkis strategized on tactical design in packaging and its evolution
• Dennis Mehta declared, “Electronic prepress has changed the way flexo production is performed”
• Dieter Langendorf acknowledged, “The ability to print infinitely variable repeats gives flexo an edge over gravure and offset printing”
• Michael J. Duffy forecasted, “Web flexo will be the major technology for the folding carton industry”

Measure, Control, Grow
Bill Ceperich explained how flexibility brings flexo ongoing success. “Changing packaging requirements, accompanied by the sheer demands of certain products, such as labels, continue to provide an additional impetus to expand the capabilities of the flexographic industry, pushing flexo printing to new heights,” he declared. “The biggest improvements in the flexographic printing segment of the graphic arts industry have come from improvements in the flexographic process itself, specifically in the ability to measure, control and improve the capability of the presses.”

Hans Deamer also saw a bright future ahead and cautioned, “Growing demand for print will stimulate more flexographic development. It is essential that our industry continue to aggressively look for new ways to make flexo even more cost effective and efficient, while continuing to push quality levels to their highest limits.”

Three decades later, what was said in FLEXO‘s pages in 1996 remains relevant today.  —Robert Moran, Publisher