How Esko’s Flexo Digital Imaging Technology Has Evolved to Meet Converter Needs

Rory Marsoun, global director of print excellence at Esko, discusses some of the latest digital imaging technology at the Flexo Technology Road Show in Philadelphia.

On an unseasonably warm day in October, packaging professionals convened at Yards Brewing Co. in Philadelphia for Esko’s Flexo Technology Road Show. Drawing about 20 packaging professionals from the region, the event highlighted how Esko’s flexographic technology has evolved over the past three decades, with a particular focus on the company’s latest developments.

According to Rory Marsoun, global director of print excellence at Esko, the first digital imager for flexo — the Esko Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) — debuted at drupa in 1995. In the intervening years, the speed and quality of this technology has improved greatly; for instance, Marsoun noted that screening at 4,000dpi, a resolution that is fairly standard for Esko today, first emerged in the mid-2000s.

Nipping any concerns of flexo’s continued viability in the bud, Marsoun said he’s only seen growth in flexo since the time he joined Esko’s business development team for the CDI in 2014.

“Anybody who says that flexo is dead or flexo is going away, is just completely wrong,” Marsoun said. “… What has happened is, yes, digital is there, there's other technologies there, but flexo has fought back against those other technologies. Flexo has really fought back against digital in terms of quality, in terms of efficiency, speed. And it's not just us, it's the press manufacturers with fast changeovers, all the new technologies that are out there. It allows us as an industry to still be relevant.”

CDI Crystal and XPS Crystal

Of Esko’s flexo products currently on the market, the CDI Crystal flexo plate imaging family and the accompanying XPS Crystal UV-LED exposure platform — both introduced in 2016 — are the newest.

The XPS in particular helps flexo converters save time and elevate plate quality, because it exposes the back mere seconds before the main exposure. Marsoun said the shorter length of time between exposures — what he called “dwell time” — means the finer elements will show up better, though it does increase the finished size of the dots.

The other piece that the XPS Crystal helps with is controlling dwell time to prevent inconsistencies that can occur during the traditional platemaking process.

“How would this happen? Well, a really smart idea that a lot of platemakers have, is: ‘I'm going to back-expose a bunch of plates right now, and then as the day goes on, I'm just going to grab that pre-back-exposed plate, and I'm going to image it, and then I'm going to main expose it,’” Marsoun said. “The problem with that is the first plate you make, the dwell is going to be 45 minutes. The next plate is going to be an hour and 45 minutes, and so on and so on. The last plate is a five-hour dwell. And there's going to be a dramatic difference between that first plate and the last plate. This is for real — we have customers who come to us and say, ‘Hey, we have what we call morning plates and we have afternoon plates, and the morning plates are way better than the afternoon plates.’”

To further prevent inconsistencies, the XPS Crystal uses LEDs instead of UV tubes, providing a more even output.

“The XPS — the beautiful thing about that is LED is very consistent,” Marsoun said, “... But every diode is slightly different — I’m not going to pretend like every diode is exactly the same — but we use a technology we call a kaleidoscope technology.” This technology uses mirrors within the UV head to “blend” the output of each diode together before it hits the plate.

And while using the CDI Crystal and XPS Crystal in tandem isn’t necessary — some converters choose to start with installing just the CDI — Marsoun said automating the duo is a significant benefit for flexo converters struggling to find and retain people who can manage the traditional flexo platemaking process. As he explained it, automating with the CDI/XPS system condenses 12 steps into one.

“Those two machines are designed to go together, and even if you don't automate it with the plate handler and all the technology, just having the CDI and the XPS there side by side enables you to just — if you do it manually — slide the plate from one machine to the other,” Marsoun said. “That prevents you from having to put it on a cart or pick it up, or however you move the plates. And that saves time, and then saves you from potentially damaging that plate.”

Time-Saving Software

Automation continues to be a major trend in the industry, and so Esko has prioritized incorporating time-saving tech into its product roadmap. For example, Print Control Wizard is the company’s intelligent print parameter software for Crystal Screening that cuts steps out of the platemaking process.

A sample created using Crystal V Screening, powered by Print Control Wizard

“Before we [had] Print Control Wizard, we're going to run a one-color test, and that's going to tell me what screening technology I need to use,” Marsoun explained. “Then once we have that, we can go back to press and run some docking targets, so then I can know what curves to use. Then once I have that, I'm going to go back to press and I'll run some color profiles or whatever. So that's a lot of making plates, a lot of measuring usually by hand — plotting curves and all these things.”

With Print Control Wizard — now in its latest version, Crystal V — converters get a walkthrough of the fingerprint process, plus help coming up with curves, deciding what screen to use, and even color profiles and color management with the newer versions, Marsoun said.

Crystal Screening creates smaller dots and handles curves better than previous Esko tech, which eliminates image graininess. Also, it uses the MCWSI pattern, which improves ink laydown, eliminates dot bridging — preventing the classic flexo halo from showing on prints — and cuts down on the need to stop and clean plates.

Kariahlyn Lindsey, flexo solutions specialist at Esko, does a live demo at the Flexo Technology Road Show in Philadelphia.

“One other thing that we haven't touched on with Print Control Wizard … is there is another component where it can integrate into Automation Engine,” Kariahlyn Lindsey, flexo solutions specialist at Esko, said. “So, by using the white setting, we can tell it, ‘hey, go to this designer ink book, and if I see white too, always choose this pattern,’ right? So again, you're pulling in automation to make these decisions for you, and ultimately drive less error down the road.”

Lindsey also noted that Print Control Wizard can run AM, FM, or hybrid screening, giving converters flexibility depending on the print environment and your plates.

CDI Quartz Technology

Attendees also got a briefing on Esko’s CDI Quartz, which has been proliferating in Europe and is now making its way into the North American flexo printing market. Compatible with Crystal technology, Quartz was developed to compete with and exceed rotogravure quality.

CDI Quartz features a dual optics system that leverages Optics V3+ — which Marsoun said has come standard on all Esko machines ordered in the past year — and the Quartz Optics technology.

Sample created with Esko's CDI Quartz technology.

Sample created with Esko's CDI Quartz technology.

Sample created with Esko's CDI Quartz technology.

Sample created with Esko's CDI Quartz technology.

Marsoun explained that the two optics systems complement each other: Quartz is slower than V3+ (4 sq. m./hr. versus 8 sq. m./hr.), but is designed to produce the absolute highest quality work because it has a higher frequency pattern at 2,000 lines per inch.

Plus, Quartz has an improved ink density (providing up to 20% ink savings) and is compatible with water-based inks, making it a sustainable option for flexo converters using Esko’s CDI Crystal. And because its quality rivals that of the less eco-friendly gravure process, converters can consider Quartz a viable alternative.

Sneak Peek: XPS Spark 4835

The event also offered an exclusive look at the XPS Spark 4835 flexo plate exposure unit, which was unveiled at Labelexpo Europe in mid-September. It has single-side UV-LED exposure and optional integrated UVA/UVC exposure. Its hands-on workflow and open parameter system allows for complete user control.

Its small footprint makes it a great fit for package printers and converters who are tight on space and who need precision, sustainability, and simplicity.

The XPS Spark 4835 will launch in the second half of 2026, Marsoun said, and will also be available in additional sizes.