January 2000 Issue
Bankrollers
Anilox roll in anufacturers are investing for now and later, while cleaning technologies take on tomorrow's higher line counts. by Susan Friedman A boy scout mentality pervades the anilox roll industry, where it could be said that the time-worn motto, "Be prepared," has definitely taken root. The flood of recent facility expansions and equipment investments illustrates suppliers' collective decision to keep a ready hand in present and future roll manufacturing methods. As new coating and engraving philosophies continue to assert themselves, ruling a technology out too quickly could leave a manufacturer down and out. CTS President Doug Collins explains anilox roll suppliers have
Basic Flowchart
Water-based inks remain the overall favorite, but UV-, solvent-, and soy-based inks all retain solid usage niches. by Susan Friedman The objective of the third annual packagePRINTING ink usage survey was simple: Take a back-to-basics look at how solvent-based, water-based, UV, and soy-based inks are faring amid package printers' growing number of substrates, specialized and combination printing needs, and environmental concerns. packagePRINTING asked converters to indicate their ink preferences according to print process and end use. Respondents, speaking from all three major package printing sectors, offered up a blend of selections that illustrate united pockets of need with widely divided issues and applications. Looks
Opting for CTP
Implementing CTP may be viewed as a technological journey whose length and destination depend on your operation's starting point. by Terri McConnell Since its phenomenal debut at DRUPA in 1995, computer-to-plate (CTP) technology has been integrated into the daily routines of printers across nearly every commercial and packaging application. Why? Because the benefits of imaging directly to the printing plate surface from digital data are irrefutable. Digitally imaged plates carry sharper dots and are capable of delivering a wider color gamut. They register better on press. They are free of pinholes and the effects of light diffusion associated with analog film-based plate production. CTP
Taking A Second Look at FIRST'
The second edition of Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances includes nine sections of new guidelines. Will more printers take the plunge and implement it? by Susan Friedman If there's an earthquake, scientists look to the Richter scale to gauge its magnitude. If there's a flexo job in the works, the FFTA hopes printers will turn just as automatically to FIRST (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances) for concrete technical indicators. The FIRST guidelines, originally released as a 95-page booklet in November '97, are designed to improve flexo quality and consistency, reduce cycle time, control costs, and put flexo on a level (or better)
