Mike Polkinghorne

Demand for screen retrofits multiplies as printers look to satisfy process-savvy manufacturers. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor WHILE THERE IS no easy-out clause when adopting a new print method, screen retrofits allow printers to make a significantly smaller leap of faith (and finance). And with manufacturers gaining awareness of its unique benefits, job-specific or brand-specific requests for screen will make the retrofit an even more appealing option. Path of less resistance Screen printing, in its nature, is a more niche-oriented process. As Gary Teeter, after market applications engineer for Mark Andy explains, "Printers likely to retrofit…are typically looking to expand production capabilities in

Despite the many benefits of UV flexo technology, industry insiders are hesitant to treat it as the package printing cure-all. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor THE BIG BUZZ surrounding UV flexo printing has abated slightly over the last year or two. The process' benefits —improved print resolution, less makeready time and waste, better adhesion to film substrates—have been well publicized. But with developments in water-based flexo, suppliers and converters alike have begun to wonder exactly what share of the package print pie UV flexo merits. So what to make of UV flexo's mantra of rivaling offset? From its first appearance on the industry scene,