ROCHESTER, N.Y., - For 25 years, Cosalco has been serving Costa Rica and Central America as a leading distributor of flexographic printing and packaging solutions. The company recently celebrated this 25-year milestone with a three-day event on May 23-25 that featured a variety of educational presentations from its partners in flexo presses, plates, materials, inks, and related products.

Dr. John Anderson, Packaging Segment Director for the Americas, Kodak, kicked off the event as keynote speaker, talking about trends in the flexo market and the advantages of Kodak's packaging portfolio. Anderson described Kodak's integrated approach for flexo customers, including professional services, portal products, workflow, and proofing for offset, digital and flexo solutions. He also talked about the award-winning KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System and the recently introduced KODAK FLEXCEL NX Wide System.

"We have seen notable changes in technology over the past 25 years in serving packaging trade shops and commercial printers," said Alvaro Lopez, President of the Cosalco Group. "Making investments in new cutting-edge technologies, such as the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, has empowered printers to bring additional value to their clients around the world, and in doing so, to their businesses as well."

"This was a great event with a very international lineup of speakers from the Americas and Europe, and it was a great honor to support Cosalco, which focuses on building long-term partnerships and providing the best possible solutions to their customers in a world that too often is focused on the quick sale," noted Anderson. "I have worked with Cosalco for quite some time now, and enjoy talking to their customers and hearing firsthand what the FLEXCEL NX System and Cosalco have done to help them grow their business. It's an exciting time with lots of growth in flexible packaging in the Central American region."

The FLEXCEL NX System is a complete solution for digital platemaking that enables users to truly push the boundaries of flexo printing. The system uses a unique combination of advanced imaging technology and materials science to produce plates that deliver outstanding on-press performance. The FLEXCEL NX System enables customers to grow their business through differentiated print quality; reduce costs through production efficiencies; and support sustainability goals through reduced waste.

The FLEXCEL NX Wide System delivers all the features and benefits of the current FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System in a larger format-up to 42 inches by 60 inches-allowing printers and trade houses to produce a wider range of package sizes or increase efficiency though the ability to optimize job layout on one plate. The FLEXCEL NX System, including the new FLEXCEL NX Wide System, dramatically increases the quality and efficiency of flexographic printing, for applications including tags and labels, folding cartons, and flexible packages, while also offering improved productivity and predictability on press.

KODAK DIGICAP NX Screening is an award-winning addition to the FLEXCEL NX System that elevates the visual impact and efficiency of flexographic printing to a new level. Its application to KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plates enables customers to achieve significantly higher print densities, smoother solid area ink coverage, and expanded color gamut with process printing.

"Our customers rely on us for our expertise and our relationships with leading suppliers such as Kodak," added Lopez. "This event was our way of giving back to our customers, and helping them to gain more insight into the market trends and opportunities for growth. It's been an exciting 25 years in our business, and we look forward to many more."