Melbourne (Australia) - HD Flexo is the next big step in flexo. EskoArtwork, the world leader in digital imaging of flexo plates and sleeves is revolutionizing flexo platemaking with the introduction of HD Flexo, a system that combines High Definition (HD) optics along with unique screening technologies to take advantage of sharper and more accurate imaging. The HD Flexo solution is being introduced to the market in Australia at PacPrint, May 26-30.

Exceptional plates deliver outstanding printing

With HD Flexo, printers can reproduce the full tonal range of offset, while maintaining easy set-up and implementation in production by reducing the need to edit images in prepress. Meanwhile, the plates produced with HD Flexo deliver consistent print quality compared to conventional plates and can be used in longer press runs, resulting in better press uptime.

The flexo converter will notice many significant advantages with HD Flexo. The sharp detail in plates will produce high quality text and line art. With an exceptional dot structure and extraordinary screening, tints are smoother and easier to print. Meanwhile, there is a smooth vignette transition throughout the highlights to 'zero' and a high contrast in highlights and shadows without visible, hard edges.

HD-Flexo can be applied on a wide variety of digital plates-all without compromising quality or having to adapt prepress specifically for the printing process. It does not require a significant capital equipment investment; just an upgrade of existing, installed equipment. This technology will be available on new Cyrel Digital Imagers (CDI) and can be upgraded on all existing CDI systems.

Sustainable advantages

HD Flexo brings some significant sustainability benefits as well. With HD Flexo direct digital platemaking, there is no manual lamination plate. Thus, there is no film to dispose of once the plates have been imaged. And because HD Flexo technology will work with thermal plate processing, there is no need for solvents that could be environmentally damaging. Printers who work with plates generated from HD Flexo typically reduce the makeready materials required to get to acceptable color, resulting in much less waste.

"HD Flexo makes life easy for brand owners and print buyers without compromising quality," explains Jürgen Andresen, EskoArtwork Vice President, Flexo Business. "It also makes life easy for trade shops and converters because with a safe, high quality process, they can compete with offset or other printing techniques".

Highlights at PacPrint

Along with HD Flexo, at stand F40 EskoArtwork will be showing the Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) 4835 and the CDI 2120, live demonstrations of the latest Kongsberg i-XL series of digital cutting and finishing tables and EskoArtwork's complete portfolio of Design & Prepress software solutions including the new SignUp software for intelligent nesting of Signage & POP.