Gent (Belgium), April 2005 – Esko-Graphics, the world leader in digital imaging of flexo plates, announces that it has introduced Inline UV Main Exposure, a revolutionary new concept in digital flexo platesetting. The technology allows digital flexo plates to be exposed at the same time they are imaged, rather than requiring separate exposure on a light frame. The technology, presented during the recent FFTA Annual Forum in Orlando last month, will be available in Cyrel Digital Imagers (CDI) in the third quarter of 2005. Esko-Graphics introduced the first flexo computer-to-plate imaging device at DRUPA in 1995. In the ensuing years, Esko-Graphics has continued to be leading digital flexographic imaging technology development and implementation - for both plate and sleeve imaging. The Esko-Graphics CDI family of CtP solutions fits the size needs of the narrow, mid and wide web flexography markets, and can be configured with various optics solutions that tailor imaging speeds to the user’s productivity requirements. The Esko-Graphics CDI with Inline UV Main Exposure is the latest enhancement to the industry-leading family of digital flexo computer-to-plate imaging devices. Jürgen Andresen, Esko-Graphics Marketing Director for Packaging Hardware, comments: “An important benefit of Inline UV Main Exposure is that it offers a controlled environment, which delivers a higher level of repeatability, consistency, and control of dot formation to digital imaging – leading to significant higher quality and consistency on press.” Economic and quality benefits Inline UV Main Exposure technology enables plate imaging and UV main exposure to occur simultaneously in one device, with no increase in the time needed to image a digital flexo plate or sleeve. Combining these two process steps provides both economic and quality benefits, eliminating about fifteen minutes of processing per plate – as well as lower labor costs thanks to minimized operator handling. This reduction in handling avoids damage to the photopolymer surface and thus reduces photopolymer plate waste. Testing has shown that Inline UV Main Exposure technology results in a markable reduction of plate waste. “With flexography continuing to take market share from other print technologies, and with the significant growth of photopolymer sleeve imaging, Esko-Graphics investigated ways to improve flexo CtP imaging to increase productivity and reduce errors. We found that the addition of Inline UV Main Exposure is a strong answer. This inline UV Main Exposure will enable Esko-Graphics flexography solutions to continue to be the economic and print quality leader in the global packaging markets,” concludes Jürgen Andresen. Inline UV Main Exposure will be available in Q3, 2005. All CDI units delivered from May 2005 onwards are already prepared to be upgradeable with the Inline UV Main Exposure option.