ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Carey Color, an Ohio-based full service prepress provider, is preparing to install a second KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System. The company installed its original KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System three years ago, and is now responding to strong market demand with a second installation as flexographic printers have increasingly learned the benefits of printing with direct engraved elastomers. Carey Color has seen demand for in-the-round sleeves increase significantly.

With multiple locations, more than 100 employees and a reputation for delivering dynamic solutions for their customers, Carey Color serves the packaging segment with a deep knowledge of elastomers for flexographic printing. The company has helped a broad and growing base of clients realize the quality and print production benefits that the technology has to offer.

"We've seen steady growth in demand for sleeves," said Adam Smrdel, Director of Flexography, Carey Color Inc. "In addition to the overall growing popularity of continuous designs in flexo, we are experiencing demand for larger repeats. This is accomplished by building up material wall thickness while simultaneously maintaining inside diameters, something that cannot be achieved with photopolymer technology. Most importantly, however, printers are starting to request sleeves for all colors in the job, rather than just the single sleeve they may have used in the past. They are starting to really appreciate the quality, run length, productivity and waste reduction that the elastomer in-the-round sleeves enable."

Carey Color also works on numerous projects that involve a transition from rotogravure to flexographic production. With ever-increasing changes in graphic design and the frequent need to load balance between flexographic and gravure processes based on run length, flexographic printing with elastomer sleeves offers a cost-effective alternative to gravure with excellent quality, print speeds and durability.

When asked about the decision to invest in a second KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System, Smrdel cited fast engraving speeds, the ability to quickly change sleeves and the built-in quality control features as key deciding factors. "We love the Kodak technology," he enthused. "The engraving quality and exceptional speeds have allowed us to really drive this market forward. In fact, we like the technology so much we are also making plans to transition our dry offset business to elastomer engraving as well. The second unit will give us the ability to achieve that while continuing to support the growth in the flexo side of the business."

The KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System features innovative, energy-efficient, high-power semiconductor laser imaging technology, Kodak-formulated press-ready elastomers and workflow software for accurate image reproduction. This outstanding combination of technologies offers sleeves and plates for flexographic printing superior in both quality and productivity potential. In the round (ITR) platemaking for flexographic printing, which was once labor intensive, is now made much simpler by the FLEXCEL Direct System.

"We're proud to be installing a second FLEXCEL Direct System at Carey Color, because it demonstrates how the market has realized the value in its innovative imaging quality and productivity benefits," said John O Grady, Managing Director, United States & Canada Region and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. "Carey has been extremely successful at driving the adoption of elastomer technology with flexo printers and we look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with them."

To learn more about Carey Color's adoption of the KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System, watch a video interview with Girard Moravcik, CEO of Carey Color Inc., at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtSCHDNudAY