São Paulo, Brazil – Esko announces it has recently updated its collection of software at SENAI College, continuing its partnership with the most important graphic arts professional educational Institution in Brazil.

The National Service for Industrial Apprenticeship (known by its Portuguese acronym, SENAI) is a private institution for technical education with two million students and more than 700 campuses throughout Brazil. It is the largest professional training organization in Latin America.

The need for formal graphic arts training in Brazil became evident in 1945, when more than half of Brazil's printing establishments were located in São Paulo. Despite the large number of laborers, few were qualified professionals. In most cases, companies hired foreign professionals who passed on their knowledge while carrying out their work. To address the problem, SENAI-SP established its first Graphic Arts School. In subsequent years, SENAI-SP increased the number of graphic arts courses and training programs. Now, the Theobaldo De Nigris SENAI School offers technical, degree programs, and postgraduate curricula for professionals in the graphic arts and pulp & paper industries. It is the only school in the world comprising all stages of the graphic production chain, from producing pulp to the finishing of printed work.

Esko: Educational partner.

To keep the school permanently updated, SENAI arranges partnerships with companies and associations, in the form of donations and loaning of material, equipment and software—along with training of teachers and assistance in spreading technical knowledge. All software and equipment at SENAI offered by Esko are used for learning and developing technical support for the printing and packaging industries in Brazil.

"Esko makes a significant difference in the printing and packaging industries in Brazil. They offer excellent solutions and technical support," says Manoel Manteigas de Oliveira, SENAI Director of Theobaldo De Nigris School. "Esko is one of SENAI's best partners, providing very useful support for our work. The technical software and equipment knowledge provided by Esko is so important, because Esko helps us prepare competent, skilled professionals for Brazilian industry."

Esko began donating software to SENAI in 2005. They recently upgraded the school with complete licenses of Esko Suite 14, which includes packaging design with ArtiosCAD and Studio, prepress with ArtPro, DeskPack, Automation Engine and Color Engine—among many others. SENAI also has digital flexo capabilities with a CDI digital flexo plate imager, and digital finishing with a Kongsberg table. SENAI currently operates a CDI Spark 4835 digital flexo plate imager with HD Flexo (loaned from Esko partner, DuPont) for its flexography classes. There is also an Esko Kongsberg XN22 digital cutting table for folded carton and corrugated substrates (acquired by SENAI).

"Esko is responsible for training our teachers who give classes, but their involvement goes far beyond that," comments Manteigas. "Esko professionals frequently visit our school. Their presence is very evident. They often work with our teachers in the classroom, itself."

The Esko software is used by teachers and students within different courses offered by SENAI. Technical courses focus on preparing professionals to work in flexographic printing and rotogravure companies. These technicians also work with prepress processes and supporting the production management. The software is used in many classes. "We could not offer the course without the help of Esko, offering their software and equipment," says Manteigas.

In bachelor and post-graduate courses the students use the software and hardware, not to dominate skills but rather to understand how these solutions are used within print companies. "These people will be managers. They are being prepared to offer guidance and to manage production plants," explains Manteigas. "While they do not have to be fully skilled, they need to know what is done with the equipment."

For example, the Esko software and CDI imager are used to teach photopolymer platemaking, within the Flexography and Gravure curriculum of 1500 hours. It takes 57 hours of classes to complete the teaching of platemaking. All the software functions, such as setting file parameters, image imposition, RIPping, managing CDI, color management and more are explored. Software is also used for teaching design.

SENAI has labs for flexo platemaking and printing. Most of the students conduct research to solve typical production problems or to make innovative use of products or processes. "In these classes, the available resources from Esko and CDI are frequently used," says Manteigas. "In the case of projects developed for flexo, we always use Esko solutions. In these classes the Kongsberg table is used when projects are focused on packaging and package design.

"We have the presses in our facilities. While we do not sell our products commercially, our students do produce items for our school or for philanthropic purposes," adds Manteigas. "For example, we have produced high quality promotional plastic bags and labels from our flexo presses for the school. When we do charity work we do not charge for the final product, but it is real work."

"The digital process of photopolymer platemaking is growing year after year in Brazil. Esko solutions are excellent and have helped the needs of Brazilian market. So, our students are more likely to be hired, and prepared in the workplace, because they are skilled on Esko solutions," concludes Manteigas.