After reading Esko's "revolutionary" press release dated March 25 we did a fair bit of head scratching, and while it is not our normal style to comment on our competitors' press releases, we just had to respond with a couple of simple questions. So what is really new, and how can something that is not new be revolutionary?

So how is 4000dpi laser imaging and hybrid screening revolutionary for flexo? Hybrid screening has been in use for many years and there are lasers that are used for imaging flexo at 9600 and 12400 dpi.

Matching offset with flexo. Well that's nothing new either. The Kodak Flexcel NX System has been doing that for the last 18 months with a 2400dpi Squarespot imaging device. It achieves 1:1 image transfer from the digital file to the plate from 10 microns up to 300lpi using AM, hybrid and FM screening, the same as they use in offset.





And about square pixels in the data file and a round laser beam, even John's three year old Lilly knows that the round block does not fit properly in the square hole. This means that a 1:1 digital pixel to dot on plate can never be achieved with a round laser beam.

Irrespective of this "revolution" in resolution and screening technology (which as we said before is really nothing new) the fact that it is applied to traditional digital black mask flexo plates still remains, resulting in oxygen inhibition and rounded bullet shaped dots. These rounded bullet shaped dots are clearly accepted by some of the statements in the press release as causing variation in the press room, delays in press set up, reduced plate life and production inconsistency. This means that the plate is a major cause for variation in existing digital black mask flexo plate systems (here at Kodak we have been saying that for more than a year). The new imaging and screening does not change the profile of the printing dots, so how can it significantly affect their performance on press? High resolution and hybrid screening can certainly help your highlight and fine line performance; we have technology to do this too. Keeping the rounded dots there and keeping them consistent in real world production is the challenge, and only a flat top dot can enable the stability and wide impression latitude that we all desire for true consistency - it is simple physics 101!



Lilly also loves to draw with an ultrafine pencil, which is comparable to small dots, but even Lilly knows that coloring in the shapes in her coloring book takes a long time with such a fine pencil. It is just lucky that as a Flexo industry we don't need to do large solid areas on our plates, otherwise that could slow imaging down greatly.

ESKO claims that more than 90% of all digital flexo plates and sleeves are imaged on CDI imagers. We know this is not true. Kodak is a major supplier of flexo imaging devices and unless none of our customers are actually using their Thermoflex and Trendsetter NX devices to image flexo plates, then the statement must be false. I have actually visited and seen them working in trade shops and printers all around the world. When you see clearly overstated claims like this in a press release it makes you start to question all of the other claims.

Their sustainability statements are a little questionable too. Once again others seem to be hung up primarily in the solvent vs thermal debate instead of looking at the big picture, where industry data indicates that the greatest environmental impact that can be affected by flexo plate choice is in print production. So it's clear that the flexo plate should be chosen to reduce the actual number of plates used, optimize productivity and minimize waste in the pressroom.

Esko's statements throughout the press release indicate that the current digital black mask flexo plate system has a whole series of issues that need addressing - issues that have a serious effect on production performance, resulting in higher levels of waste. It's hard to see how just smoothing the dot edge of a round top dot will have the significant effect that they claim in all but the exceptional cases.

Wide impression latitude, significantly extended plate life and consistency are key parameters in minimizing this environmental impact. Sort these issues out and you really start to see the environmental benefits. The improved predictability, reliability and consistency that Kodak's plates deliver, with their 1:1 image reproduction and flat top dots, enable printers to achieve significantly improved waste reduction in production.

The Flexcel NX plate system was built for superior press performance, addressing many of the significant weaknesses of traditional digital flexo. The inherent weaknesses of digital flexo just can not be overcome with 4000 dpi imaging and hybrid screening alone, although they can do a nice job of masking some of the issues!

At best Esko's step forward is evolutionary for them..... it's certainly not revolutionary for flexo!

This post was co-written by Emma Schlotthauer, Global Current Marketing for Flexo at Eastman Kodak.

Years ago we introduced a wonderful "little" technology to the CTP market called SQUAREspot - a 10,000 dpi thermal laser imaging system.

This uniquely high resolution enables clear differentiation between "exposed" and "unexposed" edges, producing dots on plate with greater consistency and measurably tighter production tolerances than coarser Gaussian laser imaging technologies.

SQUAREspot provides unparalleled quality, resolution, stability, latitude, and process control for making digital offset plates. This technology helped pave the way for thermal plates to become the dominant technology for CTP, especially in high-volume and high-quality printing markets worldwide.

The benefits of SQUAREspot for our customers were well recognized - both in terms of quality and cost efficiency.

Now that Kodak's Graphic Communications Group is made up from some of the best companies in the industry, with some of the most innovative technologies, even the SQUAREspot message no longer captures the total value that we can deliver to our customers!

What our customers need to ensure their long-term survival and profitability is pretty simple: stability and process control, right from the beginning of the software workflow, through to the last printed dot on press. With the drive towards automation throughout the printing process, Stability isn't just a nice thing to have - it's mission-critical.

The biggest challenges our customers face - saving costs,being more efficient, and cutting waste - are exactly the ones we help solve,with products that deliver higher quality more consistently, with less investment and less impact on our environment.

Rather than focusing on just one small part of the process like plate developer (like some of our competitors are doing), bigger opportunities can be found across four key areas of the Production Cycle: Imaging, Prepress, On-Press, and the Environment. For a more in-depth view, visit our micro-site for Kodak's Offset Stability Program at http://www.kodak.com/go/stability . We'll help you find ways to improve Stability throughout your production environment - whether you choose Kodak products in the end or not.

Sometimes we have the luxury of playing with technology just for the fun of it, but when it can have such a huge impact on your business' profitability - and even survival - it must be taken a lot more seriously. Look at the full opportunity for Stability improvement in your print shop, and Kodak will gladly help you find some great ways to achieve it.

For some, the term "old technology" resonates a bad feeling about a product. For those who keep up with all technology aspects around them, this is not necessarily true. The internal combustion engine is old technology that has survived for over 100 years.

Following this concept, Kodak makes a Premier Digital Color Half-Tone Proofer for the graphics industry. Even though it is based on so called "old technology" ( I prefer to say we were way ahead of our time), the Approval NX Digital Half-Tone Proofer is still the standard of half-tone proofing for the industry.

The Approval system has images that are so precise that dot-on-dot registration is evaluated with very high power optics to insure reliability and consistency. Look at any magazine with a magnifying glass and you"ll see the same dots as our machine makes.

So you might ask yourself exactly how good this system is? The proofs off the Approval XP4 (initial system) were used as the "visual reference" for Spot Color and N-Color proofing tests at the 2007 IPA Proofing RoundUP. All the other 34 proofers were measured against our hard copy proof. This system also has Gracol and SWOP certifications.

For those of you who never knew, Kodak has been making this product all along. There are also new enhancements for the Packaging market. Our proofs have been laminated to cardboard for boxes, shrink wrap for bottles and metal for cans so customers can see the actual end product. Being able to replicate the final product saves time and money for the customer. We can also create millions of colors.

Did you know Approval proofs are used to make the company's ONE magazine? Many brand owners worldwide specify the need to use proofs from our machine because of it's accuracy.