Official Show Daily • Cygnus Graphics Media
GRAPH EXPO • October 5, 2010 ■ 55
Digital Flexo Platemaking System Puts Trisoft Graphics a Cut Above
A
n ongoing commitment to technology innovation has driven Trisoft Graphics to the forefront of flexo service
providers in California. The high-end trade shop located in Costa Mesa was the first on the West Coast to adopt digital platemaking and thermal pro- cessing several years ago. In late 2008, owner Tristan Zafra's shop became the first West Coast installation of a Kodak (Booths 1227, 5227) Flexcel NX digital flexographic system. “We weren’t actively looking for a
new imaging system, but when I saw samples from the Flexcel NX system, I was convinced that we needed it,” says Zafra. “It produced higher quality than anything I’d seen. There’s nothing else out there that can come close. In a highly-competitive market, the Flexcel NX System gives us a quality advantage that separates us from our competition.” This InterTech award-winning sys- tem uses the Kodak Flexcel NX ther-
mal imaging layer in conjunction with flexographic plates. The specially-for- mulated thermal imaging layer, which is exposed on a Kodak Trendsetter NX Imager with Kodak imaging tech- nology, enables high-resolution, fast
laminated to a Kodak Flexcel NX digi- tal flexographic plate using the Kodak Flexcel NX laminator. This quick and simple process removes the oxygen between the layer and the plate, and results in the creation of high quality, full amplitude, flat-top dots.
No environmental issues The Flexcel NX system requires sol-
imaging and intimate optical contact with the plate during UV exposure. Squarespot Imaging Technology pro- duces precise, robust dots that are less susceptible to variations in plate, pro- cessor and environmental conditions than other imaging technologies. After imaging, the thermal imaging layer is
vent processing, which was initially a concern for Trisoft. California is one of the strictest states in the U.S. when it comes to environmental regulation. However, this has not turned out to be an issue. “Solvents nowadays are much more environmentally-friendly than they used to be,” says Zafra. The company performs solvent recovery on-site with its own reclaim units, and the waste-pro- cessing cost associated with the Flexcel NX system has been negligible. Flexcel NX plates are so durable
that fewer plates are required to run long jobs, and plates can be stored
and reused for subsequent runs. This extended plate life helps minimize envi- ronmental impact and reduce waste in both prepress and the pressroom. Trisoft Graphics is attaining unprec- edented flexo print quality from the new system. “Before the Flexcel NX system, we were maxed out at 200 line screens,” says Zafra. “With the Flexcel NX system, we can make flexo plates that print successfully at 300 line screens. You don’t have to con- stantly clean the plate. The printing is very sharp. There’s no banding. We’re getting more density and better ink transfer out of this plate. Color is much more consistent throughout the run.” The quality gives Trisoft’s customers a competitive edge, which ultimately helps the trade shop solidify its advan- tage and grow its business. “Every single one of our customers love the Flexcel NX plates,” says Zafra. “One customer told me, ‘My pressman has gotten better all of a sudden.'”
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