Partners in Flexo Innovation.
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GREAT PACKAGING GREAT WORKFLOW
LONG RUNS
starts with a
PLATE IMAGING
THERMAL PLATE MAKING
PRINTING PRESS
FINISHING
QUALITY CONTROL
SHORT RUNS PDF WORKFLOW AND EDITING
COLOR MANAGEMENT
DIGITAL PRESS
THE BEST TOOLS DELIVER THE BEST RESULTS Printing labels and packaging is a demanding business. Successful converters need to provide customers with innovative workflows that streamline the entire process. Within that workflow, color management should ensure every color is absolutely right, every time. Then, whether a job goes to a state-of-the-art digital press, or a flexographic plate maker and plate processor, you know the workflow will deliver the best possible results. And, because the many steps and processes need to be fine-tuned to individual shops, calling on outside expertise can be one of the smartest parts of the whole process. Anderson & Vreeland has built a first-class digital portfolio of products that are designed to work together to provide greater agility and productivity for your business. As with so many things, the best tools deliver the best results.
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ARE YOU READY TO LEAD? Enterprise Packaging Workflow System
File Processing Asset Management Soft Proofing Workflow Automation
andersonvreeland.com/hybrid
Native PDF Editor
THE NATURE OF LABEL AND PACKAGING PRODUCTION THESE DAYS IS ONE OF EVER-TIGHTER DEADLINES AND MORE STRINGENT DEMANDS FOR PRINT QUALITY. YET EVEN THOUGH NEWER FLEXO PRESSES AND PLATES HAVE RAISED THE BAR ON PRINT QUALITY, THE MANUAL PREPRESS OPERATIONS THAT ONCE HELPED ENSURE ON-TIME DELIVERY HAVE NOT ALWAYS ADAPTED TO THE DEMANDS OF SHORTER RUNS AND TIGHTER DEADLINES. Most of today’s package designs are created in Adobe Illustrator™, but significant work is required to turn these designs into print-ready production jobs. This is usually the domain of packaging trade shops or prepress departments running specialized software, but the wide adoption of PDF has simplified prepress for both flexo and digital jobs. PDF is easily extracted from Illustrator™ designs, is compatible with the RIPs used for flexo, CTP and digital printing, and contains all design elements – (fonts, images, etc.) in a single file that is compact and easy to transport. Two of the leading products for PDF prepress are PACKZ and CLOUDFLOW, both from HYBRID Software, specifically built to help label and packaging shops meet customer deadlines and exceed demands for superior quality in demanding production environments. PACKZ is a powerful editor featuring a complete set of prepress, editing, and quality assurance functions, including preflight and file correction, color mapping, separation handling, barcode creation and recognition, trapping, variable data, step & repeat, object-based screening, and much more. PACKZ can even warp a package design to compensate for the distortion of shrink sleeves and render the results in a 3-D view so that prepress professionals can see an accurate representation prior to printing. PACKZ uses a modern 64-bit architecture and accepts native Adobe Illustrator™ files as well as industry-standard PDF files from any application, widening the range of design applications that can www.AndersonVreeland.com
Editing a label in PACKZ
be used. For color mapping and especially conversion to Extended Color Gamut (ECG) colorspaces like CMYKOGV, PACKZ sports a seamless interface with OpenColor, a powerful color management tool from GMG Color. Together, PACKZ and OpenColor can provide accurate, color-managed files to platesetters such as Xeikon’s ThermoFlexX series, or to digital presses like Screen’s L350UV. Still, editing the design file is only part of the process, and today’s production demands favor automation wherever possible. For this, Hybrid Software offers CLOUDFLOW, an automated server solution for file and asset management, soft proofing, collaboration, and workflow automation. Engineered for the packaging industry, CLOUDFLOW is fully based on Native PDF production, just like PACKZ.
CLOUDFLOW is web-based and supports all major industry standards such as PDF, CIP3, XMP and many others. This helps ensure a fit into fast-paced packaging trade shops and printers, simplifying the transition from manual workflows to full automation. CLOUDFLOW incorporates a custom, packaging-specific version of the world’s fastest RIP: the Harlequin Host Renderer, which has been adopted for HP’s Indigo digital presses for labels, packaging and commercial printing. Modern PDF-native software such as PACKZ and CLOUDFLOW provides packaging printers and converters with the efficient tools they need today. Take a closer look at what HYBRID Software has to offer today to be prepared for the changes that can leave you behind—or ready to lead.
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GETTING COLOR RIGHT THE ONE THING THAT ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS HAS TO BE RIGHT IS COLOR.
REMOVE THE NEED TO FINGERPRINT PREDICT SPOT COLOR OVERPRINTS REDUCE COSTS SAVE TIME IMPROVE QUALITY
And not just brand-critical spot colors but also the nuances of flesh-tones, products and even the “memory colors” of grass green and sky blue. Sometimes there can be a little bit of latitude, but most days it comes down to a Delta of 1.5 or maybe 2 before a job is rejected. So color has to be right from the get-go. And it’s all up to the printer or converter running the job. Adding to the challenge is that accurate colors must also be integrated into a digital workflow. Many attempts have been made to simplify color management within design products and workflows alike, but slipping Delta E values invariably show up on press, especially from run to run or when a job is repeated weeks or months after its first run. A color difference might not always matter in commercial printing, but in labels and packaging, where the latest run of labels might be next to ones from last quarter, the colors have to be right, because shoppers notice the difference. Although printed colors are perceptual, GMG OpenColor makes them accurate and consistent by making them numerical values, based on the type of press, the inks, and the substrates. This brings an unprecedented level of consistency to printing of all colors, ensuring CMYK and spot colors print exactly the way you expect— and want—them to. Every time. Going a step further, GMG OpenColor enables accurate proof simulation of the overprinting effects of spot colors using special multichannel profiles. For example, a spot color used with
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© GMG GmbH & Co. KG
a hit of white underneath it will not match the same spot color on a clear substrate. GMG OpenColor understands this variance–using a spectral data calculation—and accounts for it, so colors always render correctly. Taking proofing a step further is GMG ColorProof to provide efficient contract proofing. Compliant with global standards including ISO Offset, PSO, GRACoL and SWOP, GMG ColorProof has become a tool of choice among demanding color pros. Regardless of the media chosen, you can work with the assurance that colors will print as intended. Designed for the unique needs of the packaging industry, GMG OpenColor works with PACKZ from Hybrid Software to communicate accurate color information on any job to PACKZ, streamlining the process of producing any label and packaging job. This integration puts state-of-the-art color management and digital work-
flow tools in the hands of any label and packaging printer and converter to help ensure color accuracy while speeding editing of both 2D and 3D jobs prior to printing. The power of GMG OpenColor, GMG ColorProof and PACKZ also extends to digital presses, such as the Screen L350 UV, delivering the ultimate in flexibility. The correct color profiles can be created in GMG OpenColor, the file edited in Hybrid PACKZ, then sent for output on a flexo or digital press with the colors and the print file fine-tuned to the output device. Contact Anderson & Vreeland to learn more about how you can take advantage of GMG OpenColor and GMG ColorProof on your flexo or digital presses.
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FINDING THE RIGHT COMPANY IF YOU LOOK AT A TRADITIONAL BELL-SHAPED CURVE ENTITLED “ADOPTION OF DIGITAL PRINTING” LABEL AND PACKAGING PRINTERS AND CONVERTERS ARE ONLY AT THE START OF THE UPSLOPE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE CURVE. This means significant growth is ahead, but that point on the curve also defines a period of “digital uncertainty,” where some business owners work through the many options as they decide whether a digital press can be a good fit for their business. Their questions abound: Which technology is “best?” Who are these companies and do they understand my business? What does digital offer that is important to my customers? How can I integrate a digital press into my flexo shop?
Screen, one of the world’s leading inkjet technology innovators, has established a new benchmark for label and packaging printers. Packed with advanced features and performance, the L350UV+LM now expands its short to mid-run length “sweet spot” and wider color gamut CMYKW+Orange to food packaging applications for the ultimate versatility in label and pouch production.
Featuring a nitrogen purge to accelerate curing with low migration inks, the addition of a chill roll to accommodate even thinner films and substrates, and higher speeds up to 196 fpm with uptime in the 90%+ stratosphere, the L350UV+LM is a PLUS for your operation. Get behind the name with the technology that works.
Introducing the Truepress Jet L350UV+LM digital inkjet label solution featuring low migration inks.
There are no quick answers to any of these questions because digital printing of labels and packaging is still a developing market and the technologies are continually being refined. The steady evolution of digital presses leaves little doubt that these devices will become a mainstream choice in just a few years. As happened in commercial printing, many converters may find themselves investing in more than one type of digital device to meet the needs of their markets. Being proactive now is essential because it enables you to better anticipate the needs of key customers and prospects. The best way to begin choosing a digital press is to look at the companies making the machines, then consider the types of jobs being run now and what customers are asking about for the future. Many equipment vendors have been successful in commercial printing markets and have migrated their expertise to labels and packaging.
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Screen’s Truepress Jet L350UV
One of the leaders is Screen, which built its global brand as a leading producer of printing plates for offset and flexo presses and has helped a diverse range of printers grow their businesses for 50 years.
ny’s flexo presses for longer jobs. The L350 UV also lets Alpine address the needs of emerging markets for consumer goods. Labels for wines, craft beers and specialty teas are regularly streaming off Alpine’s Screen press.
Always a pioneer, Screen introduced flexographic platesetters in 1978 and added high-speed web-fed inkjet printing in the early 2000s. That experience and expertise in single-pass continuous roll-to-roll inkjet printing led to the development and introduction of the Screen Truepress Jet L350 UV inkjet label press that is in daily use at several leading label and packaging companies in North America and Europe.
“Customers know shorter runs will be on the Screen press but that the quality will still be what they need. They are very pleased,” says Jan Lehigh, company president.
One such customer is Alpine Packaging in North Versailles, PA, whose customers rely on the Screen press for shorter runs and the compa-
She notes that the Screen press also brought in short-run business the company once turned away. “We kept track of who was calling and when we had the Screen press we went back and let them know we could help them. Now many customers are increasingly eager to take advantage of shorter run lengths.”
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RESOLUTION MATTERS! THE HUMAN EYE AND BRAIN ARE REMARKABLE IN THEIR ABILITY TO SEE AND APPRECIATE FINE DETAIL— INCLUDING THE ELEMENTS OF A LABEL OR PACKAGE THAT CAN INFLUENCE A PURCHASE DECISION.
YOU’RE THE DRIVER Some are ruled, and some rule.
But it’s so much more fulfilling to build equipment for the latter. They are the ones who drive us to create Flexo plate imagers which are truly compatible with their oneof-a-kind vision. AndersonVreeland.com/ThermoFlexX
Many of those details are directly related to image resolution, so when it comes to printed images, more resolution is almost always a good thing. Any brand manager seeking to make sure a company’s products stand out on the shelves at Publix, Kroger, Target or Best Buy will tell you about the need for first-rate print quality on labels, flexible packaging or folding cartons. When it comes to flexography, that quality starts with the plate imager. Not so long ago, many commercial printers saw flexo as a second-rate form of printing. Pretty much accurately, they saw flexography as being unable to provide the fine detail in highlights and vignettes as could offset printed work. But that was before flexographic plates became a product of digital production techniques. Today, strolling the aisles of any modern retailer shows how the images on all types of products take full advantage of the so-called “three-foot effect” that ratchets up eye appeal with text and images that are clearer, sharper, and grab shoppers’ attention. A key part of that is because image resolution brings out the details that once were missing. Many plate imagers still in use today are limited to 2400 or 2450 dpi resolution. These can be adequate for a fading range of applications, with brand owners clamoring for—and expecting—more. Some imagers today can offer 4000 or 4800 dpi, but are parts of proprietary workflows that place limits on how jobs can be accepted and processed. Today, because labels and www.AndersonVreeland.com
Plate Imaging with the ThermoFlexX 30
packaging jobs require more versatility than ever, flexo and letterpress printers need integrated plate production solutions, such as the ThermoFlexX 20, 30, 48, 60, and 80 models from Xeikon. Comprising leading-edge hardware and workflow software, the ThermoFlexX line of imagers combines proven surface screening technology with open, modular digital-workflow solutions enabling customers to produce high-quality digital flexographic and letterpress plates at up to five resolutions in one machine, from legacy 2400 dpi to the latest 5080 dpi (equal to 645 gray levels at 200 lpi) for crisp text and unparalleled detail. This is state-of-the-art high performance imaging that helps labels and packaging “pop” on retail shelves.
ly streamlined and quality workflow that delivers the best quality plates to your press. Streamlining operations, all ThermoFlexX imagers accept 1-bit TIFF files generated by any workflow, RIP or front-end as well as hybrid or surface screens. ThermoFlexX imagers can also expose plates that use a LAM layer as well as Gallus Screeny (digital screen) and ablative films. To find out more about how you can achieve optimal image quality on all types of labels and packaging, ask Anderson & Vreeland how ThermoflexX Imagers can deliver the quality brand owners are looking for and that will get consumers’ attention on store shelves.
Plate materials designed for the Flint Group nyloflex® Xpress thermal plate processor can be imaged on a ThermoflexX imager, providing a high11
Focus on
Innovation
CREATING TOP QUALITY PLATES MAKING FLEXO PLATES HAS LONG BEEN A NEAR MYSTICAL MIX OF CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE. AND IT HAD TO BE, BECAUSE ALL THE NECESSARY PIECES CAME FROM DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS, AND EVERYTHING WAS INTENDED TO WORK A CERTAIN WAY. AND IT USUALLY DID. Except when a plate didn't expose correctly or wash quite the right way and had to be re-imaged. Such lapses—and costs—in production perfection were factored into the time each job required and it was business as usual. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? That's the question engineers at Flint Group asked each other as they listened to the needs of customers. What if, they wondered, all elements of thermal plate production were designed to work together? The result is the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processing System, designed from the shop floor up as a system that optimizes the interaction of the processor, the plates, and developer.
nyloflex®
The compact machine accommodates plates ranging from 10 x 10-inches to 42 x 65-inches and handles material from 1.14 mm to 2.84mm thick. And because machines used for the smaller sizes can be field-upgraded when needed, a shop doing small plates today can move up to larger plates by changing the developer roll width.
Thermal like you’ve never seen before...
Then, to simplify working with varying plate sizes, short-wave IR is used to precisely control heat distribution that only turns on for the size of the plate being made. This unique IR with zoned pre-heating reduces energy use and remove the need for a chiller or a condenser, lowering power requirements and further simplifying the system.
A smarter design for processing plates, and a program that is simple, clear and transparent andersonvreeland.com/Thermal
The simplicity continues with onboard software that provides operators www.AndersonVreeland.com
Flint Group nyloflex® XPM and XPH Digital Plates
with all the information needed to run the system, including diagnostics, operational and maintenance processes, and developer roll usage.
Increased detail Engineered by Flint Group, nyloflex® Thermal Plates raise the bar for both plate and print quality in the market. The defining feature of the plates is the pristine, solvent-wash quality of the print surface – something never before seen with thermal plates. nyloflex® XPH and XPM plates increase the level of detail that can be placed on film and on both smooth and rough paper surfaces while delivering greater solid ink density with fewer pinholes. According to Flint Group, this enables line screens of 200 to 400 lpi and print with up to 50% less dot gain in highlight areas. The soon-to-be-released nyloflex® XVH plate, is a versatile flattop offering, suitable for use with or without surface screening. The stable flat-top structure minimizes dot gain
in highlight areas and provides consistent impression throughout the run.
Waste recovery Once the plates are made, Flint Group’s waste recovery program simplifies removal of used developer rolls, raw or finished plates, cover sheets, and separators. A quick call to an 800-number is all that’s required to arrange pickup and disposal.
Not just another platemaker What sets the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processor apart is that it is truly a system. The finished plates (and resulting image quality) are the work of a powerful processor, plates and developer rolls specifically created for the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processor. Then add in a waste recovery program to simplify removal of used materials, and it is a system that raises the bar on plate quality, predictability and consistent performance. nyloflex® is a registered trademark and Rely on us.™ is a service mark of Flint Group.
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Innovation starts with education. Anderson & Vreeland’s Technologies Team: Our dedicated team of technical professionals help
FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNERS HOW ANDERSON & VREELAND SET OUT TO BUILD A FIRST-CLASS DIGITAL PORTFOLIO.
integrate the latest technologies in your workflow, train, and assist with troubleshooting issues in
There is no out-of-the-box product suite; no proprietary mix of equipment and software that will work for every label or packaging shop, regardless of how specialized it may seem to be. It just doesn’t exist.
prepress, plate-making and print. Go to andersonvreeland.com/techteam for the latest technical tips.
With the continued adoption of digital printing and other changes in labels and packaging, Anderson & Vreeland recognized the need to bring a more customized workflow to the market. By leveraging specific solutions from several industry leading partners, a bestin-class digital portfolio was built to support CRM and MIS integration, file prep and workflow, color management, plate production, digital imaging, quality control, and digital printing.
A Workflow that Works
Implementation & Integration
Bringing it all Home
The partners described on these pages, Hybrid Software, GMG Color, Screen Americas, Xeikon ThermoFlexX, and Flint Group all offer compelling solutions that are unique in themselves and are made more effective through the collaboration fostered by Anderson & Vreeland and the integration expertise of the A&V Technologies Team.
A&V Tech Team members are fully immersed in the products of these firms, other A&V partners, as well as products A&V does not sell. This accumulated knowledge lets the tech team readily address most questions and challenges about equipment and software selection, workflow, interactions between different products, then recommend and integrate those best-suited to an individual operation.
Because integration of equipment and software is complex, forward-looking support is an important asset when building a workflow that blends physical and digital activities.
The trick is in the execution: a complete workflow that ties everything together while measuring and quantifying real time data to support educated adjustments and corrections in the printing process so that all your labels and packaging match the color expectations of the clients.
Partners in Flexo Innovation.
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The solution may be limited to shop floor activities or include innovations that automate key functions like job submission, workflow, prepress, color management, platemaking, proofing, and digital or flexographic printing.
An Anderson & Vreeland sales professional or a Technologies Team member can show you how your business can leverage a customized range of equipment and software solutions that could foster greater agility and profitability. To begin, contact Anderson & Vreeland for a free workflow audit and to learn more about our products at info@andvre.com or 866.282.7697.
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