Raising the Bar in Flexo High quality imaging High consistency imaging

1. Raising the Bar in Flexo High quality imaging High consistency imaging FPPA Sanibel FL February 2010 Ian Hole V P Market Development EskoArtwork

2. 1 HD Flexo

3. Prepress for Flexo still has some limitations Digital CTP (EskoArtwork CDI 75% worldwide) has made big improvements in Consistency, Productivity and Quality BUT the tonal range is still limiting

4. Flexo can have a reduced tonal range The minimal printable dot in the highlights causes: Tonal Jump Color shift Loss of detail Reduced Tonal Range !

5. So this has limited some applications for Flexo Some designs are very hard to print – still printed Offset or Gravure Manual adjustment of CT images needed – Bump Curves To increase size of non-printable dots – this causes loss of contrast Intensive pre-press work sometimes needed Different screening needed per object OR Splitting jobs into different plates for line and CT’s All this increases the complexity Increases the cost And still limits the quality…

6. Introducing HD Flexo – What is it? A new product for 2009 from EskoArtwork It revolutionizes digital flexo by offering digital imaging that is both high quality and still easy to use It was developed from strong existing know-how 4000ppi Optics – existed since before 2000 HD Screening Technology – new screening software combination HD Flexo is available as a field retrofit for most existing CDI’s and an option on all new machines Retaining all Digital Workflow advantages

7. 3x more data to describe the same dot shape Dots are more round and dot shoulders are perfectly shaped Rounder shape means less Dot Gain 4000ppi means dots can be smaller  highlights Extended tonal range 0 to 100% HighRes Optics: 4000ppi - finer screen dots data transfer

8. Linework, Barcodes and Type are imaged more finely on plate So it prints cleaner, especially for smaller text HighRes Optics: 4000ppi - improved linework 4pt text - 2540ppi 4pt text - 4000ppi data transfer

9. A combination of several EskoArtwork screens using the best from each – AM regular pattern, Variable dot sizes, Support dots and Curve choices AM dots means the are no isolated dots that can be unsupported Variable Dot sizes in highlights  better gradation to zero Variable dot range means that dots reach zero at different points in the gradation – no hard edge Plates last longer on print run Fewer cleaning cycles are needed on press So there is more press uptime (cost saving) and a more stable print process HD Screens – The best of several worlds data transfer

10. “HD Flexo” achieves a full tonal range – 0% to 100% 0,5% in CT prints with only 2% density. No need anymore to bump up CT No loss of image contrast Pre-press is simpler and quicker – no file conversion

11. HD Flexo: A Case Study

12. Who are Rako Etiketten? • Label converter headquartered in Germany • - one of largest producers of self adhesive labels in Europe • 500+ staff, 34 presses, 18 sites • Use all print processes • Offset, Flexo, Letterpress, Screen, Digital

13. Motivation for HD Flexo? • For - Increased print quality • Sharper text and line art • Increased rulings 150 – 200 LPI • Vignettes down to “substrate” zero • To - Move jobs from Offset to Flexo • Flexo printing presses are less expensive (capital equipment cost) than offset (3x) • Wastage during startup (to get color OK) is lower for flexo than offset • 100 feet – 15 feet • Ink transfer for many label substrates is better with flexo • increased quality and more versatile

14. What stopped moving jobs to Flexo before? • Quality expectations could not be met before • Limitations on screen ruling • Minimum dot in Flexo to big • Prepress cost (and time) was greater for Flexo • Jobs required manual file conversion • High prepress costs are more than costs of printing Offset

15. Typical production job • Adhesive label - beauty products • Design mainly line art, but contains a soft gradation • Gradation critical for standard Flexo • Gradation critical to Dove the customer • Labels and Cartons printed Offset normally

16. Experience with HD Flexo trials • Customer printed the same job both Offset and HD Flexo • Both sets of plates from the same digital file • HD Flexo met customer expectations • Quality of HD Flexo was actually better than Offset • See following slides for some micrographs and technical details Offset Flexo

17. HD Flexo: better dot formation Offset Flexo

18. HD Flexo: better ink transfer than offset Offset Flexo

19. Tonal curve of print sample Tone curve of HD Flexo in highlights is close to linear. 1% printable minimum dot

20. Tone curve - highlight region Close-up of the highlight shows the excellent min dot behavior of HD Flexo

21. 2 Inline UV

22. UV exposure of Screened dots Inline UV Conventional Point Light UV Conventional Bank UV

23. UV exposure of shadows and reversed images Inline UV Conventional Point Light UV Conventional Bank UV

24. mW/cm² mW/cm² Lifetime extension by increasing exposure time Plate adjustable Digital UV level Typical lamp exchange h h Lifetime of Banklight vs Inline UV • No UV degradation over time (year, month, week or day) • Expected Lifetime = 5000h Digital UV results in perfectly controlled plate production • 30% UV light degradation over 1000h • Degradation is manually compensated Unstable plate quality production

25. mm mm Simultaneous movement of the UV source over the plate Each cm² receives exactly the same light quality and quantity ∆=10% Energy Emmission from lamp to lamp mm mm Plate Surface exposure of Banklight vs Inline UV • Intensity variations due to individual lamp aging • Quality of light emission is varying from lamp to lamp Resulting in an unstable plate quality production • Uniform dot shaping throughout the whole plate • Cool light – no heat distribution to plate or sleeve Resulting in a predictable and consistent plate quality production

26. Consistency and Repeatability leading to Automation EskoArtwork UV technology converts the UV Main Exposure from an uncontrollable analog process to a high precision digital process. Inline UV – Forward Step - Consistency & Automation

27. Inline UV - Summary • Predictableplate quality over years • Reduced plate wastage • No Press Down time • Maintenance Free Markets • Mid to Wide Web Flexible Pkg • High Quality Labels • High quality Corrugated • Solvent, Thermal, Water wash • Sleeves • No back-exposure • LetterPress metal backed plates • No back-exposure

28. Inline UV Main Exposure for Sleeves Inline UV Main Exposure for sleeves saves an UV-Exposer device

29. Banklight vs Inline UV Lifetime mW/cm² mW/cm² Lifetime extension by increasing exposure time Plate adjustable Digital UV level Typical lamp exchange h h • 30% UV light degradation over 1000h (each individual lamp) • At least 1corrective intervention to compensate degradation Resulting in an unstable plate quality production • No UV degradation over time (year, month, week or day) • Expected Lifetime = over 5000h Digital UV results in perfectly controlled plate production

30. Conventional Banklight UV mm mm Simultaneous movement of the UV source over the plate Each sq.inch receives exactly the same light quality and quantity ∆=10% Energy Emmission from lamp to lamp mm mm Plate Surface • Uneven light emission over the plate due to individual lamp aging • Quality of light emission is varying from lamp to lamp Resulting in an unstable plate quality production • Uniform dot shaping throughout the whole plate • Cool light – no heat distribution to plate or sleeve Resulting in a predictable and consistent plate quality production