Carey Color, an Ohio-based full
service prepress provider, is preparing to install a second Kodak Flexcel
Direct System. The company installed its original Kodak Flexcel Direct System
three years ago, and is now responding to strong market demand with a second
installation as flexographic printers have increasingly learned the benefits of
printing with direct engraved elastomers. Carey Color has seen demand for
in-the-round sleeves increase significantly.
With multiple locations, more
than 100 employees and a reputation for delivering dynamic solutions for their
customers, Carey Color serves the packaging segment with a deep knowledge of
elastomers for flexographic printing. The company has helped a broad and
growing base of clients realize the quality and print production benefits that
the technology has to offer.
"We've seen steady growth in
demand for sleeves," said Adam Smrdel, Director of Flexography, Carey
Color Inc. "In addition to the overall growing popularity of continuous
designs in flexo, we are experiencing demand for larger repeats. This is
accomplished by building up material wall thickness while simultaneously
maintaining inside diameters, something that cannot be achieved with
photopolymer technology. Most importantly, however, printers are starting to
request sleeves for all colors in the job, rather than just the single sleeve
they may have used in the past. They are starting to really appreciate the
quality, run length, productivity and waste reduction that the elastomer
in-the-round sleeves enable."
Carey Color also works on
numerous projects that involve a transition from rotogravure to flexographic
production. With ever-increasing changes in graphic design and the frequent
need to load balance between flexographic and gravure processes based on run
length, flexographic printing with elastomer sleeves offers a cost-effective
alternative to gravure with excellent quality, print speeds and durability.
When asked about the decision to
invest in a second Kodak Flexcel Direct System, Smrdel cited fast engraving
speeds, the ability to quickly change sleeves and the built-in quality control
features as key deciding factors. "We love the Kodak technology," he
enthused. "The engraving quality and exceptional speeds have allowed us to
really drive this market forward. In fact, we like the technology so much we
are also making plans to transition our dry offset business to elastomer
engraving as well. The second unit will give us the ability to achieve that
while continuing to support the growth in the flexo side of the business."
The Kodak Flexcel Direct System
features innovative, energy-efficient, high-power semiconductor laser imaging
technology, Kodak-formulated press-ready elastomers and workflow software for
accurate image reproduction. This outstanding combination of technologies
offers sleeves and plates for flexographic printing superior in both quality
and productivity potential. In the round (ITR) platemaking for flexographic
printing, which was once labor intensive, is now made much simpler by the
Flexcel Direct System.
"We're proud to be
installing a second Flexcel Direct System at Carey Color, because it
demonstrates how the market has realized the value in its innovative imaging
quality and productivity benefits," said John O Grady, Managing Director,
United States & Canada Region and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company.
"Carey has been extremely successful at driving the adoption of elastomer
technology with flexo printers and we look forward to a long and prosperous
partnership with them."
To learn more about Carey Color's
adoption of the Kodak Flexcel Direct System, watch a video interview with
Girard Moravcik, CEO of Carey Color Inc., at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtSCHDNudAY
