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WINNING COLORS
Best of Show Praised for Combining Grayscale & CMYK
It is one of the
largest and most diverse categories in Flexographic Technical Association's (FTA's) Excellence in
Flexography Awards competition. Entries run the gamut from shampoo labels to scratch-offs, from UV
shrink sleeves to foil-stamped and embossed wine labels. Best-of-show winners have included
underwear packaging and microwavable folding cartons, although the latter is now judged in its own
category.
Judges often remark that the narrow-web category of the awards competition
showcases the most creative and cutting-edge designs and technologies. This year was no different.
"We saw more than 10 entries printed at 200 line screen," proclaimed Cary Peterson, Solo Cup Co., a
degree-of-difficulty judge. "It was difficult in some cases to find defects in such fine
line-screen work."
"The quality steadily improves each year in narrow web," observed Dan Muthig, Fox
Valley Technical College, also a degree-of-difficulty judge. "It's an industry that will run you
over if you do not get up to speed."
This, Muthig went on to explain, is a direct result of demands
placed on narrow-web printers by their customer base. Peterson added, "Our customers expect us to
improve to meet and exceed their demands in order for them to compete in the
marketplace."
"Printers entering these samples are clearly stepping outside their comfort zones
when it comes to using finer line screens and attempting a greater level of printing complexity."
he continued. "We saw 23-color, two-sided designs as well as the use of glitter coating. This shows
that printers are pushing for greater achievement to get results for their
customers."
Big Wins
During the two-day
judging process, 37 awards were distributed to 19 narrow-web printers/converters in 13
sub-categories. Twelve golds, 14 silvers and 11 bronzes were given out. Adams Labels (Surrey, BC,
Canada), Corporate Express (Wichita, KS), Dow Industries (Wilmington, MA), Labelsco Ltd.
(Leicestershire, UK) and LSK Label Co. (El Dorado Hills, CA) grabbed two medals
apiece.
G-3 Enterprises (Modesto, CA) managed four medals-one gold and three silvers. OPM
Labels Ltd. (West Yorkshire, UK) pulled in a staggering seven prizes: a bronze, four silvers and
two golds. Paragon Label of Petaluma, CA, walked away with the top honor, best of show, for its
Francis Coppola Presents Rosso Classic Wine Label; as well as a bronze, two silvers and two gold
awards.
Latest and Greatest
As was the case in other categories, some
judges in narrow web saw a boost in the usage of advanced technologies, especially in platemaking
and prepress. "There seems to be a steady rise in digital plates and different screening
technologies," noted Muthig. Peterson concurred, saying, "We saw very few analog plates used; the
majority were digital.
He went on to say, "The prepress materials that will achieve these much
higher-quality printed designs are available to printers. Digital plates, seamless print sleeves,
laser-imaged digital polymer in the round and custom laser-engraved anilox rolls have all
contributed to the success that was not achievable even a few years ago. We saw some of the
smallest printed dots we have ever observed on the 200 line-screen
jobs."
In
addition, Muthig spoke to combination print technologies. "We saw printers customizing presses by
adding rotary screen or litho stations to accommodate challenges from
customers."
Back in Black ... &
White
Would you expect a label printed in grayscale to beat out all others and receive
best-of-show honors in the narrow-web category? One did this year-sort of. Frances Coppola Presents
Rosso Classic Wine Label displayed two images, one wholly in gray tones, the other in process
color. Both pictures were printed multiples across and repeated on the same plate. This caught the
attention of narrow-web judges.
"The Frances Coppola Presents job won because of its difficulty
to achieve consistency across two different images on the same plate," said Ben Gasparick, Belmark,
Inc., a level-of-execution judge. "The highlights and the reversed text were done
beautifully."
"The key was having the black-and-white graphic along with a color graphic on the
same sheet." agreed Ray Makura, Avery Dennison, also a level-of-execution judge. "Any time you have
a grayscale image right next to a color image, it's difficult to maintain both registration and the
correct impression. The level of execution was high, too, especially compared to the other entries.
A best of show should be top-notch and this was."
Muthig also appreciated the challenge
inherent in the piece. "What really stood out to me was the degree of difficulty required in this
case to achieve this type of quality," he said. Peterson commented, "The registration and clean
print quality was superb on such a fine line-screen reproduction."
Most judges said the best of show
exhibited an unusual level of quality compared to much of what is produced in the industry today.
"It's rare that you see this type of graphic. Normally they are repeats," said Makura. "I would
compare this to something that was printed using multiple print methods. People like the feel of a
screen-printed image or a hot-foil stamp. That's hard to compete against in one print method. But
this does that."
"The
best of show really demonstrates what flexo printing can achieve." insisted Gasparick. Muthig
declared, "It was special. I'm sure printing like this is not uncommon, but it would be unfair to
say that this is typical."
Peterson summarized, "The narrow-web best of show demonstrates a level of printing
control that can be difficult to maintain day after day in the pressroom. It takes tight ink
viscosity and pH controls, correct anilox selection and press maintenance as well as consistent
substrate surfaces and plate-material exposures to produce flexo-printed pieces at this level.
Paragon Label should be applauded for using press condition controls that resulted in this
quality."
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