Sharjah-based Future Card has installed what it describes as the Gulf’s first Kodak Approval half-tone digital proofing system.
Future Card CEO Ayhan Yalcintas told Packaging MEA that “the concern of matching intricate colours is a thing of the past”.
“The Kodak approval is up-and-running with production,” he said. “We have already supplied more than 20 client proofs and all of them are very happy with the consistency, reliability and faithfulness of the colours simulated in the approval system when compared to the final print on the press.”
The Approval is especially useful in packaging applications because it is possible to transfer the images to so many of the different substrates used in the packaging industry, he added.
“The white donor is a critical tool in replicating packaging printing that will be applied to clear packaging,” he said. “The adjustable laydown order allows exact representation of the prepress shop’s most difficult print jobs such as package labels and lottery cards where white or silver is required on the top and bottom.
“Often customers want three-dimensional mock-ups of the actual package. This could be cardboard, metal – such as aluminium pop can – glass, plastic, shrink wrap, etc. Approval proofs are highly effective for these applications.”
Kodak Approval enables Future Card to supply digital colour proofs faster than the high-end digital inkjet proofing systems previously used. “This has helped us in utilising our printing machines more efficiently,” said Yalcintas. “This is because most of our clients are demanding customers with high-quality print finish and packaging and therefore we had previously no option but to use our flexo printing presses as proofing presses in order to match the proof with the final print.”
Pratik Sardesai, marketing manager of Kodak Near East, said: “It’s a win-win for both Kodak and Future card as Kodak we produce technology that meets the needs of our clients”
This was the first packaging deal by Grapholine Trading, Kodak’s newly appointed local distributor for the packaging sector. Its sales manager, Irfan Siddique, said he is confident that many more installations of the proofer would follow alongside Kodak’s flagship Kodak Flexcel NX system.
Kodak Approval allows control over screen angles, screen ruling, density control per colour, dot gain adjustment and dot shapes. The wide range of colour donors makes it possible to simulate accurately process, corporate, brand, spot and special colours.
Process donors include cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Additional donors orange, green and blue extend the colour gamut. There are two opaque donors: white and metallic. The metallic donor combined with the other colour donors allows for the creation of a wide range of metallic colors such as gold, copper and bronze. This produces special effects not possible with inkjet but now common in packaging.