High quality, repeatable, and affordable graphics are no longer a specialty but a requirement for most flexographic printers. Sooner or later, all flexo printers learn there is no such thing as a quality finished product without expertly produced graphics and high-quality plates. When that realization occurs, this is the niche service Imageworx proficiently fulfills. In turn, what Imageworx has learned is that to earn a customer’s business, it is a requirement to produce a provably better-quality plate combined with the corresponding technical and customer service required.

From humble beginnings, Imageworx has consistently advanced its capabilities, assembling state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and key personnel to meet the requirements of even the most demanding customers and their projects, with visible results.

“Flexographic printing is a controlled process as long as the entire process is maintained, understood, and managed properly by everyone involved,” says Imageworx president Jeff Toepfer. “A large amount of our customers produce a percentage of their plates in-house, so it is essential for our business to continually offer prepress solutions that far exceed current expectations. Imageworx service rarely ends when plates are shipped. We want to fully understand what challenges our customers face and actively assist with their solutions. It’s vital to offer print customers technical assistance and education on prepress functionality, but also willingly accept feedback from the press operators and supervisors to help achieve their goals.”

Based in Levittown, PA, Imageworx owns and operates a modern 31,500 square foot facility shared with several industry partners, principally MPS, a manufacturer of high-end flexographic and hybrid printing presses, and Cyngient, a manufacturer of technology-driven inks, coatings and adhesives. Together with over a dozen industry partners, the companies have formed a research and development center for the advancement of the flexographic print process.

Imageworx has developed Sero HDM (Smooth-Zero, High Definition Modular), first introduced at Labelexpo Americas in 2018. This a screening method that has been created with the purpose of broadening the printed color gamut for flexo printers by delivering a smoother breakdown of highlight dots. By utilizing a carefully engineered minimum dot structure, Sero is able to balance highlight tints in a way that allows gradients to fade away completely without a visible edge. The combination of high-resolution imaging, Kodak Flexcel NX and MacDermid ITP-60 plates, and finely tuned microscopic dot structures now offer flexo printers a viable and economic solution to overcome the most difficult process and screen tint issues.

“After careful evaluation of all commercially available screening options, our conclusion was the flexographic process still had room to improve in how highlight detail and gradient fades in general are handled,” explains Toepfer. “Our goal from the inception of Sero was to create a screening option that allows flexo printers to attain the lowest achievable dot percentage measurements in their highlight areas while running at high line screens and high press speeds, with no visible dot or edge as the highlight dots transition to 0%.

To further assist in the print quality of Sero HDM screening, we have developed a set of 13 dot compensation curves that produce the smoothest vignettes, from 0 to 100%, that the industry has to offer. Combining our customized curves with multiple renditions of Sero dots offers our narrow and wide web customers dozens of well-tailored screening options to optimize the print process no matter what equipment they own or what the print quality requirements may be, with zero additional cost for screening options.”

Additional benefits of Sero HDM are smooth transitions and clean running plates. The additional space between dots provided by Sero does not allow for the ink buildup normally associated with clustered highlight dots. What’s achieved during setup is what you should expect throughout the run. According to Toepfer, Imageworx will work with you to determine the exact Anilox and BCM volume to provide ideal results on your equipment starting with the anilox inventory currently owned by the customer.

The ability to match flexo print results to a customer supplied target proof or previously printed label is critical in the flexo printing community. Standards for color accuracy have never been higher and the ability to quickly match color targets on press greatly improves production and limits downtime. Well-adjusted color, managed in prepress, saves printers substantial amounts of time, money, and frustration.

Imageworx offers the latest in ICC proofing software, spectrophotometry tools, and printers from GMG Color, XRite, and Epson to ensure the highest level of color accuracy for flexo process colors. Starting with color space characterization from the press, Imageworx is able to fully simulate printed color by carefully developing a color space replica in their GMG system to operate with their Epson SureColor printers. Imageworx also offers solvent wash plates commercially available from Miraclon, MacDermid, and DuPont.

“Imageworx has developed a quick and reliable method of press profiling that allows us to simulate flexo process color ahead of producing plates,” explains Toepfer. “In the past year, we have completely upgraded our color management process, including, new software, hardware, and personnel to assist with the growing expectations from customers for print color accuracy.”