Japanese prove laser ablation has promise

Japanese printer Hishigen has achieved an exceptional quality flexo print at 175lpi with plates imaged using a ZED Instruments’ ZEDMini system for direct laser ablation. To date, this is the finest line-screen printed successfully using plates imaged using the ZEDMini. The ZedMini at Hishigen has been in production since April 2003, supplying cartons and labels to customers throughout Japan.

ZED Insruments’ managing director Bruce Knox adds: ‘We hope that this print will help to dispel the myths that direct laser ablation is only suitable for low quality flexo and that fine highlight dots at high line-screens cannot be achieved using laser ablation systems incorporating a CO laser.’

The test image was printed on a Gallus EM510 using T&K UV500 ink, Tesa softprint 0.38mm tape and anilox rolls with line screens of 800lpi and cell volumes of approximately 4.0g/m. The latest Fulflex plate for UV applications LaserFlex FP4003 was engraved to 0.3mm on a ZEDMini at Hishigen. The image was printed with four process colours plus silver.