Plates & platemaking

Screen appoints German distributor

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:20:03 +0000

Screen Europe has appointed Steuber as its official partner for Computer-to-Plate (CTP) systems in Germany, supporting its ongoing initiative to strengthen local service and support in key European markets.

As one of the most longstanding and reputable dealers in Germany, Steuber brings extensive market knowledge, technical expertise and a strong reputation for customer support.

This new partnership will build upon the two organizations' shared values of supporting CTP users in the German market, while aligning with Screen's strategy to gain more direct involvement in providing service and support for its wide range of CTP systems in various European offset printing markets.

As one of the world's largest suppliers of CTP technology, Screen remains fully committed to advancing Computer-to-Plate technology as an essential part of the printing industry's future. While the offset sector continues to evolve, CTP systems remain vital for many printing businesses seeking productivity, precision and efficiency. Screen continues to develop its CTP portfolio to enhance throughput, streamline workflows and optimize cost efficiency – with some systems capable of producing up to 70 plates per hour.

'Steuber represents a key step in Screen's broader European strategy to reinvigorate its CTP dealer network and reinforce its presence in key territories, including Germany, France and Spain. This approach ensures that customers across Europe continue to receive best-in-class offerings backed by local service and long-term manufacturer support,' commented Marco Tornelli, EMEA CTP sales manager at Screen Europe.

'We are delighted to partner with Screen as their official sales and service partner for CTP systems in Germany,' added Stephan Steuber, managing director of Steuber GmbH & Co. KG. 'We see there is still potential for significant growth in the German market for Screen's CTP technology to support offset printers in this one of Europe's most advanced and competitive markets with their established reputation for reliability and outstanding speeds. Together, we can offer our customers a comprehensive full-service package that combines the best CTP technology with responsive local support.'

Through this new partnership, Screen and Steuber aim to deliver greater accessibility to Screen's advanced CTP systems, ensuring German printing companies can continue to rely on the world's largest producer of CTP technology.

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Screen appoints German distributor

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Steuber partners with the manufacturer to offer CTP products.

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Steuber partners with the manufacturer to offer CTP products.

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Labelexpo Europe 2025: Plates and platemaking

Selah Zighelboim — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 19:30:13 +0000

Plates & platemaking 27 November 2025

Labelexpo Europe 2025: Plates and platemaking

New technology automates steps in the platemaking process, improves ink transference and reduces energy consumption.

Labelexpo Europe 2025 attendees interested in plate and platemaking technology saw a dynamic show, with numerous product launches. These new products are introducing greater levels of automation to platemaking, while reducing its environmental footprint, such as through the use of the latest LED technology. Meanwhile, plate screening is improving ink transference and innovations in plate mounting continue to minimize reliance on manual labor.

Vianord presented three innovations. The first was an Evo dryer with improved heat distribution, reduced energy consumption and faster drying speed, resulting in an 81 percent improvement in energy efficiency. The second was an LED exposure machine. Vianord also highlighted its Freedom inliner, a compact system that integrates with imaging and exposure machinery, enabling a plate to move automatically from the imager to the exposing unit to the processor.

Glunz & Jensen also highlighted an automatic platemaking system called Flex-Line, which automatically moves a plate from the washout processor to dryers, light finishers and into stacker holding slots. Additionally, the company unveiled a new wider-web 52x80in version of its LED Flex-Pose exposing unit.

Print Systems presented nine machines, including several new ones from its Quicker brand, such as the Quicker UV LED Combo, designed for plate pre-press shops and large flexo printers, developed in collaboration with Toyobo MC. This in-line machine provides mask removal, rinsing, drying, exposure and curing.

Eco3 launched the Magis Pro-Eco 300+, an all-in-one aqueous processor that includes UV LED exposure, washing, drying and finishing. Eco3 also featured its Spir@l screening capability. Screening is a process of creating shapes in the dots of the plates to enhance image quality. Eco3 creates tiny spirals in its dots for its screening technique, hence the name. Surface screening improves ink transference, achieving finer details in printing.

Esko presented its new CDI Quartz platemaking machine, also offering screening, which provides additional structure to the dots, improving ink laydown and even, the company said, potentially reducing ink consumption. Additionally, Esko exhibited its XPS Spark 4835 UV LED exposure unit, launched at Labelexpo Europe 2025, and its XPS Crystal exposure unit.

Xsys offers screening technology in its Thermoflex Edge, the third generation of its laser imager, which it launched at Labelexpo. Currently in beta testing, the Thermoflex Edge has demonstrated speeds of up to 15 sqm/hour with a single head at the 2,450 DPI. The Woodpecker Nano surface screening technology has demonstrated speeds of up to 8.5 sqm/hour, and the Woodpecker Sharp surface screening has exhibited speeds of up to 12 sqm/hour.

Fujifilm launched its Midori plates. This latest version of the company’s Flenex water-washable plates is optimized for LED exposure, while still suitable for UV exposure. Alongside the new plates, Fujifilm also launched the Flenex Pro processor.

Asahi Kasei introduced AWP-Revo plates that use Asahi’s CleanPrint technology, eliminating the need for detergent for washing, making them a more sustainable option. The plates are part of an ecosystem that includes a machine from Asahi that uses specialized brushes and water to wash the plates instead. This machine also recycles the water that it uses, another environmentally friendly feature.

Crownflex exhibited its complete platemaking system, including its speed dry cleaning processing machine. The dry cleaning machine uses thermal processing, rather than chemicals or water, so users don’t have liquid waste to dispose of afterward. Instead, a user only needs to dispose of a piece of cloth.

DuPont Cyrel celebrated 25 years of its Cyrel Fast thermal platemaking system. At Labelexpo, the company featured the newest generation equipment, the Cyrel Fast 1000 TD, which has recently become commercially available.

Meanwhile, platemounting machinery is trending toward higher levels of automation, reducing reliance on manual labor. For the first time at Labelexpo, Lehner demonstrated a robotic arm integrated with its platemounting machine. The arm picks up plates and places them onto the plate mounter, which then automatically wraps the plate around the cylinder. The only task an operator would still have to perform is inserting the cylinders. Lehner has not actually installed this particular setup at any client facility, though it received a positive reception at Labelexpo. The next step for this setup is to automate cylinder insertion.

AV Flexologic exhibited its latest SAMM 3.0 platemounter, offering more automation than previous versions. Earlier this year, the supplier launched Automated Visual Inspection (AVI), an AI-powered technology that integrates with platemounting equipment. It’s capable of identifying damaged mounting marks, and it improves accuracy and speed in the platemounting process.

Heaford showcased the manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic versions of its platemounting technology. Back by popular demand, the supplier also held its platemounting competition to demonstrate the speed and efficiency of its semi-automatic model. Sebastian Bolingbroke of MPS Systems won first place with a speed of 11.56 seconds.

Heaford’s semi-automatic plate mounter is the company’s most popular version, says sales director Tim Paul, though converters are increasingly investing in the fully automatic version.

‘As we see the transition to more complex jobs, and operator skills being more difficult to come by, we are seeing a shift to the automatic system,’ he says.

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Miraclon releases Flexcel NX Central Software 3.0

Selah Zighelboim — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:04:14 +0000

Miraclon is releasing Flexcel NX Central 3.0, the latest evolution of its centralized software hub for Flexcel plate production. Designed to streamline operations and maximize plate performance, the release introduces new capabilities.

At the core of the release is the Automated Calibration Tool, an intelligent feature that replaces manual calibration with a smart, self-service solution. By continuously validating and adjusting system settings, it ensures optimal platemaking conditions, significantly reducing variability and delivering consistent, high-precision plates.

'Flexcel NX Central 3.0 is another demonstration of Miraclon’s commitment to deliver precision, consistency and repeatability in the platemaking process — key pillars of modern flexo printing,' said Deana Conyard, director of product marketing and portfolio management, Miraclon. 'It empowers customers with greater simplicity and agility in their platemaking workflows, helping them achieve the highest levels of plate performance and print production.'

In addition to the new calibration capabilities, Flexcel NX Central 3.0 provides access to a suite of value-added features for the Flexcel NX System, including advanced triple-form surface patterning from Miraclon; PureFlexo Printing, which reduces unwanted ink spread and unscheduled press stops by up to 50 percent; and Automated Plate Layout, which eliminates 90 percent of the time spent manually producing plate layouts while boosting plate utilization by up to 10 percent.

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Miraclon releases Flexcel NX Central Software 3.0

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The software replaces manual calibration with the Automated Calibration Tool.

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The software replaces manual calibration with the Automated Calibration Tool.

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Asahi launches Quartz-certified plate

Piotr Wnuk — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:26:36 +0000

Asahi Photoproducts has launched its AWP-CLFQ water-wash plate, officially certified for Esko Quartz imaging, becoming the first solventless plate to achieve this certification and combining pixel-level precision with CleanPrint productivity for gravure-type quality in flexographic printing.

The new plate marks a milestone in high-end flexography, explicitly designed for Esko Quartz screening while remaining compatible with Esko Crystal MCWSI workflows. Its certification confirms AWP-CLFQ's ability to hold Esko's finest pixel structures on the plate, which merge into a single stable printed dot on press, delivering sharp highlights, smooth transitions to zero and dense solids within the familiar AWP water-wash platemaking process.

'AWP-CLFQ gives converters a decisive reason to switch from gravure to flexo,' commented Aki Kato, senior general manager of photoproducts division. 'By combining the precision of Esko Quartz with the productivity of Asahi's CleanPrint, we deliver a level of quality and process consistency previously exclusive to gravure, now with a sustainable solventless workflow.'

The plate was unveiled and certified during AWP Days 2025 in Japan, a technology event showcasing Asahi's Solvent ZERO roadmap. Print samples were also previewed at Allstein's Automation Open House earlier this month, where the plate impressed with high-density whites, strong solids and outstanding fades to zero on complex substrates.

Asahi Photoproducts has initiated a controlled commercial roll-out of AWP-CLFQ for quality-driven converters worldwide, supported by Esko and local Asahi distribution partners. Broader availability will follow as production capacity scales.

The AWP-CLFQ plate is specifically engineered for flexible packaging and film substrates, where gravure printing has long been dominant. With its Quartz-driven pixel-precise dot formation and clean ink transfer, the new plate delivers exceptional print density and tonal range even on demanding films.

Available in 1.14 mm thickness with 1.7 mm under development, the plate supports Asahi's broader Solvent ZERO strategy of replacing solvent-based platemaking with sustainable, high-performance water-wash alternatives. The plate demonstrates outstanding performance with the latest polyurethane solvent and water-based ink developments in the industry, leaving no ink residues thanks to Asahi's CleanPrint surface energy technology.

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Asahi launches Quartz-certified plate

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The new AWP-CLFQ plate delivers gravure-quality printing in a sustainable, solventless workflow.

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The new AWP-CLFQ plate delivers gravure-quality printing in a sustainable, solventless workflow.

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Asahi hosts AWP Days 2025 showcasing Revo Ecosystem

Piotr Wnuk — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 22:35:39 +0000

Asahi Photoproducts has hosted AWP Days 2025 in Japan, bringing together executives from leading printing and packaging companies to experience the AWP-Revo Ecosystem and strengthen relationships within the global flexographic community.

The event, held at Asahi Kasei's Fuji Plant and Tokyo headquarters, provided an exclusive platform for participants to exchange market insights and witness the company's latest advancements in sustainable flexographic printing.

The live demonstration of the AWP-Revo Ecosystem highlighted Asahi's detergent-free, water-based platemaking process. Visitors observed the complete system, including the AWP-Revo plate, AWP-Revo-2530AA Plate Processor and AWP-Loop Petite water recycling unit.

Print samples produced with AWP-Revo plates demonstrated registration accuracy, high solid densities and reduced downtime through Asahi's CleanPrint technology.

'It was a great pleasure to welcome our valued partners and customers from across the world to Japan,' noted Aki Kato, senior general manager of Asahi Kasei Photoproducts Division. 'Seeing them experience the AWP-REVO Ecosystem in action and discuss how it supports their sustainability and productivity goals was truly inspiring. Their feedback confirmed that we are on the right path toward a Solvent ZERO future, combining innovation, collaboration and environmental responsibility.'

The four-day program combined technical sessions, partner visits and networking activities. The event began with an opening seminar and guided tour at the Fuji Plant, followed by visits to partner facilities, including Yoshimoto Printing, where participants experienced the technology in a production environment.

The agenda featured informal networking experiences including a Zen meditation session, a winery visit and a Mount Fuji tour. The event concluded with a wrap-up session and farewell dinner at Asahi's Tokyo headquarters.

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Asahi hosts AWP Days 2025 showcasing Revo Ecosystem

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Global flexographic leaders gather in Japan to witness water-washable platemaking technology.

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Global flexographic leaders gather in Japan to witness water-washable platemaking technology.

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DuPont Cyrel achieves new heights at Labelexpo 2025

Will Drysdale — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 10:38:08 +0000

DuPont Cyrel Flexographic Solutions celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Fast Thermal Processing system. The Fast 1000 TD was installed at the heart of its Labelexpo Europe display and attracted huge crowds in Barcelona.

Jan Scharfenberg, business leader EMEA with DuPont Cyrel Flexographic Solutions, said: ‘This Labelexpo turned out to be extremely successful for us.

‘As we continue our 25 years of Fast celebrations, this year’s Labelexpo enabled us to not only showcase our latest equipment but to reconnect with many of our global customers, as well as close a number of deals.

‘Labelexpo served as a great meeting point for customers and partners, and this year was another success for our team. In addition to our booth, we displayed our plates and platemaking equipment at various partner booths, and our win a Fast 1000 TD competition, featuring a model kit of our flagship machine, attracted many visitors.’

Scharfenberg added that attendees also got the opportunity to see how quickly the Fast system can provide the first plate.

The continued success of the Fast thermal technology, with more than 1,500 installations worldwide, is a testament to the ongoing innovation and dedication that has ensured that the Cyrel Fast platemaking process has been continuously improved to meet changing demands since its launch at the turn of the millennium.

Scharfenberg said: ‘Importantly for today’s converters, it achieves all this while minimizing the environmental footprint of platemaking operations. With sustainability a core theme at Labelexpo, the event was the ideal platform on which to go into detail on the benefits of the DuPont™ Cyrel Fast system.’

A highlight of the Fast system was that it can reduce platemaking time by up to 75 per cent, which attendees were ‘amazed to learn’, said Scharfenberg. Additionally, other visitors commented on the dry, solvent-free process, meaning there is no need to touch any of the washout fluids.

‘VOC emissions by 99.8 per cent and the global warming potential is reduced by 48 per cent, minimizing environmental footprint,’ added Scharfenberg.

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DuPont Cyrel achieves new heights at Labelexpo 2025

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Labelexpo marked 25 years of Cyrel FAST thermal processing.

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Labelexpo marked 25 years of Cyrel FAST thermal processing.

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Gallus to host flexo technology open house in Switzerland

Piotr Wnuk — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 22:06:30 +0000

Gallus, Esko and Asahi Photoproducts have announced a Flexo Innovations Open House on November 19, 2025, at the Gallus facility in St. Gallen, Switzerland, bringing together printers and converters to explore developments in flexographic printing technology.

The event will feature live demonstrations on the Gallus Labelmaster press, expert presentations on flexo innovations and panel discussions with specialists from the three companies. Between 30 and 50 participants from across Europe are expected to attend the full-day program.

Key topics will include automation, sustainability and efficiency in flexo printing, with sessions covering the sustainability roadmaps of Esko and Asahi, as well as future trends in artificial intelligence for packaging printing.

'The Open House is designed for printers and converters who want to stay ahead in an evolving market,' the companies stated in a joint announcement.

The event provides a platform for interactive discussions and knowledge exchange between industry experts and peers. Participation is subject to written confirmation by Gallus and capacity limits. The detailed event agenda and registration form are available on the Gallus website.

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Gallus to host flexo technology open house in Switzerland

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The event features live demonstrations and expert presentations on industry innovations.

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The event features live demonstrations and expert presentations on industry innovations.

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Fotograbados Longo installs Miraclon Flexcel NX Technology

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:33:30 +0000

Fotograbados Longo has installed a Flexcel NX System with PureFlexo Printing from Miraclon at its facility in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, targeting fixed color palette adoption and process efficiency for customers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

Founded in 1938, Fotograbados Longo initially provided zinc plates for letterpress before becoming a key player in the development of the Argentinean flexography industry during the 1980s and 1990s.

The installation, completed earlier this year, includes a Flexcel NX System with PureFlexo Printing and a Shine LED Lamp Kit, which enabled the company to refurbish an older fluorescent exposure unit and increase LED plate exposure capacity.

'For us, [quality] isn't just about offering print quality. It's also about the quality, or efficiency, of the printing process,' commented Sebastian Longo, owner and managing director of Fotograbados Longo. 'We want our customers to be comfortable using our prepress tools, our plates. Comfort means no problems during press set-up or during the print run.'

Longo had tracked Miraclon's technology innovations for some time, with his membership of the judging panel for the Global Flexo Innovation Awards in 2019 and 2021 influencing his investment decision. The company provides a full prepress service for wide web flexible packaging, from packaging design to plate imaging.

PureFlexo Printing, available through Flexcel NX Print Suite for Flexible Packaging, utilizes triple-form plate surface patterning to resist ink spread during printing, lowering dot gain and reducing ink build-up. The technology enables fixed color palette printing by providing stability and control during production.

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Fotograbados Longo installs Miraclon Flexcel NX Technology

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Argentine trade shop adds PureFlexo Printing expands fixed color palette offerings.

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Argentine trade shop adds PureFlexo Printing expands fixed color palette offerings.

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Xsys debuts Thermoflex Edge at Labelexpo Europe 2025

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 01:41:03 +0000

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Print Systems launches machinery for water-wash plates at Labelexpo

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 01:25:42 +0000

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Plates & platemaking

Screen appoints German distributor

Labelexpo Europe 2025: Plates and platemaking

Selah Zighelboim

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Miraclon releases Flexcel NX Central Software 3.0

Asahi launches Quartz-certified plate

Asahi hosts AWP Days 2025 showcasing Revo Ecosystem

DuPont Cyrel achieves new heights at Labelexpo 2025

Gallus to host flexo technology open house in Switzerland

Fotograbados Longo installs Miraclon Flexcel NX Technology

Xsys debuts Thermoflex Edge at Labelexpo Europe 2025

Print Systems launches machinery for water-wash plates at Labelexpo