FTA names EskoArtwork’s Mark Samworth to Hall of Fame

The US Flexographic Technical Association has named Mark Samworth, color consultant at EskoArtwork, the 49th – and youngest – inductee into its Hall of Fame. The announcement was made at FTA's Annual Forum in Indianapolis.

Samworth's expertise in color science and understanding of technology led to his developing ten issued patents, with more pending. His inventions include FlexoCal, Hybrid Screening, Plate Cell Patterning, Concentric Screening, Equinox 7c process color, and Press Sync--technology that has helped promote, improve, and in some cases, revolutionize the flexographic process.

Samworth began his career with DuPont in 1984, where he held numerous positions in the areas of flexographic plates and electronic imaging. From there, he moved on to Professional Computing Corporation (PCC), which evolved into Artwork Systems and eventually merged with Esko-Graphics to form present-day EskoArtwork.

Samworth spoke at the FTA Forum for the first time in 1986, and then again in 1988, where by invitation from SpriralKote he described the process that led to the very first wide web Best of Show award printed with a photopolymer plate. In 1995 he took to the podium to deliver his own seminar on standardizing color space and digital proofing in flexography. Samworth, an early advocate of color management, is given considerable credit for its widespread use today in the flexo industry.

Since the seminar in 1995, Samworth has been a regular on the circuit, delivering annual presentations at 17 consecutive FTA Forums, as well as presenting at all of the industry's major events, on such topics as print reproduction, screening, calibration, digital imaging, optimization, and expanded color gamut printing.

In 2002, Samworth, along with industry colleague Mark Mazur, was presented with the FTA President's Award, in recognition for his work on Project FOG (flexo, offset, gravure) the first-ever print demonstration comparing all three processes.

Samworth achieved his first patent in 1993, for controlling tone reproduction, and a second one less than a year later on creating multi-colored halftone reproductions. Looking to find the best dot shapes, angles and ruling for screening solids, for example, Samworth developed plate cell patterns, taking what existed in anilox rolls and applying it to flexo printing plates. Recent patents have focused on expanded gamut printing technology, which promise to make flexo a viable process long into the future.

Click here for more stories about Flexographic Technical Association on L&L.com.

Click here for more stories about EskoArtwork on L&L.com.