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44 | L&L
How offset punches
above its weight
BARRY Hunt looks at how recent offset developments meet market demands
Offset's place in a flexo-dominated industry has always been
somewhat ambivalent. On one hand it has some firm converts,
especially among the larger converting groups, while for most
converters it remains a closed book. Nevertheless, activity among
some narrow/mid-web press manufacturers has increased, as
was evident at Labelexpo Europe. As with other processes,
the accent is on achieving fast set-up times and quicker job
changeovers to handle larger volumes of short-run jobs. These
LABELS&LABELING
carefully refined objectives have changed the dynamics for all
production processes, due largely to the remorseless influence of
the international brand owners and own-brand retailers.
Of course, print quality is a given, along with consistency.
Offset has a head start here because it works with proven,
globally-recognized quality standards. Operators can quickly
achieve accurate color measurements and precise control over
ink settings during set-ups and the print run. The reproduction