Screen USA Media Day Has Busy Agenda

Published: July 03, 2012

ROLLING MEADOWS, IL | Screen USA held its first open house in Rolling Meadows the week of June 25. The event, which the company hopes to make an annual occurrence, began with Media Day. President Mike Fox welcomed the trade press, noting that the company’s drupa theme was “Take a Closer Look,” a reference to the “tremendous changes over the past few years, with more on the way.”

Screen has a long history in graphic arts, established in 1967 as the first overseas subsidiary of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co. The parent company, incorporated in 1943 with headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, was the outgrowth of a manufacturing concern going back to the mid-1800s. Screen offers a comprehensive range of Truepress digital printing systems, PDF- and JDF-based workflow solutions for computer-to-plate and print-on-demand, and PlateRite thermal platesetters.

The heart of Media Day was the appearance of six customers offering (unsolicited) testimonials about their Screen equipment. Several themes ran through the presentations, including high-quality tech support and training, smooth-running machines that often do more than promised, and ease of operation.

Kern Cox, an instructor from the Clemson University–Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, offered a detailed analysis of a study commissioned by Screen on its flexo dot high-res hybrid screening.

The intent of the study was to compare Screen’s imaging technology to itself on four conditions, (1) 2400 ppi round dot, (2) 4800 ppi round dot (3) 4800 ppi FX-S dot (4) 4800 ppi FX-L. ( S = short dot, L = Long dot ).

According to Cox, “Our findings did reveal Screen’s FX-S [short dot] screening was the best performer for our test configuration: low volume anilox roller, UV ink, coated substrate, servo drive press, medium density stickyback, and solvent traditional digital flexo plate.”

In the study, FX-S had a smooth transition into the highlights and resulted low tone reproduction values. The conclusion, says Cox, was that Screen has digital screening algorithms that can alter and improve print results for flexography. “Screen is able to image small elements around dots that help control and stabilize the final dots on a flexo printing plate. The screening algorithm for printers will vary depending on what each press configurations is, but Screen has the technology to optimize for a printers’ environment.”

Guests were then invited to view several Screen machines while technicians answered questions and highlighted features. Keep your eye on pffc-online.com in the upcoming weeks for information in this space on some of those machines.

In his wrapup, Mike Fox noted that Screen (USA) is transitioning into growth areas, including packaging, labels, and folding cartons and focusing on areas with population growth such as China, India, Latin, Central, and North America. A high-speed label printer was introduced at drupa, and the Truepress JetSX variable-data B2 sheetfed inkjet press now can print on paperboard to 0.6 mm thick.

Media Day at Screen concluded in a tent where the trade press enjoyed a barbeque dinner accompanied by a jamming blues band.

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