RPC Bebo Nederland and plate production specialist Graphic Studio Pro6 have introduced a laser engraving system for printing containers, spreads, fats and edible oils, which they say allows greater definition in the detail of dry offset images.
An extension of the Dutch RPC business's Supreme Quality Printing technology, launched in 2005, the system has already been used successfully to print a container for Portuguese brand Prado, manufactured by Rogerio Leal. The latest in a long line of joint projects between RPC Bebo Nederland and Graphic Studio Pro6 has seen Supreme Quality Printing combined with Pro6's “state-of-the-art” 3-Dimensional Control printing plates.
“In contrast to” conventional plate production methods, RPC says 3-Dimensional Control uses an extremely precise laser to engrave the image, reportedly eliminating an established problem with conventional plates, where soft colours become prone to hard edges. RPC explains this occurs because such plates' uniform image height makes them sensitive to dot gain, magnifying a 1% dot to as much as 10%. In contrast Dimensional Control plates incorporate a difference in height between dots, resulting in greater control over the colour percentage. Using the new plates CMYK images can reportedly be produced via dry offset and RPC Bebo Nederland says it believes the photographic images produced equal, or surpass, the quality offered by the “more expensive” in-mould labelling process.
“3-Dimensional Control and laser engraving represent a new dimension in dry-offset printing, and we are sure yellowfat brands will recognise the benefits as soon as they see the quality of results,” says Gerard Zwiers, RPC Bebo Nederland sales manager.
