Bagnolo Mella, Italy-based printer Graficasette purchases Kodak Sonora XP Process Free Plates, saying plates provide quality and productivity, reduce environmental impact, and simplify operations

Aimee Bellah

EYSINS, Switzerland , May 28, 2014 (press release) – KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates deliver quality, productivity and sustainability to a company committed to reducing its environmental impact

Graficasette entered the printing business in 1977. Today it is an industrial printworks with headquarters in Bagnolo Mella, near Brescia, Italy, which employs twenty people and produces sales brochures, catalogues, gadgets, magazines, pre-printed forms, posters and fine books as well as cardboard cases, boxes, cardboard posters, shopping bags and many other articles.

Graficasette was looking for a quality plate that was also sustainable and found the ideal solution in KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates. When the press is started up, the dampening solution is absorbed and prepares the un-imaged coating for removal. The press eliminates the coating after the first few prints.

By eliminating all processing, KODAK SONORA XP Process Free plates increase productivity, simplify operations, eliminate the costs associated with purchase and disposal of processing chemicals, require less physical space and reduce energy consumption. Costs associated with maintenance of developing equipment are also eliminated and better process control is achieved by removing all the development variables. Rapid exposure increases productivity on all CTP devices and print quality is assured because, once activated in the press with the dampening solution, the plate is stable and no longer reacts.

The decision to use KODAK SONORA XP Process Free plates is perfectly in line with the company philosophy to produce materials in an environmentally responsible way. After obtaining ISO 9001 certification in 2003, it also obtained the ISO 14001 environmental certification in 2010. Its commitment to improving environmental performance is demonstrated through the company’s choices to use sustainable paper that is FSC certified and KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates that completely eliminate chemistry.

The company also operates a 156KW photovoltaic system, of which 130 KW are mounted on the roof, clearing asbestos components at the same time. The system produces electricity without emitting harmful substances.

Making changes to grow

“Today we need to find the courage to make changes, not only to survive, but to grow,” Remo Cattina, one of the partners at Graficasette, explains. “We realized that we had to offer our customers something new if we intended to become a supplier of comprehensive graphics services. That's how the SevenMediaLab project took shape. It's a network of professional specialists working for Graficasette, united in a strong and consolidated team to provide customers with turnkey graphics projects that save them enormous quantities of time and energy. The Lab prepares communications projects such as websites, ADV pages, trade fair stands, 3D photos, videos and renderings, graphic design and, obviously also offers its printing services to complement digital printing, all tailor-made to meet the individual requirements of the customer.”

“In this way,” says Alberto Brioni, sales manager for SevenMediaLab, “Graficasette is not just a graphics industry business supplying printed products but a true partner. The lab members, with their different specializations and experiences, have created an enterprise network, while the project leaders are in Graficasette, where the technical office of SevenMediaLab is also located. We chose to call the communications services company by its own name, instead of using that of the printworks, because we wanted it to acquire its own standing. This structure sets us apart from the usual communications agency, which has no production company to back it up."

The activities of SevenMediaLab have also generated printing orders, confirming the trend of integrating the printed paper format with multimedia content, to enrich it.

“Naturally, print quality is paramount and with production based on process free plates sustainability is truly enhanced, not only because we use no chemicals for developing but also because we produce less waste, all thanks to KODAK SONORA XP Process Free plates” concludes Brioni.

Calibration of KODAK SONORA XP Process Free plates

Graficasette uses KODAK PRINERGY Workflow that includes the HARMONY software to manage the workflow. Here are the steps in detail for calibrating the plates:

The hardware technician calibrates the CTP to guarantee the best imaging on the plates in terms of focus and laser power. A test plate is imaged without applying any specific curve (uncalibrated output). The test plate is then mounted on the press and printed according to ISO standards. A few sample sheets are selected and read with the spectrophotometer. The measurements are taken to create the current curve in HARMONY. The target curve is based on ISO standard TVI, depending on the type of paper used. HARMONY calculates the calibration curve to be applied for all jobs in these printing conditions by combining the current and target curves. The final step is optional and consists of imaging the test plate again applying the calibration curve. Then it is mounted on the press to check the results.

As specified by the standard, this procedure must be repeated for each printing condition, or rather combining the plate-paper-resolution-printing machine-inks.

It's important to note that Harmony is the traditional tool for generating the curves in KODAK PRINERGY Workflow. KODAK COLORFLOW Software was first released in 2010 and offers all the various color calibration technologies - curves, profiles and chromatic formulas - in a single package. It can substitute Harmony completely and can also provide start-to-finish color management from the input file to the color test and printing. To ensure complete backward compatibility, both products are presently included and active in the workflow. Customers can give priority to one or the other at their discretion, depending on their previous configuration.

Olivier Claude, General Manager Print EMEA, Kodak, explains: “We’re delighted to be working with Graficasette to help meet its ever-changing business needs. As a dynamic company which provides a high quality service with commitment and care, Graficasette’s decision to install KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates is testament to the impact that our technology can have on a printer’s capabilities. By reducing production complexity, operational costs and environmental impact, Graficasette will increase overall efficiency and print value, meaning business will be more profitable and sustainable in the long term.”

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