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Customer Testimony < Star Proof < Proofing Family < Products < Home
Customer Testimony JFM invest for a better dot Visitors to the company will be familiar with Eddie Lizard. A friendly little Australian bearded lizard that gets plenty of attention from visitors in reception - something different but this family run company, like Eddie, has not grown into a giant. Although founded almost 30 years ago by John McKee, the company has maintained a low profile retaining a family atmosphere and today whilst John keeps a stabling influence, his team is promoting changes within JFM Plates. His team comprises of his wife Jean, two sons Mark (general manager) and Matthew, sister Anne, Dave and Steve and last hut not by any means least, his daughter Laura who has just come into the business. Its traditional litho platemaking market has declined and today accounts for only about 5% of the company's business being virtually superseded by flexo pre-press and wide web digital printing. When flexo plate production started in 1996 it was not long before it became apparent that digital imaging was the future of flexo and if the company was going to maintain and win new customers it had to invest. It invested in a CDI Spark (25 x 30") in 2004 and as Mark McKee explains: 'We now found that while the CDI was providing a perfect dot at the imaging stage, we were losing some of the dots in the fine highlights with our traditional analogue processing. We purchased a FAST frame from DuPont and by using Flint Plates Ace plate for the screen work and its Art plate for the line and solids, the change in quality through this combination was excellent.' He goes on to point out that most of the work undertaken is for the narrow web label market but the next stage in the company's evolution will be an investment in a larger size CDI. enabling it to enter - the wider format market for flexible packaging. The Spark will be retained for outputting the narrow format plates. Explains Matthew McKee: 'We also provide a service whereby we supply the repro for printers that then output the plates on their own premises through a digital imager.' A Better Proof Key to all aspects of plate production is the ability to provide a printing plate that matches the approved proof. A little over a year ago JFM Plates invested in the Compose Star Proof system. Mark takes up the story: 'It was clear we had to improve our proofing ability, we tried several systems including Star Proof but at the time it did not read the LEN file, this meant we had to RIP the file through another device. We had actually placed an order for another proofing system but in the short space of time that prevailed we found that the Star Proof then incorporated a reader for the LEN (a file which the Esko CDI understands). It now did everything we wanted with a single RIP and we purchased the first Star Proof system with this development.' Mark admits that not all printers are prepared to pay the extra for such a proof but for him it provides a copy of exactly what has been output as a plate and should there be a problem on press it can be pointed out and it might not be with the plate, therefore Star Proof acts as the perfect QC tool. The system does not proof on the actual substrate the printer will use but will proof on a matt or gloss finish. It has the power to produce 200 lpi contract proofs using an inkjet printer. The dot system will replicate original screening and dot patterns at proofing resolutions that will mirror the plate on press. Investment has also included screening technology like Perfect Highlight whereby using proprietary screening like Samba from Esko, isolated dots are supported at its base for better vignettes and soft shadows. A New Era JFM Plates is keen to maintain its traditional values; it has no aspirations to become 'big and corporate' but is there to provide a personal and friendly service to its printer customers, although Mark McKee is the first to admit that it needs to raise its profile. With the necessary investment that has been key for the company's future, a better product for the flexo market is available. In recent weeks a new revamped website has been launched (www.jfmplates.co.uk) explaining all the services for not only the flexo element of its business but that of litho, letterpress and its 3D proofing technology for on-line packaging designs and the digital printing technology. Soon to be launched is an on-line ordering facility providing all necessary job tracking facilities and along with future investment into wider format digital flexo plate making, the company has built a platform for growth. Flexo Tech October / November 2007
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