Kodak has launched its Kodak Cutting and Creasing Tables so prepress operations can achieve new levels of predictability of the final printed piece with packaging mockups and comps produced using a Kodak Approval Digital Colour Imaging System.
Kodak
says its Digital Cutting and Creasing Tables offer fast, accurate cutting and
creasing of substrates used in the mockup, comping and prepress production
stages of packaging design. Producing a scored, cut carton in as little
as 60 seconds, the tables use tangential knives and two- or three-point
creasing wheels, keeping the substrate in place with a vacuum hold-down
feature.
Vic Stalam, director of market segments and vice president, Packaging Products,
Kodak says, "By using Approval System proofs and an automated cutting table for
comps and proofs, prepress operations can reduce the inevitable delays that
come from human error, allowing comp makers to focus on the art of creating the
package design instead of the workmanlike cutting and scoring. Prepress and
trade shops can increase substantially the number of comps they can produce in
a day, allowing them to increase their profitability by serving more customers
with stronger, more exact comps in less time."
Available in two sizes, A2 format at 650x450mm) and A1 Format of 850x650mm, the
Cutting and Creasing Tables handle a full range of packaging substrates
including folding carton, corrugated, and flexible materials. When used in
conjunction with the Approval Digital Color Imaging System, the Cutting and
Creasing Tables help operators produce comps with accurately matched spot
color, ensuring their customers' confidence in the printer's ability to produce
perfect product packaging.
The Digital Cutting and Creasing Tables operate using Engview Package Designer
software, an advanced production CAD/CAM system for designers of folding carton
and corrugated packaging. Engview Package Designer includes a CAM module that drives the
cutting tables to produce accurate cut and scores. A touch-screen control
on the cutting table allows users to input all of the specifications for their
comp. The table integrates into the production workflow through a USB or
network connection, allowing users to send the specifications to the table from
a desktop PC.
In addition to cutting, creasing and scoring, the Digital Cutting and Creasing
Tables use the scoring tools and the tables' pin registration system to create
an embossed effect, pressing a customer logo or other graphics into the comp.
The registration system ensures pinpoint accuracy, producing a precise
image and further boosting confidence in the end product.
Service providers who produce comps of products or packaging for pre-release
photography will find the Kodak Digital Cutting and Creasing Tables
particularly effective, Stalam noted.
"Often, photo-ready product mock-ups need to look even better than the final
printed package or manufactured product, because of the stringent requirements
of photography and video," he said. "The combination of Kodak Approval color
proofing and the Kodak Digital Cutting and Creasing Table will make the
creation of accurate, high-quality comps easier, more predictable and more
consistent in quality from one comp to the next."
With its ability to accurately match spot colors across thousands of substrates
used in packaging, the Approval Digital Color Imaging System stands out as a
premier solution used in packaging prepress applications and in the creation of
color accurate mockups and comps. Approval System Proofs are the most specified
among agency creative professionals and brand owners worldwide. The Approval
Digital Color Imaging System can accurately simulate all production processes,
generating millions of brilliant spot, specialty, corporate and brand colours.
