Packaging Solutions
Xitron has introduced Navigator Flexo Suite at Labelexpo.
Including several productivity tools designed specifically for flexo imaging, the modular workflow is fully compatible with any flexo CTP engine that accepts one-bit TIFF files, such as Amsky, Cron, Xeikon, and others.
Conceptualised in meetings with several flexo CTP vendors at last year’s Labelexpo in Brussels, the package was developed, tested, and sent to beta accounts around the world in the span of nine months. ‘We had a very specific list of requirements with which to work,’ said Karen Crews, president of Xitron. ‘Besides our meetings with flexo CTP manufacturers, we also worked with distributors and dealers before building the product roadmap. This gave us a short list of ‘must haves’ in terms of functionality. All of our CTP partners wanted a competitive price point, productivity beyond existing systems on the market, and the option of high fidelity screening for applications that require it.’
Navigator Flexo Suite starts with the ubiquitous Navigator RIP platform, of which more than 35,000 have been sold in commercial, inplant, digital, screen printing, inkjet, and flexo markets around the world.
Notably, Navigator Flexo Suite makes its debut being PDF 2.0 compliant right out of the box, as Xitron began shipping Navigator 12 on September 24.
It is coupled with the Client-Server properties of the Navigator workflow, which gives all pre-press operators submission, modification, pixel level preview, and throughput control of jobs from their own workstations. This allows them to work independently and without interruption from anywhere on the network. Finally, all the colour separated job plates are collected by Navigator Plate Controller, which helps the operator assemble the final flexo plate for output with as little material waste as possible.
The optional high fidelity screening engine gives users the ability to specify FM to AM crossover points between highlights/shadows and mid tones while also letting them determine minimum dot size through nine levels of sustainable ‘smart dots’. Users are able to customise the screening based on platesetter exposure accuracy and the print results of each individual press. Those customised set ups are retained as screening templates for repeated use.
