Pin Mark: And the search for perfect screening — The Noel D’Cunha Sunday Column

“Our strength has always been a deep understanding of how flexo plates behave on the press,” says Rutul Zaveri, highlighting Pin Mark’s commitment to press-ready precision. “We don’t just make plates; we work closely with printers to fine-tune their pre-press workflow, ensuring that what they see on-screen is exactly what they get on paper or film.” 

From its early days, Pin Mark has stayed ahead of the curve by investing in cutting-edge imaging and exposure technologies, ensuring that its plates meet the most demanding print requirements. The company’s transition to its current state-of-the-art facility in 2014 was a milestone, enabling it to scale operations while enhancing automation, quality control, and pre-press efficiency.

“Flexo printing in India has seen a shift in expectations,” says Urjit Zaveri. “Brand owners are pushing for gravure-like quality, and printers are looking at flexo as a viable alternative. Our role is to bridge that gap through innovation in prepress through screening, plate technology and workflow automation.” 

This commitment to innovation is reflected in Pin Mark’s adoption of advanced digitally modulated screening (DMS) and automated pre-press optimisation tools. The company has introduced jointless elastomer sleeves for CI flexo, addressing one of the industry’s biggest challenges—seamless printing without registration gaps.

As a specialist pre-press bureau, Pin Mark operates at the intersection of print science and production efficiency, ensuring that its customers achieve high-quality, consistent, and cost-effective flexo output. With a foundation built on technical expertise and a future-focused approach to flexographic advancements, the company continues to shape the evolution of flexo printing in India. 

Bellissima is changing the screening game
The flexographic industry has long struggled with achieving fine details, smooth tonal transitions, and expanded colour gamut, often falling behind gravure and offset in terms of print quality. PinMark’s implementation of Bellissima digitally modulated screening (DMS) is transforming the possibilities for flexo printing, achieving results that were previously considered unattainable. The screening technology modulates dot structures based on tonal percentage, ensuring finer details, improved vignettes, and smoother mid-tones.

“Bellissima eliminates the visible dot structure, which is a common issue in gravure and flexo conversion,” says Rutul Zaveri. “This results in a print appearance that is closer to gravure or digital output, particularly in areas where tonal smoothness is critical.”

Traditional AM and FM screening methods distribute dots in a fixed or random pattern, often leading to ink filling and inconsistent tone reproduction. Bellissima structures the dots in a way that reduces pick-up and filling, enabling printers to maintain consistent reproduction over long runs. “Text sharpness is another advantage,” says Urjit Zaveri. “We have tested Bellissima on the fine text and security microtext applications, and the results show improved edge clarity, which was a challenge in flexo earlier.”

PinMark’s trials have shown that Bellissima works at equivalent to 350-lpi while delivering results superior to 150- to 175-lpi with standard screening. Tests on CI flexo presses indicate that higher LPI printing can be achieved without requiring high anilox line counts, a factor that typically affects ink depth and transfer efficiency.

“Printers working with extended colour gamut (ECG) can benefit significantly,” says Rutul. “The screening allows better colour vibrancy and grey balance using CMY, reducing dependence on spot colours and optimising ink consumption.”

A recent Bellissima job achieved close to 350-lpi surface print on CI flexo, a process generally limited to 120- to 133-lpi due to ink composition constraints. “The same inks and setup were used, but the tonal were significantly improved,” says Urjit.
PinMark has begun deploying DM screening in the Indian market and sees it as a tool for enhancing flexo’s competitiveness against gravure and digital alternatives. “The adoption curve will take time,” says Urjit, “but early adopters have reported faster make-
ready times, reduced waste, and better print stability.” 

Elastomer sleeves and jointless printing
PinMark has developed elastomer sleeves for continuous printing, eliminating the plate gap that occurs with conventional flexo plates mounted on sleeves. The company has been supplying jointless elastomer sleeves for CI flexo over the last seven years targeting converters looking for seamless print reproduction and reduced setup time.

“The plate gap has always been a limitation in flexo when CI printers want to convert any typical gravure job in flexo,” says Rutul. “For brand-critical applications such as tobacco and high-end flexible packaging, visible joints can be a deal-breaker. By shifting to jointless elastomer sleeves, converters can maintain print continuity without compromising on efficiency.”

The elastomer sleeves are directly mounted onto the press mandrel or adapter sleeve, eliminating the need for tape or plate mounting procedures. “There’s no requirement for mounting tape, which saves consumable costs and reduces press downtime,” says Urjit. “Printers can achieve faster registration and more stable lateral alignment with the sleeves.”

A recent job in the tobacco packaging segment combined three colours printed with three elastomer sleeves and three flexo plates sleeves and three with flexo plates, achieving jointless reproduction while optimising costs. “The customer could see the cost savings immediately,” says Rutul.

Elastomer sleeves also extend print life, with an observed durability of three to four times that of conventional polymer plates. In paper-based flexo applications, sleeves have lasted five to six times longer compared to polymer alternatives.

“The expected mileage from a standard flexo plate is around one-million impressions in ideal conditions, says Urjit. “With elastomer sleeves, we have recorded three to four times that under similar conditions, making them viable for long-run production.”

Additionally, elastomer sleeves can be configured for high-GSM coating applications where polymer plates struggle to transfer higher ink volumes. “We have engineered sleeve structures that deliver up to 2-to 3-gsm with standard flexo plates,” says Rutul.

The elastomer material also withstands aggressive solvents, including toluene, making it suitable for challenging ink and varnish applications. “This robustness makes them a better choice for flexo processes that require high durability,” says Urjit.

The cost of elastomer sleeves remains higher than polymer plates, making them suitable for longer runs where their durability and efficiency outweigh initial investment costs. “It’s about finding the right balance,” says Rutul. “For some applications, a hybrid approach—using sleeves for key colours and plates for the rest—can optimise costs while achieving jointless reproduction.” 

Pin Mark continues to expand its elastomer sleeve offering for both wide-web CI flexo and mid-web flexo applications, particularly where white ink laydown or large solid areas require seamless ink transfer without visible breaks. “Converters who have made the shift see the benefits in reduced changeover time and improved print stability,” says Urjit. 

Pre-press potential
PinMark has integrated automation into its pre-press workflow to minimise manual intervention and ensure consistent output across different jobs and substrates. The company uses Esko’s automation system to handle routine tasks, allowing pre-press operators to focus on critical colour separations and quality control.

“We have automated step-and-repeat, pre-flighting, and colour profile generation,” says Rutul. “This ensures faster turnaround times and reduced risk of errors, allowing our pre-press team to concentrate on core competency – colour separation.”

Pin Mark’s experience of over four decades in flexo pre-press has been crucial in refining automation. The company has established more than 95% first-time accuracy in print reproduction. “In most cases, there are no major adjustments required at the
press,” says Rutul. “We continue to update our dynamic press profiles, ensuring that any deviations in print conditions are corrected in pre-press.”

Pin Mark deploys AI-based tools for colour profiling. “We print colour charts, analyse Delta E variations, and fine-tune CMYK conversions,” says Urjit. “The AI system helps us in achieving colour consistency across the SKUs.”

This precision is particularly critical for ECG (Extended Colour Gamut) printing, where PinMark helps printers optimise their CMYK+OGV process. “The majority of Pantone shades can be achieved with ECG, but pre-press profiling and press standardisation are key to ensuring colour consistency across the runs,” says Rutul.

The company’s pre-press workflow also factors in different substrate absorbency rates, allowing it to generate print-ready files optimised for film, paperboard, and corrugated applications. “Each substrate absorbs ink differently,” says Urjit. “Our fingerprinting process accounts for these variables, allowing us to standardise print output for each material type.”

Pin Mark’s investment in pre-press automation has optimised processing times while ensuring accuracy. “Automation doesn’t replace expertise,” says Rutul. “It allows us to spend more time refining the finer details that improve print quality and consistency.” 
Pin Mark’s green goal

Sustainability in flexo pre-press is often overlooked, but Pin Mark has integrated a structured approach to reducing waste, optimising resources, and improving environmental impact. The company has implemented a green solvent system that makes it easier to recycle chemicals used in plate-making. All of Pin Mark’s chemical waste is recycled through its in-house distillation plant, where only 10-15% of the material is discarded. The discarded portion is further repurposed by external agencies for industrial and water treatment solutions.

Rutul explains, “We manage sustainability at our production stage by reusing and recycling chemicals. We also ensure that what is discarded is repurposed, reducing waste significantly.”

Beyond in-house sustainability, the focus also extends to improving the efficiency of flexo plates to reduce material wastage at the printer’s end. 95% of Pin Mark’s plates deliver the required results on the first press run, minimising makeready waste and ink
consumption.

However, flexo plates themselves are not reusable. Once a print job is completed, the plates are discarded by printers. Pin Mark’s strategy to address this limitation is through plate life extension. Elastomer sleeves used in flexo printing last three to four times longer than traditional polymer plates. In some cases, plate life has increased by five to six times in paper printing applications.

Pin Mark’s sustainability initiatives align with cost-saving measures for printers. Urjit states, “A key aspect of sustainability is reducing the need for frequent plate changes. If a plate or sleeve can last multiple runs, it saves cost and reduces waste.”
Helping converters excel

Pin Mark’s approach to pre-press has contributed to multiple award-winning print jobs for its customers. The company has worked closely with many converters who have won awards. However, the company’s two converters in 2024 have shone at the recent Asian Packaging Excellence Awards 2024 - Flexure Print Pack and Letra Graphix.  Pin Mark ensured the award winners' pre-press solutions aligned with the technical requirements of each print job.

For Flexure, Pin Mark optimised CMYK separations to enable printing without spot colours. In a complex print job involving eight different designs, Pin Mark used 200-lpi screening to enhance detail clarity in small product images. Another award-winning print involved 193-lpi  screening for frozen food packaging, achieving high-quality drop shadows and vignettes. Two of Flexure’s jobs won gold and silver awards, with both processes driven by Pin Mark’s pre-press interventions. 

Rutul explains, “We worked closely with the press team to understand their anilox size, ink viscosity, and other parameters. This helped in profiling the right dot structure and colour separation, ensuring consistency across designs.”

In Letra Graphics’ case, Pin Mark’s surface screenings and dot structures were key in optimising ink transfer and vibrancy. Six of Letra Graphics’ jobs won awards, three for flexo and three for digital-hybrid applications. For one print job, Pin Mark converted a three-colour background into a single Pantone plus magenta, reducing ink consumption while maintaining the required vibrancy. 

Where Pin Mark is headed next
As flexo printing evolves, Pin Mark is focusing on enhancing pre-press automation, refining screening technologies, and expanding jointless elastomer sleeve solutions. The shift towards short-run packaging and high-quality flexo applications means converters are seeking cost-effective alternatives to gravure and digital printing.

Rutul says, “Flexo has reached a stage where converters are expecting near-digital quality. Technologies like Bellissima screening and extended gamut printing will continue to push the boundaries.” He adds that the demand for jointless printing in CI flexo is expected to grow, with Pin Mark working on hybrid solutions that integrate elastomer sleeves with flexo plates for cost efficiency.

Urjit, who has taken charge of marketing and production, sees sustainability and print security as the next big areas for growth. “There is scope to develop security printing applications within flexo, using high-resolution screens and micro-texts. We are also working with customers to introduce plates and elastomer solutions that improve ink efficiency.”

While pre-press is a behind-the-scenes operation, Pin Mark’s approach is clear—work closely with printers to optimise their processes, reduce ink and plate costs, and maintain consistency across runs. The long-term vision is to ensure that pre-press is no longer a bottleneck but a competitive advantage for printers adapting to market shifts.

At Pin Mark, decision-making is always a collaboration, both within the company and with its customers. Minesh Bhai, with his extensive pre-press experience, continues to guide technical innovations, while Rutul and Urjit focus on customer needs and new applications. On the customer side, achieving the best print result often involves intense discussions between Pin Mark and printers, balancing technical feasibility with market demands. As Rutul puts it, “Printers want the best quality, and we push the limits of
pre-press to get them there. It’s a continuous dialogue—sometimes they challenge us, sometimes we challenge them.”

With a combination of experience, technology, and process-driven pre-press, Pin Mark is positioning itself as a flexo innovation partner for printers looking to stay ahead.