Ahmedabad's Ankit Graphics adds India's first Screen Platerite flexo CTP system

This is the first installation for Dainippon Screen in India, informed Nitin Wani, who has been appointed as a country manager for business development by the manufacturer.

The machine poised to supply 42x60inch flexo plates to label converters and flexible packaging players in Western India. Ankit Darji, director, Ankit Graphics, said, “In the first two weeks of operation, we have been able to add five new clients to our portfolio.”

Prior to the installation, the company had a conventional flexo platemaking set-up. While investing in a digital Darji evaluated all the available products in the market. Darji, who is a polymer engineer from Napier University, Scotland, said, “We evaluated similar products from other vendors. However, the most deciding factor that went in favour of Screen was its resolution.”

The kit offers a maximum imaging resolution of 4,800 dpi and with a maximum plate output of four sq/m (43.75 sq/ft) per hour. “I was impressed with halftone dots being digitally produced by the system, highlight dots are optimized for platemaking and retained during printing using special screening technology by Screen,” said Darji.

He further said, “The machine has a capability to produce letterpress and metal back plates digitally thereby opening up an opportunity to cater to a wider market. With the technology we are able to image various thickness of plates ranging from 0.7 to 5.5 mm.”

 “With Screen PTR FX 1524 and workflow system, we have already done successful trials with exposing plates capable of printing 1% dot and are currently field testing 0.5% dot at 150lpi resolution on a customer demand,” added Darji.

Ankit Graphics was established as a block making firm in 1987 by Bakul Darji, a gold medalist in printing technology from R C Technical, after working in the industry for five years after graduation. It claims to be the sole supplier of flexo plates in the Western region of the country until 1995.

Ankit Darji joined his father Bakul Darji in 2008 and modernised the set-up. “I focused on maximum utilisation of capacities and once this was done we thought of investing in digital. That is how we bought Screen.”

With Screen Platerite, Ankit Graphics joins the league of top flexo pre-press bureaus in the country.