For long, the converting industry has been grappling with restricted availability of the right type of substrate supporting direct digital printing without prior priming /coating or surface treatment for that matter.

To alleviate this problem, Uflex has launched a special polyester film, F-PDP, with modified surface on one side while the other side remaining untreated. This film is digitally printable without any need for priming/ coating.

This film can be directly printed without requiring printing plates/ cylinders as in the case of conventional printing process. Additionally, the film demonstrates good transparency; optical clarity; excellent machinability and dimensional stability besides offering excellent flatness and agile handling properties.

The polyester (PET) film F-PDP has been certified by Rochester Institute of Technology for digital printing by HP Indigo.

There are number of benefits associated with digitally printable PET films. These include

• Suitable for small-run jobs particularly for new launch or re-launch of products
• Minimises lead time at the converter’s end because no primer/ coating is required
• Gives excellent print results with high quality resolution for pictures and halftone jobs, using primary colors and white, giving results at par with conventional printing even on transparent substrates
• Option of special colors like gold, silver, etc can further impart depth in printing

JK Sharma, AGM, technical service and new product development (films), Uflex, said, “Our special F-PDP film is a perfect delight for convertors at a time when the entire world is moving towards just-in-time deliveries, minimising inventories. Additionally, polyester is able to withstand high temperatures and remains stable and inert to many chemicals further enhancing its suitability for convertors.”

Pramod Sirsamkar, president, technical and new product development (films), Uflex said, “Depending upon the requirements of the ensuing converting process, we can offer F-PDP film in various thicknesses ranging from 10-50 microns. The demand for this substrate is quite encouraging both in India as well as overseas as a result of which we are manufacturing it at all our plants — India, UAE, Poland, Egypt, Mexico and USA.”

Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, Uflex, added, “Digital printing spells immense convenience for convertors in terms of economised costs; suitability for shorter print runs; less set up time compared to offset printing and unmatched print consistency among others. I am happy that Uflex has engineered a special polyester substrate that is perfectly receptive for digital printing without requiring any priming/ coating or special treatment.”