Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, today reported that it is supporting the upcoming Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) tour to be conducted by Dr. Kai Lankinen, a renowned ECG expert, during the Labelexpo Europe show. Labelexpo Europe is scheduled for 11 to 14 September in Brussels. Asahi Photoproducts will be located on Stand 5a34 and demonstrating a variety of ways that the future of sustainable label and flexible packaging production is available today, including the value of implementing Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) printing and how the company can work with flexo operations to help them along their road to Solvent ZERO. Printing with expanded gamut process colors allows for a broader color gamut and typically includes CMYK plus orange, green and violet. By adding these three additional base inks into the process, producers can achieve a much closer match to traditional formulated spot ink colors as well as eliminate the need to wash up the press between jobs. Minimizing or eliminating solvent use in the plate production process is a key step for many flexo operations in reducing their carbon footprint and offering a more sustainable flexo operation and a cleaner, more enjoyable working environment.
“We are pleased to support Labelexpo Europe 2023, the industry’s most important European show,” said Dieter Niederstadt, Asahi’s Technical Marketing Manager. “In addition to featuring our Carbon Neutral AWPTM CleanPrint plates, we will also be focused on the value that ECG printing brings to flexo printing operations.
This includes higher quality and improved productivity, since press wash-ups between jobs are reduced or eliminated using this approach and it is easier to achieve almost all Pantone colors, greatly expanding the color gamut that can be produced with flexographic printing. Asahi experts will be on hand to answer visitor questions and recommend solutions to existing challenges they may be facing.”
In addition, well-known ECG expert Dr. Kai Lankinen will be conducting walking tours of five ECG booths, including the Asahi booth, on Tuesday and Wednesday during the show. Dr. Lankinen, founder of Dr. Lankinen Graphic Innovations, is a results-oriented international professional packaging printing consultant who is passionate about #Efficiency and #Sustainability through implementing #ExpandedGamut (#ECG) technology. Proven results include increasing productivity, better eco-efficiency, achieving cost savings and CO2 footprint reduction in packaging. Dr. Lankinen has 20+ years of experience in the industry working closely with brand owners and packaging printers.
As recently as 2020, Pantone estimated that between 15 and 25 percent of all packaging is printed using ECG based on printers using ECG software. The company expects this to increase by more than half over the next decade, and there is opportunity for that percentage to grow even more as flexo companies take advantage of the types of educational opportunities Asahi is offering at Labelexpo. In the Labels & Labeling article, Pantone noted that using ECG with CMYK alone can usually achieve around 65 percent of the Pantone book, while using 7-color printing can expand this percentage range to 90 percent, virtually eliminating the need for the use of spot color inks. Additionally, Asahi estimates that using ECG results in a savings of plate materials in the range of 20 percent.
Asahi AWP™ CleanPrint plates are water washable, supporting the company’s Solvent ZERO approach to product development. The AWP™-DEW plates are already certified 
Carbon Neutral in collaboration with the Carbon Trust and the AWP™-CleanFlat plates are currently in the final stages of the Carbon Neutral approval program. Both plates are designed with sustainability in mind. Due to their precise registration, these plates are ideal for ECG printing. They reduce waste and environmental impact by minimizing ink and solvent usage and reducing makeready time and waste. And since they are water washable, they eliminate the need for harsh chemicals in the platemaking process.
