package printing industry and provides high quality plates and films
for labels,bags, boxes, and cartons using advancedtechnology.
The ability to create highly accurate color proofs, as well as first
rate films and plates for flexography, gravure, letterpress, rotary
screen, and lithography, has made Cincinnati Precision Plate a key
industry player in its category.
Founded by Bill Painer and Gary McKinney in 1978, the now 40,000
sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility boasts 30 employees specializing in
the flexographic and offset markets, as well as proofing, graphic
design, and web page development. The Macintosh-based operation
relies on high-end imaging and production software.
Jim Edwards, Cincinnati Precision Plate Plant Manager, says it
wasn’t long ago that he and his team began researching workflow
technologies that would allow the company to get closer to offset
quality in production.
OpenRIP Flexo simplifies prepress for labels by handling all the
repetitive and tedious work of preparing files for output: The
SmartDie™ feature automatically applies the correct step & repeat,
distortion, bearer bars and registration marks; and using In-RIP
trapping, enables users to trap files at the RIP instantly. This
technology allows prepress operators to prepare artwork in a simple
one-up workflow. It also provides consistency in how all jobs are
processed, minimizing costly human errors.
Edwards says, “The move to RIPit OpenRIP Flexo technology was
a group decision. We evaluated the competition, but when we
trialed RIPit for a month, and especially found the advantage in
PerfectBLEND hybrid screening, we found it gave us greater
flexibility to produce the results we needed.”
Kevin Palmer, IT Manager, wanted to make the switch to OpenRIP
Flexo because it would provide a range of overall prepress benefits.
He finds the technology practical, user-friendly, and well-supported.
“Overall, we find RIPit’s OpenRIP Flexo technology to be a very nice
product that runs quickly on any mainstream hardware,” Palmer says.
“The fact that OpenRIP Flexo runs on a very reasonably-sized server,
and we’re not forced to purchase a large server, makes our
implementation of RIPit worth it just for that fact alone.”
Since installing RIPit technology, Cincinnati Precision Plate’s clients
are enjoying faster turnaround times. A good example of time savings
is the difference between processing each job manually, in Photoshop;
and OpenRIP Flexo’s ability to image process on the fly. Automating
this process with OpenRIP Flexo allows for an average savings of
1-2 hours and, accordingly, overall job costs. Of course, customer
satisfaction increases dramatically, as well.
Edwards says that he believes most printers will agree that one of their
most common goals is better highlights at press. He therefore says
that those considering OpenRIP Flexo should know that the product’s
number one advantage, primarily attained with PerfectBLEND screening,
is delivering precisely that: better highlights -- and a superior pattern.
“We are no longer being limited to certain resolutions, and now have an
open back-end to support any device we have,” Edwards says. “RIPit is
giving us fantastic results coming off of press. We are getting better
drop out areas and the subject has a very smooth transition.”
Edwards is pleased with the implementation and is eager to utilize the
technology’s other, vast capabilities. “All summed up,” Edwards
remarks, “it is simply a good package all the way around.”
