In our quest to be more than just your ink supplier, Wikoff Color expanded our offerings in 2018 with the addition of Wikoff Graphics. As a separate division, Wikoff Graphics provides the same commitment to quality and service but for high performance photopolymer plate materials, plate processing equipment and Esko imaging hardware.
In this post, we’ll review what it takes to become a preferred partner of Wikoff Graphics and then dive into the cornerstone of our product line offering: Asahi photopolymer plates.
Before we get started, let’s give a shout out to Wikoff Graphics Market Manager David Bell, who took the time to sit down and give us the low down on Asahi products and explain why they are our plate vendor of choice.
You’re Only as Reliable as the Companies You Associate With
Operating a business where you sell products and services from an outside company requires an incredible amount of research, diligence, testing, and relationship building to verify the alignment of company values and product synergies.
Wikoff Color strives to be the industry leader in best-in-class inks, primers and coatings. Wikoff Graphics carries on that reputation by selecting only the best companies to be one of our Preferred Partner’s.
What Makes Asahi Photoproducts’ Plate Materials the Top in the Industry?
When you compare the quality and durability of Asahi plates to other plate manufacturers in the marketplace, it’s easy to see where their reputation comes from. Not only are Asahi plates able to perform at a high level in any printing situation you can imagine, but your investment also comes with the Wikoff level of customer service to match.
David says, “I believe in Asahi products for the same reason that I believe in most things: performance, consistency and quality.” He went on to explain that time after time, Asahi plates outperform the competition and help his customers to be successful.
Press operator feedback consistently comes back positive:
- “The press came up to color quicker.”
- “It’s easier to set register.”
- “We had far fewer press stops to clean the plates during the run.”
CleanPrint Technology Makes Great Even Better
Although it’s been several years since Asahi launched their CleanPrint plate technology, the impact it has proven to have on increasing press efficiency continues to make waves. On average, a pressroom upgrading to Asahi plates can expect a press efficiency increase of approximately 33%, due to faster printing speeds and fewer press stops for plate cleaning.
Case Study:
In a trial involving a folding carton printer struggling with low running speeds that led to poor press efficiency, we were able to treble press speed on the first job by running Asahi CleanPrint plates. Not only did we boost press speed from 500fpm to 1,500fpm, we resolved issues the printer was having with mottling while improving the appearance of the ink film.
The Final Word
There are many reasons why Wikoff Graphics chose Asahi photopolymer plates over others, but if we had to whittle it down to just one, it’s because we trust Asahi plates to make a real impact on production. In any scenario where we’re helping our customers optimize their print facility, these are the plates we stand behind.