CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM – Aniken Graphics International, a joint venture between Hamillroad Software, a UK based prepress software solutions company, and Apex International, a global leader of anilox and metering products, has announced that Athena Graphics is an approved trade shop of Bellissima Digitally Modulated Screening (DMS) for Belgium and France.
Nick Harvey, Managing Director of Aniken Graphics, commented: “Athena Graphics demonstrated that they are investing in advancing flexo technologies to ensure that they and their customers are kept ahead of the competition, Bellissima DMS being the latest example of this trend. We are partnering with like-minded suppliers to ensure the controlled roll-out of the Bellissima technology solution into the market.”
Athena Graphics (Belgium & France)
With offices based in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, Athena Graphics offers ‘best-in-class’ prepress solutions for printers, retailers, and brand owners. They have a broad customer base that includes brand owners in many diverse sectors ranging from the food industry to pharmaceuticals.
Athena Graphics guarantees high-quality prepress services for their client’s packaging requirements and handles more than 35,000 orders a year for over 100 brands. The company has developed a platform for tailor-made solutions which simplifies the packaging chain, streamlines workflows, and brings a structure to workflow visibility which eradicates bottlenecks.
“Phase One sales of Bellissima DMS involve the use of Apex GTT aniloxes, and MacDermid or DuPont plates, as this proven technology solution works ‘out of the box’ and maximizes everyone’s success when used,” Harvey concludes.
Printers wishing to test the technology can enquire via the dedicated www.bellissimadms.com website. Alternatively, they can contact their local Apex sales representatives or the trade shops for their specific regions.
Bellissima DMS
Using Bellissima, high-quality prints equivalent to 350-450 lpi are produced with unrivaled image reproduction and no color shifts on misregistration. Utilizing fixed palette inks the screening delivers smooth flat tints and moiré free prints. Vignettes fade smoothly to nothing enabled by printed highlight dots as low as 1.0% and shadow dots up to 99.5%.
Working optimally at 4,000 dpi the patented screening incorporates features including 100% solid surface patterning options and solid object protection. Printing press issues including bounce, barring and slur are all reduced significantly and in some cases eliminated. Bellissima DMS also delivers on ink savings, which can be augmented by GCR based software, improves the efficiency of the press room, and utilizes existing printing press equipment.
Phase One sales of Bellissima DMS includes trade shops, converters and flexographic printers currently using Apex GTT anilox rolls and sleeves together with MacDermid Graphics Solutions’ LUX® ITP™ 60 or DuPont’s EFX plates.
To learn more about the benefits of Bellissima DMS and to register your interest please visit www.bellissimadms.com.
Above: Athena Graphics Roeselare office, Belgium
Above: Athena Graphics studio
About Aniken Graphics International
Aniken Graphics International is a joint venture between Apex International, a global anilox and metering solutions provider, and Hamillroad Software Limited, a UK based software company specializing in pre-press solutions. The joint venture has been created to bring Bellissima Digitally Modulated Screening into the mainstream flexographic market. www.anikengraphics.com
About Hamillroad
Hamillroad Software is a global supplier of software solutions for the prepress industry. Hamillroad solutions help customers save time and money during all stages of the printing process while also improving the final printed image fidelity.
Hamillroad Software specializes in Digitally Modulated Screening which provides unparalleled screening technology for Lithographic (Auraia DMS) and Flexographic (Bellissima DMS) printing.
The FirstPROOF solution allows users to simulate errors which may occur on press before plates have been made. It helps users save valuable time and money during the pre-press process.
In addition, their Lightning Plugins work with the Harlequin RIP to improve the output speed of TIFF, PDF or LEN files by up to 4-10x or more, making the prepress screening (RIP output) process faster and more efficient.
Hamillroad Software is headquartered in Cambridge, UK and partners with resellers and OEMs worldwide to distribute and sell their solutions. For more information on Hamillroad and its products, please visit their website at www.hamillroad.com
About Apex
Apex International is a global leader of anilox, glue set, and metering products and print maintenance solutions. With 5 production facilities on 4 continents, a strong portfolio of clients in over 80 countries and a high-performance continuous improvement culture, Apex’s value proposition is founded on developing solutions to satisfy the complex challenges our customers face every day. www.aianilox.com
About Athena Graphics
Athena Graphics guarantees high-quality prepress for all packaging and offers many qualitative services and solutions to printers and brand owners. They have offices in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Learn more at www.athena-graphics.be
