Squid Ink, a specialist in inks and inkjet printing equipment for the packaging, printing and product marking industries, recently donated a new VDP In-Line variable data printing system to Flexo Trade Services (FTS) in Fort Mill, SC. The donation, valued at approximately $50,000, underlines Squid Ink’s continued commitment to the printing industry and enables FTS students to gain hands-on experience printing variable data on their flexographic presses.
The donation by Squid Ink included a VDP In-Line variable data printing system that mounts on FTS’ existing 10" Mark Andy 2200 press. Squid Ink’s VDP In-Line system utilizes industrial inkjet technology to print variable data including sequential bar codes, sequential numbers, traceability codes and game codes on tickets, tags and labels. The system’s four 2.1" high-resolution printheads can print up to 8.4" wide on a variety of porous and non-porous surfaces. The system will be used by students learning to run flexographic equipment at Flexographic Trade Services and for print jobs requiring variable data in-line.
FTS staff member Steve Wilkinson stated it was quick and easy to install the 52 pound VDP In-Line system. “It took one person to mount the VDP In-Line printing system. We were up and running in less than 30 minutes,” he said.
For more than 10 years, Flexographic Trade Services (flexotradeservices.com) has been providing consulting and training to the flexo printing industry as well as to other print industries, such as offset and gravure, that may be looking to convert to or add the flexographic process to their product line. FTS offers a variety of training programs from a two-day introduction course to an in-depth three-month press operator class.