Retail screenprint is about to become a lot clearer and greener!

Whilst it is accepted screenprinting provides the most economical option for large format, small to medium volume printed retail advertising there have always been two compromises in comparison with other print technologies.

The first is lower image resolution and the second is the environmental impact of the screen print process – in particular the use of plastic acetate film in pre-press and of solvents in post-print cleanup. Tackling these drawbacks required a large investment in world first technology and we can now report Active Display Group has made this quantum leap.

This Next Generation operation can now boast some massive improvement over the current accepted world standards for both quality, and environmental impact.

Resolution - with any print process, the higher the resolution the smaller the printed dots that combine to form the image. ADG have just installed a Luscher JetScreen DX Laser Direct To Screen exposure system. The unit is one of only a handful in the world, the only one in Australia and the highest resolution unit yet produced by Luscher. It will effectively double the resolution and halve the dot size - making for a dramatically higher print resolution and clearer images than ever before achieved through screenprinting.

The Luscher JSDX is installed in-line with fully automatic screen loaders and unloaders, and a Dane automatic stencil developing unit. Add to this a fully automatic SIAS Multiformula 5-colour in-line screen printing press (in addition to Active's already impressive list of 4-colour and 2-colour lines) and you have a screen print floor as technologically advanced as any in the world, and by far Australia's largest operation.

Sustainability - The Luscher JetScreen DX eliminates the use of plastic acetate. Previously each colour would have required a separate film positive for exposure to make a screen. Once used, the films are discarded as waste and become landfill. Now as we can send art directly to the Luscher JSDX and the screen films will quickly become redundant, massively reducing waste.

To help minimise our water consumption and remove the use of solvents, again technology has been employed. The Chim 92 automated screen wash line has transformed a physical and wasteful manual screen wash operation to a completely closed system that recycles water and detergents to minimize their respective use and retains waste material for proper disposal rather than it being discharged into the sewer – which is the usual practice with most screenprinters.

For more information please go to http://www.nextgenerationinprint.com