How often can you say a technology from the 1960s remains competitive in nearly the same form today? One technology is liquid photopolymer for direct print corrugated applications in flexography. Over the past 50+ years, we have witnessed the introduction of digital platemaking and the continued evolution of water wash technology for sheet photopolymers. Each of these areas competes with liquid platemaking yet, despite these competitive pressures, liquid technology remains alive and well. While liquid continues to evolve through imaging innovations and enhanced processing equipment, it maintains its fundamental characteristics as well as its ecological and economic strengths. Along with the digital revolution, and the equally demanding sustainable revolution returned focus to liquid's unique capabilities. Working for MacDermid Graphics Solutions, I have the unique vantage point of innovating in multiple plate technologies such as analog and digital platemaking, as well as solvent...

The Liquid Advantage For nearly 40 years, MacDermid Graphics Solutions has invested in the development, application, and marketing of liquid photopolymers for flexographic printing applications.   In this time, we have witnessed the introduction of digital platemaking and thermal processing, both of which have successfully competed with liquid platemaking. Despite the appearance of these new technologies, liquid technology remains alive and well, continuing to evolve while maintaining its ecological and economic strengths. Along with the digital revolution, an equally demanding sustainable revolution returned focus to the unique capabilities of liquid. Figure 1: Liquid Workflow The liquid platemaking workflow, with the Reclaim step, highlighted in green. The ability to reclaim uncured resin differentiates liquid platemaking from other processes.  While obviously strong in liquid technology, MacDermid also has the unique vantage point of being a tech...