Flex Films has launched a special polyester film, F-PDP, with a modified surface on one side while the other side remains untreated. This film is digitally printable without any need for priming/ coating.

This film can be directly printed without requiring printing plates/ cylinders as in the case of a conventional printing process. Additionally, the film demonstrates good transparency, optical clarity, excellent machinability and dimensional stability besides offering enhanced flatness and agile handling properties.

The polyester (PET) film F-PDP has been certified by Rochester Institute of Technology for digital printing by HP Indigo commercial and sheet fed presses.

There are a multitude of benefits associated with digitally printable PET films, including:
• They are suitable for small run jobs, particularly for new launch or relaunch of products
• These films minimize lead times at the converter’s end because no primer/ coating is required
• The films give excellent print results with high-quality resolution for pictures and half-tone jobs using primary colors C,M,Y,K and White, offering results at par with conventional printing even on transparent substrates
• There is an option of special colors like gold, silver etc. that can further impart depth in printing

“Coating/priming or surface treatment of a film for enhancing its ink adhesion properties is a time consuming process, needless to mention the additional costs that are involved,” explains Anantshree Chaturvedi, vice chairman and CEO, Flex Films International. “Our special F-PDP film is a perfect delight for converters at a time when the entire world is moving towards Just in Time (JIT) deliveries, minimizing inventories. Polyester film is suitable for direct digital printing and there has been a need gap. Other inherent advantages of polyester films are the ability to render excellent print results; being tear-proof and crack resistant, which makes it a suitable and preferred media for digital printing. Additionally, polyester is able to withstand high temperatures and remains stable and inert to many chemicals, further enhancing its suitability for converters. Depending upon the requirements of the ensuing converting process, we can offer F-PDP film in various thicknesses ranging from 10-50 microns. The demand for this substrate is quite encouraging across the globe, and as a result of which, we are manufacturing it at all our facilitieslike USA, Mexico, India, UAE, Poland and Egypt.”

Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, Uflex Limited, the parent company of Flex Films adds, “Digital Printing spells out immense convenience for converters in terms of economized costs, suitability for shorter print runs, less setup time compared to offset printing, and unmatched print consistency, among others. I am happy that Uflex has engineered a special polyester substrate that is perfectly receptive for digital printing without requiring any priming/ coating or special treatment.”