FTA’s Fall Conference 2019, which took place October 28-30 in Charlotte, NC, USA, successfully adhered to its theme of proving “Time is Money.” The three-day event demonstrated how adhering to Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST), while aiming at a Characterized Reference Printing Condition (CRPC6) can yield results comparable to offset printing.

The agenda included eight technical sessions. Attendees followed along with their own print samples as presenters walked step-by-step through pre-production, the optimization, fingerprinting, characterization, process control and process improvement techniques, and a post-print comparison to an offset-printed cover. At multiple points, a virtual reality press from the Clemson University Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics showed those techniques done live and on stage.

“Looking back, I don’t know if there is anything that we would or should have done differently. The content was technical, enlightening and informative. Being a part of the print project and chairing the conference was such a pleasure,” says program chair Keith Nagle of Phoseon Technology. “I’m grateful to FTA for the opportunity and look forward to what opportunities are on the horizon.”
  
In addition to the conference sessions, attendees took advantage of the busy tabletop exhibit on Monday and Tuesday. With more than 60 exhibitors and even more industry experts on hand, it was the place to get insight, technical advice and guidance on all the latest in flexo.
 
“Our company will be looking at ways to apply the learnings from this year’s conference to our print facilities. The ability to network and discuss those topics with other industry professionals is a key part of what makes Fall Conference so valuable,” explains Haley Hendry of TC Transcontinental Packaging. “I found the information presented to be insightful. It was beneficial to see the importance of each step in the production planning process, beginning with the pre-pro meeting and continuing to the finished product.”