UK-based repro and platemaking house Flexoshop has a great story to share. The company, located in Colchester, had been using flat top dot platemaking systems to serve its printer customers. When Managing Director Simon Drane heard from one of his printers that the highest quality work had to be outsourced to a digital printing firm, he set about finding a better solution for this valuable customer.

“I had my eye on Asahi’s water-washable plate systems,” he says, “but I thought they were unaffordable for my business. But when this customer explained his challenges to me, it spurred me to reconsider.”

Drane invested in an Asahi Photoproducts AWP 2530 plate system using AWP water washable plates, and has never looked back. Not only did this solution enable his customer to bring all of the work back in house, delivering high quality at competitive prices with great turnaround, but Drane was so pleased with the results that he has made this solution the centerpiece of his new business acquisition strategy.

He says, “The Asahi AWP water washable plate is the best plate on the market. We were not getting anywhere near this quality with our previous Flat Top Dot plates.”

Additionally his efforts to educate customers and prospects on the benefit of these plates is paying off. Largely due to its adoption of Asahi AWP water washable plates, Flexoshop has recently seen increasing interest from printers in working with the company, and the team is confidently looking forward to continuing a growth path into the future.

Also important to Drane, or anyone running a busy shop, is the quality of service and support from partners. Asahi has not disappointed in that regard, Drane says. “The high quality of the AWP plate and the support Asahi delivers, from equipment service to working directly with press operators at its customer sites is incomparable,” Drane states, adding, “This company is providing the best support I have ever had from any supplier.”

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