Esko has announced the global rollout of its Quartz flexo ecosystem, a next-generation platemaking solution designed to deliver gravure-level quality in flexographic printing. First unveiled at drupa 2024, the Quartz system combines a new CDI Quartz imager, advanced Quartz screening, and the XPS Crystal LED exposure unit, offering imaging at 4000 ppi with 2000 lpi surface structures to significantly enhance ink transfer and print consistency.
“When we introduced Quartz, we positioned it as the pinnacle of flexo platemaking,” said Pascal Thomas, Director of Flexo Product Management at Esko. “Following further development and customer testing, we’re now making this innovation available to printers and converters worldwide. Shipments are expected to begin by September.”
The Quartz ecosystem builds on Esko’s Print Control Wizard software, adding variable highlight (VQ) and stochastic (SQ) Quartz cells for improved tonal control and screening accuracy. Jan De Roeck, Esko CMO, described the solution as a “game-changer” that enables converters to achieve gravure-like print quality while reducing ink usage and supporting sustainability goals.
Early adopters, including Italy-based Inci.Flex, report significant quality gains. “We’ve seen improvements on par with rotogravure—more uniform coverage, better contrast, and deeper shadows,” said CEO Vincenzo Consalvo.
In the Middle East, NDIGITEC is set to become the first trade shop in the GCC to install the CDI Quartz system by Q4 2025, joining only a handful of global adopters. CEO Vatche Kavlakian said the investment “underscores NDIGITEC’s commitment to innovation and sets new benchmarks for flexo printing quality in the region.”
CDI imagers have become the benchmark for digital flexo platemaking, enabling converters. The Quartz ecosystem is available for plate sizes 4835, 4260, and 5080, complementing Esko’s existing Crystal solutions.