FTA Joins Ghent Workgroup

GWG Packaging Subcommittee To Meet At FFTA Annual Forum In Louisville, KY Ronkonkoma, NY & Ghent, Belgium April 28, 2006 Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), the world’s leading professional society dedicated to supporting and advancing the flexographic printing industry, announces it has joined the Ghent Workgroup (GWG). FTA will host the next GWG packaging subcommittee meeting during the FFTA Annual Forum & INFO*FLEX Exhibition in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday, May 2, at 11:30 a.m., (Room 213, Level 2), at the KentuckyInternational Convention Center. The GWG is an international organization made up of graphic arts users, associations & developers building best practices for publishing workflows. The resulting GWG recommendations and specifications are making it easy for increasing numbers of professionals around the world to successfully create, process, and exchange graphic arts files for numerous applications. The Ghent Workgroup’s specifications have become an international benchmark for PDF quality assurance. As formats such as PDF become more prevalent in flexographic applications, the ability to effectively manage and determine quality standards for creation and production becomes an important issue. "We are pleased to represent our members in contributing to the GWG’s efforts in this regard," says Dr. John Anderson, Technical and Education Director of the FTA. David L. Zwang, Vice Chairman of the GWG, adds, "It was crucial to have the FTA join our efforts, for the benefit of the international graphic arts community." Flexo professionals look to the FTA for guidance for good reason – it is a powerful, resource-rich, association that enjoys a successful history in providing member services. It’s those same attributes that will make the FTA an important contributor to the GWG. GWG Packaging Subcommittee One of the most active groups within the GWG is the packaging subcommittee, with members representing more than 30 companies all over Europe and throughout the USA – from Prepress/Printing/Converter/Repro and industry associations to brand owners, vendors, consultants, and educational institutions. Among its members are: Nestle, Kraft, L’Oreal, Brachs Candies, Sara Lee, AGI, Curwood North America, Fort Dearborn Company, Graphic Packaging, Bemis Graphics, Southern Graphic Systems, Schawk, Vertis, Phototype, FTA, IPA, CalPoly Tech, R.I.T., Adobe Systems, Agfa, Artwork Systems, Creo, Enfocus Software, Esko-Graphics, and Global Graphics Software. The subcommittee’s goals include definition of best practices to include settings, rules, guidelines, workflows and a framework to define PDF as the ultimate exchangeable file format for the packaging industry, based on industry standards and market demands. Guidelines and settings produced that will be suitable for the entire process, from design through print, and covering all printing processes (flexo, offset, gravure, etc.). In 2005, the GWG packaging subcommittee successfully delivered its first packaging design specification. The subcommittee is now preparing a complete package of deliverables that broadens the scope of packaging offerings, including downstream profiles for offset, FLEXO and gravure test files, as well as documentation, and more. About FTA Flexographic Technical Association, chartered in 1958, is a professional society dedicated to bringing all members of the flexographic printing community-printers, suppliers, consumer product companies, institutions, prepress houses and others–together by providing opportunities for the free exchange of technical ideas and discussion of mutual concerns. It is a proponent of maintaining and advancing quality standards and includes 1,750 member sites that represent more than 1,300 companies and 60,000 individuals. About the Ghent Workgroup The Ghent Workgroup (GWG), formed in June 2002, is an international assembly of industry associations and suppliers from across Europe and the United States. The GWG’s objective is to establish and disseminate process specifications for best practices in graphic arts workflows. Members comprise graphic arts associations in Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy,Austria, Norway, The United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and the United States, as well as observer-status organizations from Sweden, and Germany. Vendor members are to date: Adobe, Agfa, Apago, Artwork Systems, Callas, Creo now Kodak, CGS, Dalim Software, Enfocus, Esko Graphics, Global Graphics, Gradual Software, Heidelberg, One-Vision, pub-specs, Quark, Quickcut Limited, and Screen. For more information about the GWG, including a full list of its members and objectives, visit www.gwg.org.