French label and leaflet printing specialist increases print quality and productivity while reducing emissions with Fujifilm’s water-washable plate solution and processing equipment.
Since 1934, northwest France-based Lefrancq Imprimeur has provided labeling and leaflet solutions to the food, health, beauty, and industrial sectors. A specialist in its field, the company opened another facility (Karthafold) in Tunis, Tunisia, in 2006 to increase its production capacity. Now, as an enterprise in label and leaflet printing, Lefrancq Imprimeur is setting the benchmark for high-quality printed products across its offset and flexographic printing equipment. The company understands the importance of efficiency and sustainable solutions. Since 2017 it has relied on Fujifilm’s Flenex plates and associated processing equipment to provide high-quality label products to its customer base, which include multinationals and SMEs.
Fujifilm’s Flenex plates assist Lefrancq Imprimeur in reaching sustainability targets
“Across both of our production sites in Candé and Tunis, the requirements are the same – production must be both highly reliable and efficient,” says company chief executive officer, Lefrancq. “Our expertise in printing, shaping, and finishing is part of the mastery of our business. The know-how we possess is reflected in the highly versatile printing solutions we have at our facilities, ensuring we can maximize productivity and cater to different run lengths.
“Our customers require print of exceptional quality on various media; paper, plastics, and cardboard being some examples. We know our equipment must match the desires of our clients – but anything we produce here must also align with our values as a business.” Lefrancq Imprimeur is committed to sustainable practices. It prides itself on its social responsibility, the sustainable forests it gets its paper from, and the low odor and low migration inks it utilizes on its presses.
Fujifilm’s Flenex plates and accompanying SB-Series processor and water filtration unit – all acquired in 2017 – have helped Lefrancq Imprimeur maintain the high standards it sets itself for its social and environmental responsibilities. “There are many benefits that Flenex brings to the business,” continues Lefrancq. “The plate delivers excellent print quality and the longevity of each one is also impressive – Flenex has an overall 30-40% longer life than the previous plates we used.
“What’s also been important for us is the efficiency of the plate processor system and the filtration unit. All three components combined, aside from being simple to use, have reduced the cleaning frequency, while also making cleaning easier. Overall maintenance and water consumption has substantially decreased too, so the ecological benefits of these products are significant to us.
“I’ve worked with Fujifilm’s plate solutions for 40 years and our move to Flenex is a testament to the quality of their products. The overall success of our partnership with Fujifilm can be measured by the quality of our output to customers and the ecological improvements we have seen over time.”
Ian Isherwood, Label and Packaging Business manager at Fujifilm Graphic Systems EMEA says, “Lefrancq Imprimeur prides itself on sustainability and quality. We’re delighted that Flenex has helped the company to further improve its excellent service to its customers, while also reducing its impact on the planet. We’ve had a long and successful relationship with Lefrancq Imprimeur and we look forward to developing it further into the future.”
Fujifilm Corporation is one of the major operating companies of Fujifilm Holdings. Since its founding in 1934, the company has built up a wealth of advanced technologies in the field of photo imaging, and in line with its efforts to become a comprehensive healthcare company, Fujifilm is now applying these technologies to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in the medical and life science fields. Fujifilm is also expanding growth in the highly functional materials business, including flat panel display materials, and in the graphic systems and optical devices businesses.
Fujifilm Graphic Systems is a stable, long-term partner focussed on delivering high-quality, technically advanced print solutions that help printers develop a competitive advantage and grow their businesses. The company’s financial stability and unprecedented investment in R&D enable it to develop proprietary technologies for best-in-class printing. These include pre-press and pressroom solutions for offset, wide-format, and digital print, as well as workflow software for print production management. Fujifilm is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its products and operations, proactively working to preserve the environment, and strives to educate printers about environmental best practices.
