About FIRST 4.0

One flexographically printed poly shipping bag. One flexographically printed corrugated box that doubles as an easel for display purposes. One CD-ROM containing many new process control test elements and tools. One book with 328 pages broken down into 8 chapters. Input and updates from hundreds of industry experts from around the globe. This is FIRST 4.0. It’s here folks, and it’s impressive.

Since the premier edition (debuting in 1997), FIRST has become the most comprehensive, most frequently referred to, technical resource for the flexographic industry. Its aim is to provide all participants in the flexographic reproduction process (i.e. customers, designers, prepress providers, raw material & equipment suppliers, and printers) with a common set of guidelines, tutorials, targets and tolerances that can be used as communication and production tools. When adhered to, the specifications outlined in FIRST 4.0 will help all members of the supply chain improve quality, reduce cycle times, minimize rework and waste, and facilitate producing a predictable, consistent result, printrun after printrun.

FIRST 4.0 gives you the tools you need to...
• Optimize your processes
• Improve color consistency
• Minimize waste and downtime
• Increase throughput and productivity

FIRST 4.0 has expanded coverage on...
• Print optimization, fingerprinting, characterization & process control
• Process color calibration
• Near-Neutral Calibration (G7TM)
• Color management
• Color measurement and tolerancing
• Substrate attributes and testing
• Specialty inks and coatings