AI in Flexography
Presented by Garrett Taylor, SOMA
"The impact of AI on flexography is not a matter of if, but when. Its influence is inevitable, and the real challenge ahead isn’t technical, it’s cultural. While AI is often framed as a revolution of prompts, algorithms, and automation, the true disruption lies in how it challenges habits, hierarchies, and long-standing ways of working. Presented by a flexo prepress expert and a wide web press manufacturer, this session takes a hard look at why AI and other disruptive technologies, already proven in similar industries, remain under utilized in flexo production. Through real-world examples, we’ll examine where Generative AI, data-driven workflows, and advanced automation can immediately improve color management, press optimization, waste reduction, and time to market, and why its adoption continues to lag despite clear benefits. Is AI a disruptor or an enabler? Will it refine predictive color accuracy, print quality control, and press efficiency? This is not a product pitch or a future forecast. It’s a reality check for flexo converters and premedia providers. We’ll challenge assumptions around tribal knowledge, job security, and control, and ask whether protecting the status quo is quietly limiting flexibility, efficiency, and relevance. The technology is ready. The question is whether flexography is willing to change before change is forced upon it."
