Carey Color

What Carey Color does

Carey Color, legally Carey Graphics LLC, is a full-service digital imaging and prepress service provider founded in 1952 and headquartered in Sharon Center, Ohio. The company operates a plate-making and prepress service rather than a software platform, serving flexographic and dry offset printing converters across North America. Its core products are Kodak Flexcel NX plates, direct-laser-engraved elastomer flat plates, ITR elastomer sleeves (marketed as Elastomer Smartsleeve), and digital dry offset plates, supplemented by the proprietary Stealth Screening Technology (patent-pending) and a patented Two-Part Dry Offset Process for craft beer and wine can printing. Production runs on a capital-intensive fleet of five direct laser engravers — two Kodak Flexcel Direct Imagers (the first North American install), two Luscher systems, and one Hell engraver — plus a Kodak Flexcel NX Wide 5080 plate-making system, operated by 35 experienced prepress craftsmen.

The business model is project-based B2B services: plates and sleeves are manufactured to customer specifications and priced by quote, with revenue tied to the volume and complexity of prepress jobs. GTM is direct enterprise sales, supported by technical content marketing, FTA/IoPP/DLE industry affiliations, and an integrated software stack with Kodak and Esko (Equinox for expanded gamut color conversions). Differentiators center on durability (elastomer sleeves last 2-4x longer than polymer plates), print quality advantages from below-surface 3D engraving, and proprietary innovations like encoded sleeve tracking and Stealth Screening. Customer segments span flexographic/dry offset printers (primary), packaging converters (labels, flexible packaging, corrugated, specialty containers), and print quality specialists — all served from a single Ohio facility with no disclosed international footprint beyond North America.

The company is privately held by owner Adam Smrdel, with Gary Moravcik referenced as CEO in industry articles. No institutional investors, funding rounds, or acquisition activity are documented, and no customer logos are publicly disclosed, consistent with a mature, independently operated specialty manufacturing service.

Name

Carey Color

Legal name

Carey Graphics LLC

Website

https://careyweb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaging Printing Plates & Prepress

NAICS

Packaging and Labeling Services (561910), Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112)

SIC

Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Functional Labels (Linerless, RFID/NFC, Braille, Smart) (IMALAKAK), Flexible Packaging Printing & Decoration (Flexo, Gravure, Digital, Cold Foil) (IMALABAM), Wraparound Roll-Fed Labels (IMALAKAE), Packaging Design & Labeling (MPAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Flexographic printing plates
• Prepress services
• Packaging printing
• Elastomer sleeves
• Digital imaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharon Center

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Prepress and Plate Making Services: Full-service digital imaging and prepress services including direct laser-engraved plates and elastomer sleeves for flexographic, dry offset, embossing, and intaglio printing industries. Revenue generated through project-based pricing for plate/sleeve manufacturing and prepress services.
2. Advanced Plate Making Systems: Premium platemaking services utilizing Kodak Flexcel NX and Flexcel Direct systems, multiple Luscher Laser Engravers, and Hell Laser Engraver equipment. Higher-value services with advanced imaging capabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Carey Color (Carey Graphics LLC) is a full-service digital imaging and prepress provider that manufactures flexographic printing plates and elastomer sleeves, and delivers digital prepress file preparation for packaging printers and converters. The company's core deliverable is custom-made flexographic plates (including Kodak Flexcel NX Plates, Elastomer Flat Plates, and Dry Offset Plates) along with ITR Elastomer Sleeves and Stealth Screening-enabled imaging, supplied to packaging converters in the flexible packaging, label, and corrugated markets.

Product overview

Carey Color (Carey Graphics LLC) is a full-service digital imaging and prepress service provider specializing in packaging printing solutions. The company operates as a plate-making service rather than a software platform, offering a portfolio of flexographic and dry offset printing products including Kodak Flexcel NX Plates, Elastomer Flat Plates, ITR Elastomer Sleeves (Elastomer Smartsleeve), and Dry Offset Plates. These products are complemented by proprietary Stealth Screening Technology for dry offset applications. The company provides comprehensive Digital Prepress Services including design, color correction, file assembly, and plate output. All products utilize direct laser engraving technology, with equipment including Kodak Flexcel Direct Imagers, Luscher Laser Engravers, and Hell Laser Engraver systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kodak Flexcel NX Plates Premium Kodak Flexcel NX thermal flexographic plates imaged and processed by Carey Color for packaging converters seeking high-resolution print reproduction and improved on-press performance.
• Elastomer Flat Plates Flat-format elastomer flexographic plates for packaging printers using flat-plate workflows rather than sleeve-based mounting.
• ITR Elastomer Sleeve Impression-to-rubber (ITR) elastomer sleeves for sleeve-mounted flexo presses, allowing fast job changeovers and consistent repeat-length imaging.
• Dry Offset Plates Dry offset printing plates produced for packaging converters using dry offset presses (common in certain label and packaging applications).
• Stealth Screening Technology Proprietary Stealth Screening imaging technology applied during plate-making to reduce visible screen patterns and improve print quality on flexo packaging runs.
• Digital Prepress Services Full-service digital prepress including file preparation, color separation, screening (Stealth), imaging, and plate output for packaging converters and brand suppliers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Elastomer sleeves last 2-4x longer than polymer plates, reducing replacement costs and downtime
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kodak (Flexcel Direct)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic technology partnership with Kodak for Flexcel Direct System - first North American install. Carey Color uses Kodak Flexcel Direct Imagers alongside their Luscher and Hell engravers to produce laser-engraved elastomer sleeves. Also utilizes Kodak Flexcel NX system for advanced plate making.
• Flexographic Technical Association (FTA)minorOthersIndustry affiliation showing commitment to flexographic printing industry standards and technical advancement. FTA logo displayed on company website.
• Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP)minorOthersIndustry affiliation demonstrating involvement in packaging professional community. IoPP logo displayed on company website.
• Direct Laser Engraving Association (DLE)minorOthersIndustry affiliation supporting direct laser engraving technology adoption in flexography. DLE logo displayed on company website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Kodak (Flexographic Division): Carey Color's core technology partner for Flexcel NX and Flexcel Direct imaging systems. Also a broader player in flexo plate-making equipment and consumables, making it both a partner and an adjacent industry participant whose roadmap shapes Carey's service capabilities.
• Esko (Danaher): Software and prepress hardware vendor for packaging and label production (ArtPro, Equinox, CDI). Carey Color uses Esko Equinox for expanded gamut workflows, but Esko also serves as a partial competitor in prepress services and a key ecosystem enabler.

Regional players

• Marbach Group: German-headquartered supplier of cutting dies, tooling, and packaging production equipment with flexographic-related consumables. Comparable as a packaging converter supply partner, though primarily European and serving die-cutting rather than imaging.
• Toray Industries (Printing Plates): Japanese manufacturer of water-washable and solvent flexographic printing plates (Torelief, Cosmolight). Direct competitor in flexo plate chemistry, primarily serving Asian and European converters rather than the U.S. market where Carey Color focuses.

Broad incumbents

• XSYS Print Solutions: Global manufacturer of flexographic printing plates and sleeves (including nyloflex and nyloprint brands), serving packaging printers worldwide. Competes with Carey Color at the plate/sleeve product layer, but at much larger scale across multiple printing technologies.
• Flint Group (Flexographic Solutions): Global supplier of flexographic printing plates, sleeves, and inks (including nyloflex and FlexiPrint brands) to packaging converters. Overlaps with Carey Color in flexo plate/sleeve supply, but operates across a much broader product portfolio and geography.
• MacDermid Graphics Solutions: Supplier of photopolymer printing plates, processing equipment, and consumables for flexographic and offset printing. Direct overlap with Carey Color's flexo plate-making offering, but at much larger enterprise scale with global distribution.
• Asahi Kasei (Asahi Photoproducts): Manufacturer of AWP and APR flexographic printing plates and photopolymer plate processing equipment. Offers the same core flexo plate-making products as Carey Color, but at global scale across Europe, Asia, and North America.
• DuPont Cyrel Solutions (Continental): Long-established manufacturer of Cyrel flexographic printing plates and processing systems used by packaging converters. Competes with Carey Color's flexo plate services and is a benchmark for plate technology roadmaps in the industry.

Direct peers

• Anderson & Vreeland: North American distributor and prepress service provider for flexographic printing plates, sleeves, and tape. Direct competitor to Carey Color in supplying flexographic and dry offset printers with platemaking consumables and prepress services in the U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/careycolor
• Xx.com/careycolor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carey Color