The manufacture of the flexible print plates is costly, making this printing process economiwith large continuous print runs only. Get immediate solutions around the topic flexographic printing. There are a number of characteristics or clues which, if they can be discerned, make. Within this technology for the imaging of flexo printing forms, the laser beam removes the material directly down to the relief depth. The process may be fairly automated or it may be more manual and require the operator to use tools such as a feeler gauge. Setting the printing impression on flexo presses all. The trainee will come out of the class understanding the function of flexography in the. Flexographic printing process with wet on wet capability the present invention relates to a flexographic printing method having wet on wet characteristics, in particular the formation of a gel having a suitable mechanical strength to allow for the required color trapping for the wet on wet flexographic printing method. Neenah printing does lithographic web and sheetfed printing as well as wide web flexographic printing. Flexo prepress for the pdf means analyzing 20 features for managing the plate for flexo printing. Flexography printing plates a photopolymer is a polymer that cures, or becomes solid, when exposed to light.
And when you encounter such problems in your printing process, we encourage you to refer to the material pre. The history of ink production writing inks were first manufactured in both ancient egypt and china in about. Complimentary design guide an fta strategic planning initiative project the flexographic technical association has made this first 5. Despite the fantastic results achieved in flexo printing. Flexographic printing inks process inx international. If youre not familiar with printing terms, hearing them for the first time may cause some confusion. Flexography is a direct printing method in that the inked plate applies the image. We serve a wide range of clientele, from direct mail to product manufacturing, we print from 1 to 8 colors with full uv capabilities. The inked plates have a slightly raised image and rotate at high speeds to transfer the image to the substrate.
Flexography uses rotary flexible plates to directly print on the substrate, rather than printing indirectly through a series of offset plates, as is the case in offset printing. Printing processes offset, flexo, digital, gravure. Flexo 24 has a preflight software that prepares files for producing your flexo plate to generate pdf files for the production of photopolymer plates, different types of programs are available. Prepress, printing, pdf, postscript, fonts and stuff. Flexography this process adopts the same principle of relief printing and is therefore similar to letterpress. Printing process the relief plate used for flexography is made of molded rubber or photopolymer materials with the image areas raised above the nonimage areas of the plate. If you print at 150 lpi 60 lcm, the equation will be. Kr20110096128a flexographic printing process with wet on. Pdf hand book of printing packaging and laminations. The technology strategy board fundedtheaccuflexproject,thisprojectis developingaflexographic printing system for volume production of high resolution plastic. Flexographic printing also known as flexo, results in a clearly printed image,with sharp. In gravure printing, the image area is engraved, or intaglio relative to the surface of. Flexography is one of the conventional printing techniques used for printing logos, images, and contact information onto plastic films, corrugated boards, and fabrics. Flexo printing machines can have 79 stations, allowing for a mixture of process printing and additional roller stations reserved for spot colors and effects.
There is no question flexographic printing has come a long way. As flexo technology has developed, there has been a concerted effort to print. Stable printing process 55% paper 25 % color 7 % postpress 3 % repro k. It is a direct printing process, which means that ink is transferred directly from the printing surface to the substrate. Flexography often abbreviated to flexo is a form of printing process which utilizes a flexible. Guide to digital and flexographic printing id technology. Some common applications for flexographic printing include product labels and direct thermal labels, such as those that would be used in a zebra or dymo labelwriter printer. Pdf a model for improving the flexographic printing plate making. Flexographics provides plates for the flexgraphic printer. This paper reports the efficiency improvement of a flexographic printing machine by reducing breakdown time with the help of a total productive maintenance measure called overall equipment. Printing technologies flexo printing gravure printing. The price of flexo printing plates is relatively high compared to other types of plates, but they last for millions of impressions if they are properly cared for.
Learn more about how we help improve productivity with adhesive and foam characteristics that help throughout your process, from rightfirsttime mounting to demounting with less force for reduced plate damage and worker fatigue. The class is taught mixing handson training and formal instruction in a flexo printing environment. Flexography is a modern version of letterpress printing. As opposed to the secondary diecutting, folding, or laminating processes used by offset printing, flexographic printing integrates these processes into a single pass. Flexographic printing can be utilized on a broader range of nonporous substrates compared to offset. Flexo 9 flexo or flexography is the most common method of printing packaging, as it can. Download our handy glossary of a to z printing terms and phrases. Flexography is an additive printing process that has the potential to achieve the necessary resolution and precision for volume printing of plastic electronics and oled lighting.
Complete list of links printing flexography topic hub. This glossary contains 41 pages of printing terms, their definitions, and bonus sections of key. Flexographic printing technology requires lowviscosity printing inks, which allows regular ink flow in. Flexographic printing uses flexible photopolymer printing plates wrapped around rotating cylinders on a web press. What is flexography printing and what is it used for. Study on finite element analysis of fine solid lines by.
Offset 7 in this method, graphics are transferred or offset from a printing. Screen ruling in inches used to process the platesprints. Glossary of flexographic printing terms jul 12, 2018 caking. Unhardened composition is softened and absorbed by an absorbent sheet. The main differences are the use of a flexible printing plate as the image carrier, the method of application of ink to the plate and the ink itself. Flexographic printing prior to running a flexographic label job, the printer must make or outsource the printing plates. It is for good reason that flexographic printing is.
Flexography inks can print on many types of absorbent and nonabsorbent materials. Flexographic printing process offers the possibility to print continuous fine solid lines 8. Even under the best circumstances, there will be times when things go wrong on a flexographic press. This chapter describes the flexographic printing process. This involves a specialty process whereby a graphic art file is converted into vector images and then each color within the file is separated onto a separate layer.
Thermal development process of photopolymer printing plates is one of the newest technologies in the flexographic reproduction process. Flexographic printing is a popular method for printing large orders of custom labels at rapid speeds but how does it actually work. Flexographics, what is flexographic printing, flexgraphic. Intro to flexo workshop college of business clemson. Letterpress is a printmaking process where protruding surface faces are inked and the ink is transferred to the substrate by pressure. Flexography 101 booklet series flexographic technical.
Flexographic plates can be created with analog and digital platemaking processes. It is essentially a modern version of letterpress, evolved with high speed rotary functionality, which can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate, including plastic, metallic films, cellophane, and paper. Flexography is a printing process, usually referred to as the modern version of letterpress. The base colors for process printing are cmyk and not rgb cmyk are subtractive colors or. The ability of flexography to print on a variety of substrates allows the process to be used for a wide range of printed products. Guidelines for setting a printing impression on flexo presses for both aniloxtoplate impressions and platetosubstrate impressions. Pdf evaluation of flexographic printing technology for multi. Flexography publication gravure sheetfed offset uv web offset news ink home flexography troubleshooting guide adhesion bleed blushing hazing, fogging color too strong color variations among same color jobs being run in a plant dirty printing excessive ink consumption fillin of reverses and type float on ink. Innovative plate solutions for flexographic printing. Unlike digital label printing, flexographic printing transfers ink onto the material using flexible printing plates mounted on fastrotating cylinders. This traditional method of printing can be used on almost any type of substrate, including corrugated cardboard, cellophane, plastic, label stock, fabric, and metallic film. Absorbed composition can be removed from the sheet and recycled.
Complimentary design guide home flexographic technical. Flexographic printing can be done on any substrate. The printing plates are a critical element of the flexographic printing process and the quality of the printed image is largely dependant on the quality of the flexo plates used. Flexographic printing flexography is a process in which the printing image stands up in relief.
Ikea catalogue 2008 advantage largest cost blocks seite 46 printing technology using the higher parts of the printing block for ink transfer. Flexible packaging printing processes overview slide 22. Flexo is used on a wide range of substrate materials, including direct thermal media, yielding superior quality graphics and ansi a grade barcodes. Description flexography is a printing process which. It offers the advantages of printing on a variety of different materials like film, foil, plastic, paper and board, using a wide range of inks, and printing with high speeds, offering exceptionally high quality. Flexography is a printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate that can be adhered to a printing cylinder. Call 800 3326040 for more information and a free quote. Flexography can hold density, maintain process stability and produce eye catching graphics with the best of them, and has evolved into a highly respected print category.
Flexible packaging printing processes overview slide 36 2009 consumer packaging solutions. Our flexographic mounting tapes can help, offering airrelease and firm stick so your press keeps running. As opposed to the secondary diecutting, folding, or laminating processes used by offset printing, flexographic printing integrates these processes into a single pass operation. It is widely used for printing on the nonporous substrates. Flexographic printing an overview sciencedirect topics. Flexography often abbreviated to flexo is a form of printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate. Unfortunately, there are many factors to consider when. Letterpress is still used to some extent for embossing, imprinting, and specialpurpose reproduction. Flexographic printing also known as flexo, results in a clearly printed image, with sharp.
You may ask how this printing process is different from other conventional printing techniques, and what are its benefits. This class is geared towards individuals in need of fundamental knowledge of the flexographic printing process. The flexographic printing guide published by siegwerk offers you the possibility of quickly identifying and correcting problems so that you can increase your printing productivity. Pdf rotational flexographic printing is a promising highthroughput technology for the front side metallization of silicon solar cells. The flexography 101 booklet series is designed for anyone who needs a basic knowledge of different topics regarding the flexographic printing process. The basics of flexible packaging printing flexography rotogravure presented by. Schematic drawing of the flexographic printing process. Heat sensitivity of the materials to be printed on is not an issue with flexographic technology. This highspeed print process can be used for printing onto any number of substrates. The flexographic printing process uses quickdrying, semiliquid inks. Reduce viscosity consistent with acceptable printability 2.
An overview of the processes and techniques used to create print on an industrial scale. Printing of one form or another has been with us for centuries and whilst the technologies of both the printing process and the ink formulations have changed considerably the main functions of decoration and information remain. The two printing processes generally used today for printing labels are flexographic and digital. Flexographic printing is usually combined with webfed systems the material to be printed on, is supplied in large rolls. Artpro, a software distributed by esko and designed to generate pdf files for flexo. A thorough walkthrough of the technical process and benefits to using flexographic printed labels. Flexography is the fastest growing conventional printing process, especially in packaging such as corrugated containers and flexible films. The basic idea of flexography remains faithful to the letterpress process. Negativeacting photohardenable compositions are useful in flexographic printing plate manufacture without the use of solvent development. Blocking errors, you must resolve it, nonblocking advices, its up to you, suggests, irrelevant for the analysis.