Process Description of Flexographic Printing Press

Flexography is one of the most popular printing press technology used widely these days for commercial print packaging materials. Flexography print technology is successfully used for printing folding cartons, milk and beverage cartons, corrugated containers, disposable cups and containers, paper sacks, multiwall sacks, plastic bags, adhesive tapes, labels, newspapers, envelopes and wrappers for food products like candy. There are certain steps that are followed for this printing press process. They are as follows:

• Preparation of image and texts

  Images are provided by the customers. It can be camera-ready copy or electronically produced art that are captured and obtained purposely for printing using camera, computer or scanner. When a camera is used, the elements of the image are assembled and positioned manually in a printing flat. It is known as stripping. After scanning or capturing the copy of image digitally, it is assembled by the computer using special software. Texts are inserted into the image if required. Initially, a simple copy of proof is obtained to examine the position and accuracy of the elements in the image. At the end when color scheme is decided, a proof of color copy is given to the client for sanction.

• Making of Flexographic Plate

  The process of making Flexographic and letterpress plates follow the same basic technology that uses a relief type plate. The plates have raised images, owing to which only the raised images are imprinted. For Flexographic plates, usually flexible materials are used. Rubber, Plastic or UV sensitive polymer materials are commonly preferred, so as to attach it with a cylinder or roller for ink application.

• Printing Press process

  Flexographic printing uses five sorts of commercial publication printing press - central impression cylinder (CIC), stack type, newspaper unit, in-line, and dedicated 4, 5, or 6 color units. All of them comprise the same feature - a metering cylinder called anilox roll that fills the plate with ink, a plate cylinder and an ink pan. Many printing press companies prefer to have a doctor blade for better ink distribution in some cases and use a third roller to be used as a fountain roller.

• Inks for Flexographic printing

  Flexographic inks are like gravure printing inks. The specialty of these inks is that they dry fast because of their low viscosity. Flexographic inks have been formulated to meet printing requirements. It can effortlessly lie on the nonabsorbent substrates surface and get quickly solidify soon after the solvents are removed using heat. Else, U.V. curable inks are utilized for printing.

• End process

  Once the printing press process is over the substrate is run through few finishing operations to prepare it for shipment to the client. This final step may include operations like cutting, coating, binding and folding.