Pro: Flexography offers a notable faster production speed over other printing techniques. Reproducing images and text on corrugated cardboard, labels and other individual items isn’t too difficult for most current technology. … Because flexographic printing uses physical printing plates there are the initial fixed costs of the printing plates themselves, it is necessary to stop between printing jobs to manually switch printing plates when going from one item to the next. I’ve explained what flexo printing is, but what are its pros and cons? They both have pros and cons individually, but did you know that both processes can be utilized during the same product life cycle to save money? When you ask for a quote to your packaging manufacturer, you are only limited to the printing technology that they have access to. In other printing processes, several layers of ink are required to attain the proper saturation and richness. Flexographic vs Lithographic is definitely an interesting topic to have a discussion on but, both of them have their share of pros and cons. These are often essential parameters in your decision-making process. Copyright © Ken's Commentary. by "Label & Narrow Web"; Business Computers and office automation Publishing industry Flexographic inks Beliefs, opinions and attitudes Product information Things are less clear when considering Flexo for short run production. If you have an interesting topic or some insightful commentary, submit the content to us and we'll get back to you. Water based ink and solvent based ink both have its pros and cons depending on your application and needs. The polymer reacts to … Flexographic printing is a technique that uses a flexible printing plate. Another advantage of flexographic printing is its versatility. You’ll end up benefitting from a higher ROI because you’ll be able to create more sellable output in less time. Flexography is fast This technology makes use of flexible… If you’re looking to get the job done quick, flexography might be the solution you’ve been waiting for. The Pros and Cons of Flexo and Digital label printing. Popular packaging materials, such as corrugated cardboard, can be a challenge to print on due to their uneven surfaces. On the downside, flexographic printing isn’t very advanced. An advantage of flexography is that is a fast and economical method to print relatively simple designs on stand up packaging. Pros and Cons of Digital Label Printers. Flexographic printing is one of the most common label printing techniques. Download your guide now. What Causes Exchange Rates to Change in the Economy? While other printing techniques rely on the presumption that you’ll be willing to do several layers of ink, flexography can give you impressive richness after just one go. Flexographic Technical Association Menu Flexographic Technical Association In summary, there are pros and cons to the two different printing processes. The great advantage of flexographic printing plates is that they are wipeable and reusable across millions of impressions. One interesting fact about me is that I wrote a book once, which hasn't been published yet because I'm still shopping it around. Every summer, I always put some time aside to schedule a hiking trip with my friends. Flexography can be adapted and set up to perform complex print jobs even in nonstandard formats. Flexo printing vs offset printing: the pros and cons. You have several options when it comes to custom printing on boxes, but the main ones are Flexographic and Lithographic Lamination. It is known for providing quality results at an efficient speed. That’s where flexographic printing comes in. On porous or non-porous surfaces, flexographic printing can give you that deep, saturated colour that you’ve been looking for. C'est la vie. Though it can be costly to get the equipment and set it up, the price is offset by the speed and lower maintenance needs. It’s essential to weigh the pros and cons, but you could benefit the entire company, as well as your customers. Flexography (often abbreviated to flexo) is a printing process which utilises a flexible relief plate. Used types of equipment are way cheaper than new ones. Cons. It is a great option for text printing on pouch bags. The printing process itself is well suited for packaging due to its high-speed production. It’s a modern version of letterpress printing and can be utilised on almost any type of substrate. That means flexography works better when printing … The substrates on the rotogravure press go through on average 4~6 meters of distance between color stations; on a flexographic press, goes through 4-6cm. It’s suitable for large printing jobs: the price per 1000 labels goes down as the number of labels goes up Disadvantages of offset printing. With so many materials and techniques available to you when it comes to packaging, you might be spoilt for choice. Rotogravure tends to be more efficient in shorter runs as the cost or cylinder making is lower. Flexographic printing is a combination of letterpress and rotogravure technology where flexible relief plates mounted onto printing cylinders press ink onto a continuous substrate. It guarantees high-quality images. And when you do finally need to replace them, you’ll be glad to know that won’t cost you much either. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of buying a used machine vs. purchasing a new flexo-press. An important advantage to some, flexography reduces your reliance on platemaking solutions, solvents based inks and cleaning materials that contain harmful chemicals. The surface of the plate is coated with fast-drying ink. I'm also a bit of an adventurous spirit. We Label America - At Ample Industries, we produce food packaging labels, wine labels, supplement labels and more. Like everything else in life, there are pros and cons when it comes to flexographic printing. If you’re trying to decide whether or not you want to use flexography for your next printing project, big or small, there are a few things you should take a look at. With an idea of what each printing process has to offer, you can better plan the design and budget for your box run. The Pros. With the ability to be used on both porous and non-porous surfaces, flexo printing is a process that is ideally suited to all sorts of consumer and commercial needs. 486 likes. In some cases, however, those differences present a cost-efficient use of both. When considering photopolymer (PP) plates vs. in-the-round (ITR) laser-engraved print technology, there are pros and cons to each. As result, the horizontal registration is often much less accurate on the rotogravure press, as the width of the substrate gets wider the accuracy declines. Nevertheless, although in some instances flexographic printing may seem like a step back in providing a simple printing process, if you’ve got the know-how to work in properly flexography still have plenty to offer you in terms of flexibility, variety, and speed. This post is designed to take a closer look at the key differences in flexo printing vs. gravure printing. One method uses a UV reactive polymer . Also widely used from printing on everything from disposable cups to shopping bags and wallpaper, flexographic printing can use water-based, fluorescent and metallic inks in addition to traditional solvent-based inks. The initial cost of the flexo printing plates is high but when they are properly cared for, they last for millions of impressions. Here are the nine pros and cons of flexography printing: Essentially a different take on rotary printing, flexography involves impressing a raised image onto a flexible surface. Flexography, which is shortened as flexo is a technique of printing that was developed in the early 1900s. Flexo Printing vs Gravure Printing: Pros and Cons Commercial printing relies on a variety of technologies to print on different substrates, but two of the more popular techniques are flexographic printing and gravure printing. There are a few advantages and disadvantages before you decide whether or not flexographic printing is the right option for you. However, there is more of a challenge when you need to print a constant pattern throughout several dozen or even hundreds of feet. This is due to the possibility of the widespread use of this technique for printing on both absorbent and nonabsorbent bases. Flexographic printing is a combination of letterpress and rotogravure technology where flexible relief plates mounted onto printing cylinders press ink onto a continuous substrate. Flexographic plates can be created using three different methods. They will be good if you are just testing out the industry. Flexographic Printing In the year 1993, the label industry was first impacted by digital printing. Digital printers could even use recycled paper to further reduce waste. Flexographic printing begins with development of a flexographic plate. Do you want packaging that’s stylish, sustainable or simply an extension of your brand? This printing technique allows a lot of flexibility with label material. Utilising a mountain motif and grayscale colour palette, they designed a spectacularly sophisticated packaging solution for their garments. Most label printers use flexo printing. Each process has its pros and cons and they can each give you a different look for a different cost. The relief plates used in flexography are also quite durable, which means you’ll only need to replace them after a few million impressions. This was made with the introduction of the Indigo Omnius digital press. Due to the influx of new technology, some of the laborious methods associated with flexography can start to feel dated when compared alongside modern alternatives. While both these methods have undergone great developments in the recent years, there are some pros and cons associated with them thereby making the one better than the other in some situations. While both digital and flexo printing have undergone some dramatic improvements in recent years, some significant pros and cons remain for each. See KYMC blog, we lay out some of the comparison factors for you to judge water based ink or solvent based ink is better to meet your flexo printing needs. While the printing as a whole endures criticism for the effects it is having on the environment, flexography offers a more sustainable solution. Flexographic printing on uncoated paper can … There is no question that the market for used flexo-presses is saturated with all manner of equipment. Disadvantages of flexographic printing. Flexo printing uses low-viscosity, fast-drying inks and the machinery works at extremely high speeds when transferring images onto packaging material. Commercial printing relies on a variety of technologies to print on different substrates, but two of the more popular techniques are flexographic printing and gravure printing. The Risk Of Buying Used. 1. This was made with the introduction of the Indigo Omnius digital press. Flexographic printing is also able to print a larger volume of a printed material more quickly, and overall at a lower price point. Packaging printing can be an extensive subject and picking the right type of printing can be quite confusing if you are not aware of the processes as well as the pros and cons. Flexographic printing technology is capable of printing continuous patterns. Hence, once you are clear about parameters like a number of boxes to print, your budget, quality requirements and time in hand, you can make an informed decision. Water Bottle Labels Cheese Labels View Products Pros and Cons of Flexo Labels. MPS EF 430 multisubstrate flexo press. Digital label and digital printing technology has progressed significantly in the last 3 years and it is now possible to get very high quality digital labels with short lead times on a variety of substrates from standard papers to clear synthetics and even metallics. 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