Flexographic High Definition (HD) technology provides high quality print.
Olpo Group Sp. z o.o. supplies films and laminates printed using the technology of FLEXO HD (High definition). Flexo printing technology is a form of printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate. It is essentially a modern version of letterpress which can be used for printing on almost nay type of substrate, including plastic, metallic films, cellophane and paper.
Platemaking
The most important stage in entire process, in terms of inability to apply changes after the stage is completed. The best method of producing plates uses computer-controlled laser to etch the image onto the printing plate. The number of printing plates is equal to the number of colors in the artwork. The leaders of manufacturing this kind of plates are AV Flexologic, Esko, Kodak, Polymount and Screen.
Mounting
For every color to be printed, a plate is made and eventually put on a cylinder which is placed in the printing press. To make a complete picture, regardless of printing on flexible film or corrugated paper, the image transferred from each plate has to register exactly with the images transferred from the other colors. To ensure an accurate picture is made, mounting marks are made on the flexographic plates. These mounting marks can be microdots (down to 0.3 mm) and/or crosses. Special machinery is made for mounting these plates on the printing cylinders to maintain registration.
Printing
A flexographic print is made by creating a positive mirrored master of the required image as a 3D relief in a rubber or polymer material. The ink is transferred from the ink roll which is partially immersed in the ink tank. Then it transfers to the anilox or ceramic roll (or meter roll) whose texture holds a specific amount of ink since it is covered with thousands of small wells or cups that enable it to meter ink to the printing plate in a uniform thickness evenly and quickly (the number of cells per linear inch can vary according to the type of print job and the quality required). To avoid getting a final product with a smudgy or lumpy look, it must be ensured that the amount of ink on the printing plate is not excessive.
Overall, advantages of the FLEXO HD technology are as follow:
- Flexographic inks have low viscosity, that enables faster drying and as a result faster production which leads to lower costs
- The easy plate making process enables to print millions of images with one template
- Pre-established inking amounts throughout the printing process means there's no need for adjustments or re-calculations in the middle of the job
- Flexographic printing technology is capable of printing continuous patterns
- For food-related consumer products, flexographic printing offers the perfect balance of durability and safety