Flexographic
printing and offset printing are two of the most popular printing processes in
this industry.
Offset
provides the highest quality. However, due to the revolution that flexo
has had, the latter now offers the same quality.
With flexo,
the simple printing process is high-quality and low-cost, without the need for
additional labor or costs. Flexography
is the method of choice for many applications, this is due to the many
advantages it offers. One roller feeds each flex plate with ink, and a
single flex plate is required for each individual printed color. Both
printing methods: flexographic and offset are oriented to satisfy the printing
needs, however there are key differences that distinguish
them:
Flexography:
·
A
dedicated flex plate for every color
·
Extremely
high color accuracy
·
Ability
to combine printing with other processes in a single operation
·
The
starting material is in the form of a roll, which passes through a series of
rotating flexible relief plates
·
Use
flexible rotary plates to print directly onto the substrate
·
Different
printing materials are used in flexography
·
Up
to eight inks can be printed
· Different finishes can be made
·
Indirectly
prints through a series of offset plates
·
Offset
only works with smooth and flat surfaces
·
Uses
paper, stainless steel, and plastic.
Advantages and disadvantages of Offset:
Advantages of offset printing. It allows a lot of flexibility
with the material of the labels.
It is
suitable for large print jobs - the price per 1000 labels goes down as the
number of labels increases.
Disadvantages of offset printing. Its cost… is
expensive; by the complex printing units.
It takes
longer to set up and produces more waste. Quality wise you need experienced
operators as the press and printing process are complex.
Flexographic Printing: FUTURE
However,
when you switch to a new printing technique, you will always notice the
difference. A series of aspects must be taken into account for this
migration.
How to make the change?
A good start
would be: the combination of both technologies: offset printing and
flexographic printing in a single press. Some offset machines can
integrate Flexography units in their configuration. This would be a viable
solution, in case you don't want to completely switch to flexo printing.
100%
replacement, from offset printing to flexographic printing, this requires a short-term
investment as you will need flexographic presses. In the long term, this
transition will result in lower operating costs for you.
The high
print quality and low cost of flexographic printing, and the flexibility and
fast turnaround times of digital printing… is synonymous with flexography.
For more details please contact us: http://www.biotechpackages.com/
