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Paradoxical printing: printers need to reposition the plate rapidly to ensure that the print is not out of registration, but if it is not fixed firmly enough, the image will blur--a contradiction in terms? Debbie Nyman describes how tapes help. (Packaging).

Article Excerpt
Flexographic printing is now used for more than 30% of all packaging--and the flexo market is growing at 5% per annum. The move away from traditional web printing is heralding new standards for packaging printing.

With entire product line extensions based solely on a revamped exterior, manufacturers must keep apace with the latest developments. But how are they to marry demand for high quality packaging with mounting pressure on end product price?

Flexographic printing--a process using specially cushioned plate mounting tapes to compensate for gaps between the plate and substrate can deliver high quality and low cost.

Although flexo printing has been around for a number of years, it is the availability of innovative materials that is ensuring flexo becomes the process of choice for even the most quality critical print jobs.

ADHESIVES ENSURE QUALITY

The linchpin of flexographic printing is the mounting tape, which is a foam-backed adhesive tape that is used to hold the print plate in place during printing.

Conventional plate mounting tape allows the print plate to deform during printing, resulting in dot gain and therefore blurred images.

In flexographic printing, the foam backing on the adhesive tape takes the impact of compression, ensuring the print plate remains stable. A clean, sharp image results.

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While final print quality still depends on a number of factors--imaging, ink...