When you’re choosing printing on cardboard, flexographic printing is the way to go. Being eco-friendly and cost-effective is the key, and here, we look at the print quality for flexographic printing and different ways this can get done. 

The Basics of Flexographic printing 

Before you dive into specifics of achieving the print quality of this, it’s important that you understand these basics. Flexographic printing is a form of relief printing which utilizes flexible plates for printing, known as stereos for a lot of people, in order to transfer the ink onto a substrate that’s known as cardboard. 

Printing plates are made from rubber, or photopolymer, and the raised image transfers the ink onto your substrate. 

This form of printing is pretty cool, and while it does take more time, the results are cleaner than digital printing. 

The Right Ink Matters 

One thing that’ll impact one’s flexo printing is of course, the ink quality. 

The correct ink mattes, as this will be a big part of how the product turns out. 

Water-based is the most popular for flexo printing simply because it’s eco friendly and creates very vibrant colors. But, due to the limitations on machines, they’re not suitable for the print quality you want. There are certain machines that’ll require solvent-based types of inks as they create an ink transfer and an adhesion, which results in sharper images. 

In postal packaging that was made from porous cardboard, the water-based inks are the ideal option for a good balance, sustainability and quality. Water-based and solvent based inks are the most common. Water-based is those that are dyes suspended directly in water. Being eco friendly, they create a vibrant color. They’re easy to clean and have a lower odor.  Water-based inks are used in flexographic printing for paper, along with cardboard substrates. 

Solvent-based are made from dyes and pigments that get suspended in solvents, including alcohol, ethyl acetate and acetone.  They create a better transfer, and help with creating more shaper images. They’re used for metal foils and plastic filming. 

There are UV inks, but they are usually fast-drying, and good for vibrant pieces.  Metal foil and plastic also work well with this. 

Choosing the Right Plate 

The right printing plate is great for ensuring you’ve got good printing quality.  This is used for printing, and durability along with the flexibility is what creates the right type of image. 

When you choose a photopolymer plate, choose something with a higher resolution to create clear and sharp images. 

Photopolymers are a form of printing plate used for this.  The plates come with photosensitive types of materials that’ll harden when they’re exposed to UV light. 

They have a liquid photopolymer that’s exposed to film negatives of images.  Areas of the plate also have exposed areas to harden, and the unexposed ones stay soft.  This leaves behind the raised image that’s thrown onto one’s substrate. 

Photopolymer plates are known for flexibility, durability, producing finer details, and achieving photographic quality in flexo printing. 

There are other printing plate types used with this, including rubber plates, elastomeric sleeves, and so much more. But photopolymer plates tend to be the most common because of the results offered. 

Flexographic printing is great, and achieving such with some four color printing is even more possible than ever before. the right plate matters, and there are so many high-quality eco friendly forms of packaging now in order to meet the demands of others.  It definitely is perfect for those interested in really looking the part, and to help create a visually appealing product that you will love too.