What the Process of Making Full HD Flexo Printing Plates is Like
January 17th, 2019
In the past, Flexo printing left much to be desired. The quality of prints was acceptable, and many still preferred it over offset and gravure for their price and speed, but it was far from perfect. When compared to the images produced using offset and gravure methods, flexo was at least a couple of steps behind. But it is not the case anymore. Since the invention of digital flexo plates printing, the quality of prints significantly improved. Digital flexo printing that uses full HD flexo allows you to print images that look just as good as the ones produced using the methods thought to be superior. Flexo printing saves time and allows for millions of impressions on all kinds of surfaces. That all has made it the printing technology of the future.
How are full HD flexo plates made?
Full HD Flexo plates are a type of digital flexo plates. In other words, the plates are created without human intervention. All the manual processes involved in the plates creation are replaced by software, and that allows to create error-free templates of excellent quality. The software instruction can be easily modified at the wishes of the person operating the machine, and that allows for a lot of flexibility.
Full HD Flexo plates are not only easier to produce; the quality of prints is also enhanced thanks to the new flat top dot technology. The tops of those plates are flat rather than rounded. It leads to more consistent and sharp print results. The technology is currently the biggest trend in digital flexo plate printing industry.
Flexo vs. Full HD Flexo
The most significant difference between the types of plates is the technology used to produce them. There are many ways to produce flexo plates, but the digital flexo plates are by far the most common and time efficient.
Full HD Flexo combines high-resolution imaging using high definition optics, which helps to deliver even more natural gray levels. HD Flexo plates allow you to print sharper images, text, and other lines; HD plates can create a textured surface. The new generation of digital flexo plates allows to reproduce better dots and that in turn helps to produce better colors and whites. The improved ink lay-down and increased ink density on the final prints are also one of the reasons why the technology became so popular.
What can you do with it?
The best thing about the Full HD Flexo plates is that they do not limit you for when it comes to the form and surface of the material you are printing on. Thus, using digital flexo plates you can print on almost anything. Currently, it is used to produced high definition packaging, business cards, clothing items, plastic, and more. The method allows to print continues patterns, which makes it perfect for printing of wallpapers and gift wrap. It is one of the most versatile printing methods used nowadays.
Flexographic printing also allows you to use a variety of ink types, many of which require little to no drying time. Using digital flexo plates, you can also print on a wide range of both porous and non-porous surfaces. The method allows you to set a pre-established printing inking amount throughout the printing, which in its turn means there’s no need for adjustments or re-calculations in the middle of the printing process. Full HD printing is the printing process of choice if you want to save time, resources, and patience.
Future of Flexo Printing
Flexography is the future of printing. Only a couple of years ago, no one would think that the quality of images produced using the method would ever reach the one of offset or rotogravure, but it did. Now, there is no doubt whether it is going to be popular in the future. It is one of the fastest, cheapest, and the best printing methods. If that is not perfect, what is?
Our team at NDIGITEC offers prepress services. Within its scope, we create digital flexo plates at your demand. Contact us, if you want your business cards, posters, and packagings to be of excellent quality. We will be happy to help you out.