Why Flexo Plate Choice Matters More Than You Might Think

Q. How has flexographic printing changed the way printers should think about plate choice?
Print quality alone is no longer the primary factor in flexo plate choice, and it is no longer a meaningful way to compare plate technologies. Most plates today can achieve an acceptable print quality with enough time for fine-tuning and room for compromise.

The real question is how that quality is achieved and whether it is repeatable. When evaluating flexo plate performance today, printers need to look beyond image quality alone and consider the impact on press performance, consistency and overall production efficiency.

Q. What role does the plate play in press performance?
The plate is at the center of the flexo process and is crucial to the whole production journey. There are so many variables in the flexo printing process, and it’s easy to think that plates are just the vehicle for image transfer. In reality, the plates connect the whole process. They interact directly with everything: the substrate, the inks, anilox, and the press – all work together.

Q. How does this role in the print process relate to the cost of plates?
Plates are often one of the lower cost items in the packaging job and can be as little as 1% of the total cost. Yet they are one of the biggest levers for controlling press performance and overall process efficiency. The right plate can be the difference between dramatic improvement and eroded efficiencies.

Q. How can flexo plate choice affect productivity and profitability?
Speed is one. How fast the press can run day in and day out, how often you need to stop, and the reasons why.

Consistency is another. How consistently your plates can hold color, and how long it takes to get to that color to get sign-off. These all have an impact on how stable the job is over the full run. You can measure that stability in distance or time, but the predictability of your results is what really matters most to productivity and profitability.

The strength of a plate’s performance comes from many areas. It’s critical that plates are consistent and robust over long and repeated print runs. The whole print operation benefits from the precision and control you expect from the right flexo plate.

Q. Can the right flexo plate improve press efficiency?
The right plate means fewer press stoppages, a faster start-up, more stable colors, higher average press speeds: all while generating less waste. It’s a better use of your labor and equipment, delivering positive sustainability benefits at the same time. The right plate helps you get the maximum return on investment, and that financial impact adds up quickly.

The final question I would put to printers is this: is your current flexo plate enabling your press to perform at its true potential?

FLEXCEL NX Plates have set the benchmark for flexographic printing performance for more than a decade. FLEXCEL Prime is the next-generation plate from Miraclon designed to preserve all the industry-leading characteristics of FLEXCEL NX Plates, while introducing new features that significantly extend these operational efficiencies.