Flexographic Printing: Pushed to the Max By Us
- 12 January 2024
- Posted by: Scott Pendlebury
- Category: Sleeves
Having been in business for over 30 years, we at North West Rollers know the flexographic and gravure printing markets inside and out. As a top provider of rollers, sleeves, cylinders, and other essential equipment, we’ve seen firsthand how innovation has pushed the envelope of what these printers can produce.
The passion and commitment are why printers turn to North West Rollers again and again when they require consumables that live up to the promise of Flexo and Gravure’s immense potential.
Achieving Finer Details with High-Definition Flexographic Sleeves
Flexographic printing has come a long way from its roots in basic packaging and promotions. Today, flexographic presses are being used for incredibly high-quality applications like folding cartons for premium brands. This shift requires flexographic sleeves and plates that can reproduce fine details and screens that were previously only possible in offset or gravure printing.
At North West Rollers, we utilise high-definition flexographic sleeves with our advanced engraving and exposure capabilities to obtain image resolutions up to 8000 dpi with precision down to one micron. This allows for:
- Extremely fine highlight dots down to 1%
- Fine line work and type reproduction
- High screen counts up to 250 lpi
- Smooth vignettes and gradient tones
Combining North West Rollers Fibreglass Sleeves and employing the latest laser engraving technology, we can create sleeves tailored for high-definition graphics, fine text, and designs that push the limits of flexo printing.
Optimised Workflows for Efficient Sleeve Production
Producing precision flexographic sleeves capable of high screen counts requires more than just advanced engraving equipment. The entire workflow needs to be optimised, from design to finished sleeves.
At North West Rollers, we have refined our high-definition flexographic sleeves production process to maximise efficiency without sacrificing quality:
- Collaboration with designers and prepress techs to ensure files are prepared properly
- Automated on-the-fly image distortion compensation
- High-speed data processing and transfers
- Rigorous calibration procedures for laser engravers
- Custom packing solutions to prevent sleeve damage
By analysing and improving each step, we can deliver sleeves faster than ever while maintaining the incredibly tight tolerances needed for high-definition graphics. This streamlined process allows printers to get sleeves on press sooner and start utilising the expanded gamut and quality that HD Flexo provides.
The capabilities of modern flexographic printing exceed anything possible even a few years ago. As quality and efficiency continue to improve, flexo is poised to dominate across many print sectors.
Contact us today to learn more about our HD flexo offerings and how we can equip your operation for continued innovation and success!