Page 4 - "How to print on flexo?" By Petra Bteich

Conventional printing is a complex process involving a
periodic motion of two cylinders in close contact with
each other and an ink acting as an interfacial material

between the image carrier and the substrate. At the
moment when the ink is transferred to the substrate,
three components interact: the image carrier, the ink

and the substrate. The performance of the image
carrier is to a large content influenced by its chemical,
mechanical and physical properties. The solidification
of the ink on the substrate is highly dependent on the
ink-paper interaction. The conditions in the printing

process, such as printing speed and the force
employed, also affect the ink transfer and the final print
quality, as they affect the contact area and contact

time. The printing press must be rapid and be stable to
be cost-effective but it should also produce a satisfying
print quality; overall it is the final appearance and
functionality of the printed product that makes the
printing process profitable.