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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION

Flexography Print Optimization

Part I: Substrate Trial

Natalie Hinson

GC1041-006
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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
ABSTRACT

The trials conducted analyzed tonal value increase, line printability, and text printability on an

uncoated and coated substrate. They were printed using a 4.06 bcm anilox roll. The 4.06 bcm

anilox roll traditionally produces a more saturated color due to the higher amount of ink that is

laid down on the substrate. A spectrophotometer was used to obtain the operator side, gear side,

the solid ink density, and the tint in print values. The solid ink density of the coated substrate was

1.67 and the uncoated substrate was 0.93. In terms of detail, the 4.06 bcm anilox roll with the

100 lpi will create more a more detailed image. The 4.06 bcm anilox roll with the 100 lpi will

also have a wider tonal gamut than the 4.06 bcm anilox roll with the 85 lpi. The colors of the

uncoated substrate were faded and dull compared to the vibrant and glossier colors of the coated

substrate. In terms of reverse sanserif and serif text printability, the coated substrate had a higher

point value than the uncoated substrate. The reverse line printability, when printed parallel they

were equal at 0.25 pts. The across line printability was different with the coated substrate being

able to produce a 0.5 pts and the uncoated being able to print a 0.25 pt. line. To achieve a sharp

detail with vibrant color, based on the data provided, use the 4.06 bcm anilox roll with the 100

lpi. The limitations come with lines and text because the 4.06 bcm anilox roll with the 100 lpi

cannot bring lines that are very thin and text that is very small. The 4.06 bcm anilox roll with 85

lpi on the uncoated substrate would not be able to create the vibrant color, but it could produce

smaller lines and smaller fonts.

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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
PRINT TRIAL I
OVERVIEW/PURPOSE

The purpose of this trail is to examine the effects of substrate choice on printability.

PROCEDURES

Step one: make a flexo plate using optimization film.

Step two: load coated substrate into the press.

Step three: assemble a 2.09 BCM in station 1 and a 4.06 BCM in station 3.

Step four: set good impression.

Step five: pull and label samples.

Step six: load uncoated substrate into press.

Step seven: set good impression.

Step eight: pull and label samples.

Step nine: clean.

CONSTANTS

Press: Sohn

Print Unit #: 3

Plate Material: NEO170F

Stickyback Type: 3MI315

Anilox Volume: 4.06 BCM

Press Speed: 2

Ink: Process Blue

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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
DATA/FINDINGS

Figure 1.1

Flexography Substrate Trial

Coated, Anilox Roll 4.06
30%, OS: 0.30, GS: 0.28, Solid Ink Density: 1.67
Tint
Tint in Design Tint in Print Compensation
1 6.60 6
2 15.90 16
5 22.80 23
10 29.20 30
25 48.50 49
50 76.10 76
75 90.00 90
85 95.40 96
90 97.40 98
100 100.00 100
Figure 1.2

Flexography Substrate Trial

Coated, Annilox Roll 4.06
OS: 0.30, GS: 0.28, Solid Ink Density: 1.67

100.00
90.00
80.00
Output Tint Percent Value

70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Input Tint Percent Value

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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
positive serif type 4 pts.
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
positive san-serif type 4 pts.
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
reverse serif type 8 pts.
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
reverse san-serif type 8 pts.
Across web- Smallest printable
positive serif type 6 pts.
Across web- Smallest printable
positive san-serif type 6 pts.
Across web-Smallest printable
reverse serif type 8 pts.
Across web-Smallest printable
reverse san-serif type 8 pts.
Parallel to web-Thinnest
printable positive line 0.25 pts.
Parallel to web-Thinnest
printable reverse line 0.25 pts.
Across web-Thinnest printable
positive line 0.10 pts.
Across web-Thinnest printable
reverse line 0.5 pts.
Even, uniform lines, full lines, no bleed, pattern
Slur Target Condition maintained.
1 dot bridge on OS, clear dots, precise dots, even
30% dot across the web condition spacing.
Figure 1.3
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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
Figure 2.1

Flexography Substrate Trial

Uncoated, Anilox Roll 4.06
30%, OS: 0.27, GS: 0.28, Solid Ink Density: 0.93
Tint in Design Tint in Print Tint Compensation
1 7.80 8
2 20.00 20
5 26.30 26
10 31.90 32
25 50.40 50
50 72.80 73
75 87.70 88
85 94.90 94
90 95.50 95
100 100.00 100
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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION

Figure 2.2

Parallel to web-Smallest printable

positive serif type 4 pts.
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
positive san-serif type 4 pts.
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
reverse serif type 6 pts.
Parallel to web-Smallest printable
reverse san-serif type 6 pts.
Across web- Smallest printable
positive serif type 4 pts.
Across web- Smallest printable
positive san-serif type 4 pts.
Across web-Smallest printable
reverse serif type 6 pts.
Across web-Smallest printable
reverse san-serif type 4 pts.
Parallel to web-Thinnest printable
positive line 0.10 pts.
Parallel to web-Thinnest printable
reverse line 0.25 pts.
Across web-Thinnest printable
positive line 0.10 pts.
Across web-Thinnest printable
reverse line 0.25 pts.
OS: Bleed on the lines, even lines, pattern is
maintained. GS: Clean, even lines, precise, no
Slur Target Condition bleed.
OS: Incomplete dots. Dots will get more precise
30% dot across web condition as you move to gear side. GS: Full, even dots.
Figure 2.3
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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION

This data above was taken using one uncoated substrate and one coated substrate and a 4.06 bcm

anilox roll. The tint in print, line printability, and text printability were all analyzed as well. Both

the uncoated and the coated substrates achieved proper solids. The uncoated substrate produced a

0.93 solid ink density, and the coated substrate produced a 1.67 solid ink density. The 4.06 bcm

anilox roll will produce a more saturated color because it is a higher bcm, but the coated

substrate will allow the color to settle on the surface. When the color settles on the surface, it will

maintain that saturated and vibrant color, but the uncoated substrate allows the color to soak into

the substrate which will dull the color. When it comes to dot gain, there is greater dot gain on the

coated substrate than the uncoated substrate. Visually analyzing the uncoated substrate, the solids

that were produced do not appear as saturated as the coated substrate. The color on the uncoated

substrate appears to look faded as the coated substrate appears to look glossy, and the color on

the coated substrate appears to be a shade or two darker than the coated substrate as well. The

tonal value increase when the tint in design is one on the uncoated substrate is 5.60 percent .

When the tint in design is one on the coated substrate the tonal value increase is 6.80 percent.

When the tonal value increase when the tint in design is fifty is 26.10 percent on uncoated

substrate. When the tint in design is fifty the tonal value increase on the coated substrate was

22.80 percent. When there was ninety the tint in design on the uncoated substrate was 7.40

percent. At ninety tint in design on the coated substrate, the tonal value increase was 5.50

percent. The tonal value increase numbers are relatively close between the coated and uncoated

substrate no matter what the tint in design is. The tonal value increase is going to be relatively

higher on the coated substrate because that ink rests on top of that substrate and doesn’t dull out

it is going to be more saturated and achieve a darker tone faster than that uncoated substrate.
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FLEXOGRAPHY OPTIMIZATION
When it came to printability there were some differences in the text and line results. The parallel

to web - smallest printable reverse serif type on the uncoated was six points while on the coated

substrate it was eight points. The parallel to web - smallest printable reverse san-serif type on the

uncoated substrate was also six points while on the coated substrate it was eight points as well.

The across web - smallest printable positive serif type and san-serif type on the uncoated

substrate was six points while on the coated it was four points. The across web – smallest reverse

positive serif type on the uncoated was eight points while it was six points on the coated

substrate. The across web - smallest printable reverse san-serif type on the uncoated was eight

points while it was four points on the four points on the coated substrate. These results and

differences in numbers could have multiple reasons, one of the biggest being that due to the

faded background it’s harder to read the serif type because it has all the tails and details. When

analyzing the reverse on the uncoated, it can be difficult because there is some white space due

to the more faded look of the uncoated substrate. The combination that produced the best overall

solids was the 4.06 bcm anilox roll on the coated substrate. The combination that produced the

lowest tonal value increase was the coated substrate with the 4.06 bcm anilox roll. The smallest

reverse line that was produced was the on the uncoated substrate at 0.10 points. The smallest

reverse serif type was on the coated substrate at six points. Overall, to achieve the best level of

graphics the best combination to use would be the 4.06 bcm anilox roll with the 100 lpi on the

coated substrate. The 100 lpi allows for a greater amount of detail and the 4.06 anilox roll allows

for a vibrant color. The 85 lpi would allow for smaller lines and text to be printed, but the details

in the graphics would not be as sharp as the 100 lpi.