Flexographic printing (or “flexo”) has come a long way from its early origins. Pioneered as the next step in traditional letterpress printing, flexography has evolved into an extraordinarily versatile, technologically sophisticated printing process that can produce high-quality images. Flexography is fast and repeatable, can take advantage of a wide range of ink types and colors, and prints on substrates from sturdy cardboard to fine films, making it ideal for industrial applications.
Historically, flexography demanded a higher initial investment of resources to create the flexible plates that give the process its name. However, modern advancements have streamlined plate creation and printing itself, lowering the barrier to entry for professional, branded packaging. Adherex’s flexographic printing capabilities are an invaluable resource for any business looking to stand out on shelves.
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Flexographic printing across industries and applications
Flexography appears in a wide variety of use cases for virtually any industry. Examples include:
- Wrapping paper
- Wallpaper
- Shopping bags, both paper and plastic
- Envelopes
- Promotional tote bags
- Corrugated cardboard boxes
- Food and beverage cartons
- Disposable dishware
- Newspaper
- Adhesive labels
- Printed foil
The flexographic printing process is notable for its speed. The inks used in flexography typically have lower viscosity than other printing methods, accelerating drying times. In addition, print runs are often accomplished in high-volume batches on large, uncut sheets of substrate that are slit later for increased efficiency.
Combined with its ability to be used on such a wide range of substrates, these factors set flexographic printing apart as a fast, economical option for industrial packaging.
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Meet our flexographic printing press
Adherex’s printing press is something we take special pride in. It represents industry-leading print technology and offers our customers an unmatched range of options. Our press prints on films as thin as 0.6 mm, including stretch films, with water- and solvent-based inks. Its automated registration capabilities ensure image precision within tight tolerances, and an intelligent vision system flags dirt, debris, and print defects to keep the print process smooth and reduce waste.
Our press can print substrate at 1,500 feet per minute, and we leverage sleeve technology to mount our plates quickly. The speed of our print jobs enables us to take on smaller runs than are generally feasible for industrial-scale flexographic printers, making this technology accessible even to small businesses.
Printed packaging is an unmissable opportunity for businesses to market themselves—and in the case of products sold in retail outlets, it’s an absolute necessity. The caliber of image that our press achieves gives our customers clean, professional-looking packaging showcasing the quality of the product. At the same time, the speed and automated quality control of our press cuts back on waste, reduces costs, and delivers results in less time.
Learn more about our press and see it in action here.
Food-safe packaging
Flexography is a popular printing solution for the food packaging industry due to its speed, versatility, and compatibility with non-porous packaging materials, the most popular of which is biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film. Adherex member Stretchtape is an industry leader in custom print solutions for BOPP film and is eager to tackle food packaging challenges.
In addition, we are currently preparing our print facility for GMP compliance for food-safe packaging production. Check back with us soon for more information as we expand our capabilities into this key market.
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The Adherex Group combines expertise across packaging solutions, incorporating tapes, films (including stretch films), paper and cardboard products, foams, and more. Our flexographic printing experts have access to and can collaborate with materials experts for any of our packaging solutions. This interdisciplinary knowledge gives us a unique ability to advise our clients on their options and customize our products to each client’s needs.
Knowledgeable customer service extends beyond our print capabilities, as well. Adherex is a pioneering manufacturer of general-use and custom packaging solutions for businesses of every size. We offer organizations a one-stop shop for varied and combination packaging needs, and our customer service personnel are happy to guide clients toward the ideal solution for their budget, sustainability needs, and business demands.
To learn more about packaging options for your business, contact Adherex today.
