7 Best Insider Tips on How to Avoid Print Misregistration in Flexographic Printing

22 10 月 7 Best Insider Tips on How to Avoid Print Misregistration in Flexographic Printing

Want to avoid experiencing occasional print misregistration on your flexographic press? Find here the 7 things you can make use of to prevent the different types of misregistration. 

Print misregistration can be caused by a wide range of errors from misappropriation in color patterns to design accuracy. This then results in unforeseen delays, wasted substrate and ink, as well as tear on the machinery. 

Avoid this seemingly inevitable printing mishap by taking heed of these 10 tips that can enhance your flexographic printing operations!

1. Check for wavy edges

In cases of sheets misregistered out of tolerance/tension (after the pull of several sheets beforehand), checking your flexographic press’ substrate for the occurrence of wavy edges is an instant solution most of the time! 

This technique can also be used when encountering issues such as consistent mis-registering in one part of the sheet, as well as sideways misregistration in the trailing edge. 

2. Correct press gripper edge

By checking on the edge guide register settings and the press gripper edge beforehand, you can prevent drift of misregistration (that happens on either one or many colors) appearing on the limits after several pulls of appropriately registered inspection sheets.  

3. Consider mechanical stretch when printing on low density and linear low.

Error due to mechanical stretch can result in a variety of unwanted results. However, the misregistration is shown either around the press cylinder or along the trailing edge of the sheet. Hence, if you experience misregistration that can be settled on the said range, you might want to avoid loose blankets or high ink tack.. 

4. Reduce impression pressure. 

Misregistration with flexographic printing machines happening randomly and on different areas of the sheet can be commonly caused by heavily embossed plastics. In such circumstances, working on the impression of pressure might be the solution you need. 

5. Balancing inappropriate press speed. 

Have you been experiencing random misregistration on the gripper edge of your sheet, and checking on the edge guide settings of your flexographic printing machine seems to not be of help? What you can do is to check on the speed of your flexographic machine. Simply secure a moderate speed for your register system and you’re good to go.

6. Fix idle rollers to optimize ink transfer. 

Another common reason behind print misregistration is the continual build up of ink on your idle rollers. The manifestation of this is the inaccurate transfer of ink from your substrate onto the idle/ guiding rollers. To solve it, be mindful of the cleanliness of your idle rollers to rid of the strange contamination onto the print. Alternatively, you can also wrap the idle rollers with the most ink built-up with paper or plastic to supplement the printing process by absorption making certain that the excess ink cannot touch your substrate easily.

7. Improve your flexographic press substrate surface tension.

If you can observe that the print misregistration is caused by improper distribution of pressure from the plate, then you should consider the possibility of dysfunctional surface tension. To fix this, you need to improve your surface tension, keeping your flexographic printing press plates in contact with your substrate—consistent and evenly on your substrate.