This book offers common-sense insights and practical advice to help make flexographic printing operations safer, more efficient, more productive, and more profitable. It combines a scientific approach with a presentation that is often humorous, and always easy and enjoyable to read and understand. The book dispels some myths that are prevalent in the industry, highlights some of the good ideas and best practices that make flexographic print shops successful, and provides examples of the devastating effect that cutting corners has on profitability. It concludes with an extensive troubleshooting chart and a glossary of terms. Highly recommended.

From the Foreword: “...This volume is a journey from the simple to the complex and back again. It explores the packaging marketplace, the wonders and pitfalls of flexographic print production, the dances of labor and management, and some intricacies of printing that leave mere editors dizzy. This exploration is accomplished with facts, opinions, plain English, gravity, and humor...”

Target Audience: Press operators, management, students, and any other reader with an interest in flexographic printing.

Table of Contents:

Overview of Flexography:

Introduction

Flexo Refined

The Ink Train:

All Aboard the Ink Train

The Leading Edge of Ink Doctoring Technology

Making an Impression with Plates

Rolling with the Ink Flow

Not Just Idler Chatter

The Role of the Anilox

The Anilox Roll:

Mommy, Where Do Anilox Rolls Come From?

No Magic to Anilox Roll Selection

The Dirt on Cleaning Anilox Rolls

How Long Should an Anilox Roll?

Quality, Safety, and the Environment:

A Systematic Approach to Quality

Pressroom Safety Is No Accident

Environmentally Friendly Flexo

Management Issues:

Pressroom Management

A Case Study in Doing It Right

Appendices:

How Ultrasonic Cleaning Works

Anilox Cleaning System Comparison Chart

Conversions and Calculations

Flexography Troubleshooting Chart

Glossary

Bibliography