The flexo printing industry plays a critical role in packaging production, delivering high-quality and efficient print solutions.
That said, flexo platemaking professionals face several common challenges as the process evolves.
In today’s blog, we explore these flexo printing challenges and how software solutions help companies enhance efficiency, quality, and consistency.
Mastering Change Management in Flexo Printing
Change management is a constant in the flexo industry.
Whether adopting new sustainable substrates, testing a different plate or anilox, or optimizing workflows, adjusting to change can be time-consuming and costly.
A critical part of this process is what the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) defines as a fingerprint, which consists of three key stages:
- Optimization – Defining the best screening for the plate, anilox, tape, and substrate combination.
- Fingerprinting – Establishing dot gain curves.
- Characterization – Creating a color profile for accurate print reproduction.
Some prepress and platemaking specialists attempt to shortcut this process by skipping optimization and using generic settings.
However, this approach is manual, costly, and can take up to six weeks—an impractical timeline for today’s fast-moving flexo printers.
Accelerating Change Management with Technology
To meet modern demands, flexo professionals are leveraging technology to streamline change management.
Automated screening and color management solutions simplify the process, guiding users to achieve optimal press curves and color profiles in just one print run.
For example, solutions like Print Control Wizard (PCW) simplify this process by automating screening selection and optimizing dot gain compensation, helping printers achieve predictable, high-quality results with minimal trial and error.
By reducing complexity, modern flexo printers can adopt new technologies and substrates more efficiently, improving agility and overall press performance.
The Role of Printing Conditions in Standardization
A printing condition refers to a defined and standardized set of parameters that directly impact print quality and consistency.
These parameters ensure repeatability across multiple print jobs.
Key elements of a printing condition include:
- Press parameters – Substrate, ink, anilox, tape, and plate settings.
- Platemaking settings – CTP device, exposure conditions, and plate specifications.
- Screening specifications – Dot gain curves, transition points, and surface screen patterns.
By adopting a structured printing condition methodology, printers can reduce make-ready times, achieve consistent print quality, and enable Fixed Palette Printing, a strategy that enhances press utilization and minimizes variability.
This foundation of standardization helps flexo printers overcome major production challenges.
Overcoming Key Challenges in Flexo Printing
Even with standardization, flexo professionals must balance multiple factors to maintain print quality, efficiency, and profitability.
Some of the most common challenges include:
Key elements of a printing condition include:
- Dot Bridging – Ensuring plate stability to minimize dirty print and dot gain.
- Robust Plate Performance – Developing durable plates that maintain quality throughout the print run.
Efficiency:
- Reduced Press Utilization – Flexo presses typically operate at just 40% utilization, leading to inefficiencies.
- Press Make-Ready – Excessive setup times increase costs and slow production.
- Increasing Press Speeds – Maintaining quality at higher speeds is a constant struggle.
- Press Stops for Plate Cleaning – Unplanned stops disrupt workflow and add downtime.
The Need for Fixed Palette Printing
To streamline consistency and reduce press adjustments, flexo printers are increasingly turning to Fixed Palette Printing, which:
- Improves press efficiency
- Reduces consumable waste
- Enhances cost-effectiveness and sustainability
Balancing Print Quality and Efficiency with Screening
Screening is one the foundations for achieving both high-quality print and improved press efficiency.
By embracing automation, standardization, and processes such as the Printing Condition Methodology, flexo printers can:
- Enhance dot reproduction accuracy
- Minimize press setup time
- Ensure consistent color and quality across multiple runs
The Competitive Edge of Flexo Printing
Flexo remains a strong competitor against other print technologies, thanks to its versatility and cost-effectiveness:
- Substrate Flexibility – Flexo allows printing on a wide variety of materials, including sustainable and low-migration ink options.
- Fixed Palette Printing – Increases press utilization, allowing flexo presses to function more like digital presses—a key advantage for productivity.
With its ability to meet sustainability requirements, enhance reliability, and drive profitability, flexo continues to be a preferred choice for high-quality packaging production.
The Future of Flexo Printing
Flexo printing is evolving into a fully standardized, technology-driven process focused on efficiency, quality, and sustainability.
By adopting automation and improving press utilization, flexo printers can reduce downtime, meet increasing customer demands, and maintain a competitive edge in an evolving market.
Want to learn more about how Print Control Wizard can help streamline your flexo workflow? Book a discovery call today!
