Flexography is a relief process: raised image areas on a flexible plate receive ink and transfer it to a moving substrate. It prints films, paper, corrugated liner, foil and labels at high production speeds.
Ink metering and transfer
An engraved anilox roll carries a controlled ink volume in microscopic cells. A doctor blade removes excess ink, the plate picks up the metered film and the impression transfers it to the web. Cell volume, plate surface, pressure, ink viscosity and substrate treatment all influence the result.
Because each colour uses its own station, registration and drying must remain stable through the press. Expanded-gamut sets can reproduce many designs from a fixed ink sequence, reducing wash-ups when workflow and colour control are mature.
Where flexography fits
The process is productive for repeated packaging and label work, especially where inline coating, cold foil, lamination or die-cutting adds value. Plate cost and setup must be balanced against run length and repeat orders. Fingerprinting the real press on target materials gives prepress teams the tonal curves, trapping and minimum-feature limits needed to design work that is both printable and consistent.
