Practical experience in label printing: "Overprinting of the printing plate"

Practical experience in label printing: "Overprinting of the printing plate"

03.03.2016

In our series "Practical experience in label printing," we address everyday challenges in label printing and how to solve them. In this issue, we focus on the topic of "overprinting of the printing plate."

Problem identification:
The fine grid areas ("highlights") smear and must be cleaned regularly. Under the microscope, individual dots connect.

Troubleshooting:

• Use a screen roller with a lower scooping volume.
• Use a screen roller with a lineature at least 6 times higher than the screen width of the printing plate.
• Use soft adhesive tape
• Reduce the pressure of the anilox roller against the printing cylinder if possible.
• Pigment concentration in the paint is too high - add transparent white
• Reduce the pressure of the squeegee blade against the anilox roller – excessive squeegee pressure causes the squeegee blade to bend and increases ink transfer (visible in the printing process as a “glassy” instead of matt ink film on the surface of the anilox roller).
• Check that the screen roller is scraped off correctly – replace the squeegee blade if necessary.
• Inappropriate printing plate type - use a different type
• Use Edoflex antistatic spray for the printing plate (Gallus order no.: 181211)