What is Flexography printing?
We compare the difference between Flexography and Lithography
Flexography (often called flexo printing) is a high-speed printing process that uses flexible relief plates made from rubber or photopolymer. Ink is transferred from an ink roller (anilox roller) to the raised areas of the printing plate, which then prints the image onto a wide variety of materials.
It is widely used for packaging and labels because it can print on materials that are difficult for other printing methods, such as plastic films, foil, cardboard, corrugated boxes, and paper.
Flexography vs. Lithography
| Flexography | Lithography (Offset Printing) |
| Uses flexible raised printing plates (relief printing). | Uses flat printing plates based on the principle that oil and water repel each other. |
| Prints well on rough, flexible, and non-porous materials such as plastic, film, foil, and corrugated board. | Best for smooth paper and cardstock. |
| Uses fast-drying inks, making it ideal for high-speed production. | Produces very high image quality with sharp detail and smooth colour gradients. |
| Primarily used for packaging, labels, and flexible packaging. | Commonly used for books, magazines, brochures, catalogs, and marketing materials. |
| Excellent for large-volume packaging runs. | Excellent for high-quality commercial printing. |
Examples of Flexography Printing
Flexography is commonly used to print:
- Food packaging
- Plastic bags
- Product labels
- Corrugated shipping boxes
- Folding cartons
- Gift wrap
- Tissue paper
- Paper napkins
- Shopping bags
- Envelopes
- Ice cream cartons
- Disposable paper plates and cups
- Flexible pouches
- Adhesive tapes
Many printing companies also combine flexography with digital printing (toner or inkjet) for shorter production runs, personalised packaging, or variable-data printing where each printed item contains different information (such as serial numbers, barcodes, or names).
Summary
- Flexography is best for fast, cost-effective printing on packaging materials and non-paper surfaces.
- Lithography is best for high-resolution printing on paper products where image quality is the top priority.
Read more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexography
