What is Flexographic Printing?
The Flexo printing uses convex printing plate.
In the Flexo printing, less water-based or solvent ink is applied with photopolymer material as a plate.
This is the most environmental conscious printing system, which controls emission of harmful substances and energy consumption.
What is water-based flexo ink (aqueous flexo ink)?
This is the ink using water instead of solvent.
Ink liquid at the time of printing becomes dried after printed on material.
At that time, any volatile organic compounds (VOC) won’t be emitted because solvent is not used.
In the revised Air Pollution Control Act (2004), emission of volatile organic compound (VOC) has been limited. Since ink costs less and less power consumption for running machines and drying procedures, eco-friendly printing with little greenhouse effect gas is realized.
What is UV ink?
UV ink solventless type that becomes instantly hardened when ultraviolet light is emitted.
UV ink will not emit VOC but high cost and high-energy consumption are its disadvantageous.
* Yoshimoto Printing Inc does not conduct the Flexo printing with UV ink.
Advantageous of Flexo printing
The Flexo printing needs less ink, and easily converted into water-based flexo ink in addition to controlling energy consumption. Its market share has increased worldwide as one of the most environment-friendly printing systems. Among others, share of the Flexo printing to the food package printing, which requires severe hygiene control has constantly increased.
Since the Flexo printing is very flexible, and is performed with low pressure, printing onto various materials can be conducted.
Disadvantageous of Flexo printing
With the traditional Flexo printing, high-frequency dot printing was difficult to be done.
There were large demands to offset printing by that color-printing has no such problems.
These days, as a result of advanced technologies, Flexo printing can handle high accuracy printing.
Low quality of printing products was problem of Flexo in the past but since that problem has been solved, there have been large demands for Flexo printing.