Flexo Troubleshooting Guide - 0b12 Common Printing Defects and How To Fix Them
Flexo Troubleshooting Guide - 0b12 Common Printing Defects and How To Fix Them
12 COMMON
PRINTING DEFECTS
&
HOW TO FIX THEM
immediately go into
troubleshooting mode.
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Use the following interactive grid to match defects with their causes.
1. The defects listed on the left of the grid each correspond to a cause or causes
along the top.
2. Causes often correspond to multiple defects, and you may actually have
multiple problems happening at once. Use your best judgment to make a
diagnosis. If you’re unsure or don’t want to misdiagnose, we can help identify
the issue.
Ultimately, this interactive grid should help you narrow down the potential causes
and effects, make adjustments, and achieve quality prints every time. Click the
printing defect on the grid to automatically be taken to a more in-depth explanation
and a list of potential fixes.
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Dot Gain
Gear Marks
Halo
Feathering
Dougnuts
PRINTING DEFECTS
Skipout
Misregister
Mottled
Image
Filling In
Bridging
Pinholing
Dirty Print
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Why? Fixes:
● Printing pressure is too ● Lower the printing pressure (use a
high kiss print)
● Printing plate is too thick ● Use thinner plates
or swollen ● Replace the plates if residual
● Incorrect ink viscosity, solvent is present or if they are
volume, and/or anilox swollen
setting ● Maintain correct ink viscosity
● Press damage and/or ● Use an anilox roller with a lower
wear volume or higher cell count
● Mounting tape has the ● Repair or replace damaged or worn
wrong thickness or press parts (such as gears,
trapped air mandrels, and cylinders)
● The impression or the ● Change the mounting tape
printing plate cylinder is ● Ensure that no air is trapped and
dirty remount the plate
● Dots “dipping” into the ● Clean the impression and printing
anilox plate cylinders
● Use a metering method
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Why? Fixes
● Printing pressure is too high ● Check the pressure uniformity across
● Pressure is not regular and the web and adjust it accordingly
constant between the printing ● Use softer printing forms
form and substrate ● Check the hardness of the mounting
● Too much ink is being applied tape
● The printing form or the ● Use an anilox roller with a lower cell
mounting tape is too hard volume or a higher cell count
● Print cylinder and substrate ● Correct the form carrier
are at different speeds (sleeve/cylinder) concentricity if it is
out of tolerance
● Check web to cylinder speeds
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Why? Fixes
● Ink buildup around dots ● Adjust pressure between anilox roll
increasing printing surface area and printing plate cylinder
● Incorrect printing pressure ● Balance printing speed and ink
● Too much ink or dried ink on drying speed (slow down the drying
the plate process by adding a retarding agent
● Inadequate ink transfer and/or and making sure ink trays are
viscosity covered)
● Static electricity ● Maintain the correct viscosity and
● Incorrect drying speed avoid large increases in viscosity
● Inadequate solvent mix (use the ink container lids to avoid
● Debris and dust on the excessive solvent evaporation)
substrate ● Balance the solvent mix
● Surface tension is not allowing ● Adjust the ink viscosity to a lower
ink to release to substrate tack
● Clean the printing plate, anilox roller,
and web, if necessary
● Use an antistatic device
● Check surface tension chain
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Why?
Fixes
● Too much printing
● Adjust the printing pressure
pressure
● Employ softer printing forms
● Printing forms and/or
and/or a softer mounting tape
mounting tape are too
● Adjust the ink draw with the
hard
correct solvent
● Ink viscosity is too low
● Adjust the ink viscosity
● Ink with too much draw
● Check print-to-web speeds
● Print cylinder and web
are not at the same
speed
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Why? Fixes
● Volume of the anilox roller ● Use an anilox roller with a
too high or cell count is too lower volume or higher cell
low count
● Ink viscosity too high and not ● Adjust the printing pressure
suitable for printing screen ● Adjust the relationship of the
jobs screen between the printing
● Printing form screen too fine form and anilox roller
● Dirt or paper dust in the ● Adjust the ink viscosity
printing form ● Change the type of ink
● Too much pressure ● Wash the printing form
● Dots are bent ● Ensure the paper quality
● Check support shoulder of
dots
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● Lift
● Registration
● Ink incompatibility
● TIR
● Straightness
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