FLEXO TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE:

12 COMMON
PRINTING DEFECTS
&
HOW TO FIX THEM

148 Commerce Drive, Bradford, PA 16701-4736 | 888-545-2270

12 Common What went wrong?
Flexographic
As you well know, you must
Printing execute many sensitive

Defects & processes correctly and in

sequence to achieve
How to Fix printing perfection. Failure to

Them assess and adjust after

spotting flexographic

Your print comes off the printing errors can mean:

press, but it just doesn’t

look right. You might not ● Lost time

even recognize the ● Wasted material

reproduced image on ● Client dissatisfaction

the substrate. You ● Lost revenue

immediately go into
troubleshooting mode.

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Analyzing Your Flexographic
Printing Defects
Analyze your substandard printing results closely.
Does the text bleed together? Do solid blocks of
color appear to have the slightly bumpy texture of
You may have a
an orange peel with variations in color density? Is
problem simply caused
the ink lighter in some areas than others?
by pressure. It may be
an ink transfer problem
You may have one of the following 12
caused by incorrect
common flexo print problems: viscosity, surface
tension, or other issues.
● Dot gain Or the drying
temperature or UV
● Gear marks levels don’t best suit
● Halo your choices of ink and
● Feathering substrate. You also may
have a press
● Doughnuts
mechanical issue.
● Skip out
● Misregister Or you may be
● Mottled image experiencing various
combinations of those
● Filling in
problems and more.
● Bridging
● Pinholing Use the following
● Dirty print printing defects
checklist (on page 5):

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 How to Use The
Printing Defects
Checklist

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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148 Commerce Drive, Bradford, PA 16701-4736 | 888-545-2270

 FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINTING DEFECTS
DIAGNOSIS & TROUBLESHOOTING GRID
CAUSES

Press Cell Volume Ink Ink Ink pH Contam- Plate Drying

Pressure Anilox
Mechanics Transfer Viscosity Level ination Swelling Speed

Dot Gain

Gear Marks

Halo

Feathering

Dougnuts
PRINTING DEFECTS

Skipout

Misregister

Mottled
Image

Filling In

Bridging

Pinholing

Dirty Print

Page 5

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1. Dot Gain
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Symptoms: Increasing dot size from the engraved image

to the physical print. It’s predictable, but sometimes
difficult to manage without proper foresight and planning.

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
Page 6

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2. Gear Marks
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Symptoms: A series of misprinted parallel lines spanning

the substrate. The lines will be matching and will appear
at regular intervals.
Why? Fixes
● Incorrect/damaged gear ● Check gear condition and size
● Base is undersized ● Check base diameter
● Too much pressure ● Check tape and plate thickness
between the anilox roll and ● Adjust printing pressures to normal
printing form levels, and monitor ink transfer on
● Too much ink pressure in printing form and anilox
the doctor blade chamber ● Control the ink flow to/from the ink
● Image positioning on the chamber and ensure anilox cell
printing form is lacking volume is correct
balance ● Alter the layout of the design and/or
● Concentricity (total plates
indicated runout, or T.I.R.) of ● Adjust the concentricity of the printing
rotating parts (printing form, form and the anilox roll
anilox) are out of tolerance ● Adjust printing form package to best
● Vibrations of the printing accommodate the press and its speed
press due to mechanical or setting
electrical issues ● Modify printing speed to reduce
● The printing form or vibration or harmonic effects at certain
plate/tape package are too speeds
thin ● Troubleshoot printing press for other
miscellaneous defects or malfunctions
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3. Halo
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Symptoms: Ink extends beyond the edges of printed

areas on the substrate

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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 4. Feathering
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Symptoms: Uneven edges around printed areas.

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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5. Doughnuts
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Symptoms: Screen dots on the print appear slurred and

distorted.

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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 6. Skip Out
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Symptoms: The ink on the substrate in some places is

very light or missing entirely. This is a textbook example
of poor ink transfer.
Why? Fixes
● Inconsistent contact pressure ● Adjust the pressure settings involving
between the anilox roll, printing the press, printing form, and anilox
form, and/or substrate roller
● Low impression pressure ● Adjust the printing unit to be laterally
● Parts of the printing form surface parallel
are not inked ● Address variations in form thickness
● Printing form cylinder bounces ● Prepare the form correctly
● Printing form has low areas, low ● Check shafts, bolts, bearings, gears
quality, and/or make-ready for dirt and/or signs of wear
● Pretreatment of the form surface ● Check the concentricity of form
was not done correctly cylinders and gears
● Printing unit elements are not ● Wash the printing forms with solvent
parallel ● Replace the printing forms, if
● Printing unit locks up necessary
● Dirty anilox ● Adjust the nuts of the printing group
● Damaged gear lock mechanism
● Check anilox for dried ink
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 7. Misregister
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Symptoms: This common flexo printing issue results from

colors not being positioned correctly so the print image
becomes blurred or even distorted.
Why? Fixes
● Printing plates not mounted in ● Check the form mounting and its
the correct register equipment and remount the forms in
● The compensation roller for register and realign the press, if
the print register is not necessary
centered ● Check form thickness, potential
● The press is generally distortion, and relief height
misaligned ● Make sure the pressure setting and
● The idle rollers drag or rotate parallel of the web guide are uniform
irregularly across the web length
● Using the incorrect ● Replace or lubricate the idle roller
drive-roller setting bearings
● Drive gear is damaged ● Replace the drive gear
● Web temperature too high ● Center the compensating roller of the
● Incorrect web tension side register and longitudinal register
and then manually adjust print register
● Adjust web tension control to best suit
the substrate
● Reduce dryer temperature
● Check mounting tape thickness Page 12

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 8. Mottled Image
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Symptoms: Most common in printing solid colors, this

error causes the printed image to appear slightly bumpy
with minor-to-moderate shade or hue variations like that
of an orange peel.
Why? Fixes
● Poor ink transfer or not ● Increase pressure between the
wetting out fully on the printing form and substrate
printing form and/or ● Modify ink (and its solvent balance)
substrate to the correct viscosity or opacity
● Low ink viscosity or and change the ink, if necessary
concentration ● Use softer or more compatible plate
● The impression cylinder is or cushion tape
dirty and/or scratched ● Properly pretreat the substrate
● Residual chemicals from the ● Clean the impression cylinder
plate-making process remain ● Wash the printing form to remove
on the surface residual chemicals or remake the
● Printing form has an uneven printing form, if necessary
or unclean surface ● Increase the ink film thickness

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 9. Filling In
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Symptoms: Excess ink accumulations fill in spaces that

weren’t intended to be printed, especially on prints with
small type or halftone screened areas.
Why? Fixes
● Too much ink is transferred ● Use an anilox roller with a lower cell volume or
● Uncontrolled pH level or higher cell count
viscosity ● Increase the pressure of the inking roller, the
● Ink has an incorrect solvent doctor blade, or the closure of the doctor
balance blade chamber
● Letters, graphics, and/or ● Adjust the solvent mixture
screen are designed ● Check the drying speed of the solvents in the
incorrectly different colors and ensure they’re balanced
● Poorly prepared printing plate between printing decks
● Rollers are set incorrectly ● Ensure the viscosity (check that the anilox
● Debris or particles of roller has the correct cell count l/cm (lpi) and
pigments on the substrate or volume)
plate ● Maintain the viscosity and pH level at constant
● Leftover ink from the previous ● Always cover the ink containers
printing unit ● Use a printing plate with a higher shore
hardness
● Check the plate relief and the printing surface
(check that the edges of the printing images
are not round)
● Use dispersed ink with small particles
● Clean the plate, pump, hoses, and ducts
● Ensure the design is even suitable for flexo
printing
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10. Bridging
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Symptoms: Separate dots in the print screen connect

with each other irregularly.

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

Page 15

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 11. Pinholing
Photo Courtesy Lead Lasers

Symptoms: The ink doesn’t completely cover the print

surface, leaving small holes in the image.
Why? Fixes
● Poor ink transfer ● Adjust the ink viscosity
● The ink dries on the anilox roller ● Increase the ink film thickness
and fails to transfer onto printing ● Increase the printing speed
form ● Use a solvent with a slower
● The ink doesn’t build a uniform evaporation and adjust the power
film on the substrate of the dryers
● The anilox roller has lost volume ● Increase printing form to substrate
due to dirty cells or is impression
experiencing wear ● Check the condition of the anilox
● Dirty impression cylinder roller and replace, if necessary
● Strong surface variation ● Clean the impression cylinder
(irregular, pitted, or polluted) on ● Check the metering system
the substrate rejects ink transfer ● Use a softer printing form or a soft
mounting tape
● Check the validity of the surface
treatment of the substrate
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12. Dirty Print
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Symptoms: Speckles on the ink give the print a dirty

appearance.
Why? Fixes
● Dirty plate ● Clean plate
● Dried ink ● Select a better anilox screen
● ‘Volume of the anilox roll too count and cell volume
high ● Adjust ink viscosity and
● Incorrect ink viscosity enhance consistency
● Ink has excess pigment ● Do a “kiss” impression
● Ink film too thick ● Use a softer cushion mounting
● Contaminated ink tape
● Pressure setting between the ● Use a balanced extender to
printing form and anilox roll is adjust the ink strength
inadequate ● Reduce the ink viscosity
● Incorrect hardness ● Adjust the printing speed
● Incorrect type of plate/tape ● Adjust doctor blade pressure
package ● Wash the printing forms and
anilox rolls
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Elastomer Sleeves: The
Overarching Solution
Elastomer sleeves prevent many issues that cause your printing defects. The right
blend, of elastomer, which include both natural and synthetic polymers, produce high
quality and long-running jobs.

In an industry where being off by thousandths of an inch is total failure, you’ll

quickly appreciate elastomer for eliminating plate issues such as:

● Lift
● Registration
● Ink incompatibility
● TIR
● Straightness

You need the enhanced characteristics elastomer blends achieve. These include:

● Resistance to wear, heat, and chemicals

● Specific surface tensions and hardnesses
● Longer runs
● Improved transfer
● Faster startups

Elastomer brings the most out of your flexographic printing sleeves and plates. That’ll
equal highest quality imaging possible, unmatched longevity, and excellent ink
transfer.

Page 18

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Conclusion
Flexographic printing quality relies on a variety of variables working
together seamlessly. If one of those factors is off (even by the tiniest
fraction of an inch), your reproduced image could be
unrecognizable. Failure to diagnose issues efficiently and resume
quality printing promptly will equal lost time and money.

Use this guide and checklist as a quick and repeatable reference

point to correct the error and get back on track.

Page 19

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About Us
Luminite Products Corp. introduced laser engraving elastomer
printing plates and cylinders to the United States in the 1970s.
Decades ago, it was a great alternative to plate-mounted
cylinders, which were inconvenient to change and less durable.

Today we’re the global standard for the most successful

printers. Luminite specializes in flexographic printing products
and is the most recognized manufacturer of continuous
laser-engraved printing cylinders in North America. We’ve also
patented a revolutionary air sleeve called Load-N-Lok.

You’re aiming to boost your printing efficiency and productivity.

Air-assist mounting sleeves will allow near continuous operation
and unmatched quality.

That’s money in the bank. See how we can help.

Photos Courtesy Lead Lasers

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148 Commerce Drive, Bradford, PA 16701-4736 | 888-545-2270