Film materials have been widely used in the label industry due to their light weight, good flexibility, and high transparency. This paper introduces the common methods of printing processing of thin film materials, such as flexographic printing, micro-nano printing, inkjet printing, etc. It also discusses some precautions involved, such as the selection of printing equipment, the selection and processing of printing materials, the adjustment of printing process parameters, etc.
4 Common Methods Of Printing And Processing Film Materials
1. Letterpress printing
Letterpress printing is one of the printing methods widely used in the printing of film materials. It is suitable for the printing of various types and large printing quantities, and is often used for printing packaging, trademarks, advertisements, etc. The main principle of letterpress printing is to create a raised part of the graphic on the surface of the printing plate, and then transfer the ink on the surface of the letterpress to the printing material through pressure. Among them, UV letterpress printing is a relatively advanced printing method with good quality and high efficiency. Since the ink dries instantly, the film can be rewound without lamination.
2. Flexographic printing
Flexographic printing technology is an important method suitable for processing thin film materials. It uses a flexible substrate and an elastic printing plate and uses printing ink or conductive adhesive to print the required patterns and circuits on the substrate. The main technological process of flexographic printing includes layout making, ink blending, printing, drying, and compounding. Among them, layout-making is one of the key steps, and commonly used layout-making methods include photolithography, electron beam exposure, and inkjet printing.
3. Screen printing
Solvent ink screen printing is a traditional printing method, generally using sheet-fed printing. Sheet-fed printing has low cost, good effect, and strong adaptability, and is the main printing method for sheet-fed film self-adhesive materials. At present, the relatively new screen printing method is UV screen printing, which can be printed on a single sheet or on a roll.
4. Gravure printing
Gravure printing is a common printing method for film self-adhesive materials. It uses the concave part of the gravure layout to accept ink, and transfers the ink to the printing material through printing pressure to form the desired pattern or text. Gravure printing is widely used in film self-adhesive labels, stickers, decorative materials, and other fields due to its high printing precision, rich colors, and good effects. Gravure printing machines are suitable for printing long-run, high-quality labels, such as beer labels, battery labels, etc.
Precautions For Printing And Processing Of Film Materials
Printing and processing of thin film materials is a complicated process, and the following items need to be paid attention to:
① Selection and processing of materials: The selection and processing of printing materials are important factors affecting printing quality. When choosing printing materials, factors such as adaptability, cost, and reliability need to be considered. At the same time, in terms of material handling, such as substrate surface treatment, cleaning, and drying, etc., attention is also required to ensure printing quality and production efficiency. Plastic film materials need surface pretreatment before printing to improve surface energy or wetting ability, otherwise, the ink and ribbon will not be firm enough and will fall off easily.
② Equipment selection and adjustment: Different printing methods require different printing equipment, such as flexographic printing requires a flexible printing machine, inkjet printing requires an inkjet printer, etc. When selecting equipment, factors such as the characteristics of the printing material, production needs and budget need to be considered. At the same time, when adjusting the parameters of printing equipment, such as printing speed, pressure, temperature, etc., it also needs to be adjusted according to specific materials and printing requirements.
③ Control of printing process: Control of the printing process is the key to ensure printing quality and production efficiency. It is necessary to formulate the printing process in the preparation work before printing, and to control and adjust the printing parameters in actual operation. At the same time, regular inspection and maintenance of printing equipment and materials is required to ensure printing quality and production efficiency.
First of all, the surface of the material must be pretreated and up to standard. Pre-coat the coating of affinity ink on the surface of the material to improve its wetting ability to the ink and increase the firmness of the ink. This treatment method is the most ideal, common, and stable method for thin film materials. Secondly, the use of matching special inks, varnishes, and ribbons should be tested in advance. Finally, to control the thickness of the ink layer, the ink should be dried thoroughly. For the overprinting part of the ink, care must be taken to prevent the ink on the lower layer from drying out.
④ Environmental and safety issues: During the printing process of film materials, environmental and safety issues also need to be paid attention to. The wastewater, waste gas, and waste generated in the printing process need to be properly treated, and at the same time, safety issues such as the toxicity and corrosiveness of printing liquid and printing ink need to be paid attention to, so as to ensure the safety of the production environment and the health of printing workers.
In short, this article introduces the printing method of film self-adhesive materials and the matters needing attention. For relevant practitioners who need to print and process film self-adhesive materials, it is very necessary to master this knowledge. In practical application, it is also necessary to select the appropriate printing method and technical parameters according to the specific situation, so as to obtain the best printing effect. At the same time, it is also necessary to constantly pay attention to the development of new technologies and materials to improve production efficiency and print quality.
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