In 1890, the first such patented press was built in Liverpool, England by Bibby, Baron and Sons. The water-based ink smeared easily, leading the device to be known as "Bibby's Folly". In the early 1900s, other European presses using rubber printing plates and aniline oil-based ink were developed.

When was flexography invented?

1890: Flexography Is Invented

Flexography, as the name suggests, involves wrapping a flexible printing plate around a rotary cylinder. As the cylinder spins, it imprints ink onto the printing surface.

When was the letterpress invented?

Letterpress printing was the normal form of printing text from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century to the 19th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century.

Why is flexography used?

Flexography has been widely used as a quick and economical way of applying simple designs and areas of colour to a wide variety of packaging materials, such as paper and plastic containers (including waxed-paper ones), corrugated-cardboard boxes, tape, envelopes, and metal foil.

What is the another name of flexography?

noun Printing. a relief printing technique similar to letterpress that employs rubber or soft plastic plates, a simple inking system, and fast-drying inks. Also called flexographic printing.

Flexographic Printing Basics

25 related questions found

How do you identify flexography?

Flexography uses a rubber-like plate that, under pressure, transfers ink to the substrate. This results in type that often appear to be surrounded by a sharp-edged "halo." The same effect, but in opposite, occurs in the halftone dots which may have dark edges and light centers.

How does flexography printing work?

How Does Flexography Work? In flexographic printing, the starting material comes in the form of a roll, which passes through a series of rotary flexible relief plates. A specialized roller feeds each flexible plate with ink, with a single flexible plate required for each individual printed color.

What can you make with flexography?

Of the many technologies used to print on packaging, labels and other products, flexography has become the most popular.
...
Flexography Capabilities

1. Craft Beer and Wine Labels. ...
2. Seasonal Candy Wrappers and Bags. ...
3. Paper Towels. ...
4. Metal Panels for Siding and Roofing. ...
5. Pizza Boxes. ...
6. Embossed Products.

What year did the name of the process change to flexography?

Franklin Moses in 1951 started a campaign to change the name of the process from aniline to the flexographic process which was subsequently renamed 'flexography. ' *Aniline – definition *Aniline is a colorless, oily, partially water-soluble organic compound derived from nitrobenzene.

How was letterpress invented?

The Birth of the Letterpress

The history of letterpress printing begins in the 15th century, when a German inventor by the name of Johannes Gutenberg created the first mechanical movable type. ... Upward to 180 copies are to known to have been printed, with only 49 surviving today (29 are incomplete).

Where was the letterpress invented?

Despite popular belief, printing from moveable type was actually invented in China in 1041, and then again four centuries later in Europe. Although the exact details of the invention of letterpress printing remain hazy, most scholars credit Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz Germany around 1440.

Is letterpress still alive?

Taste the World! Although digital typesetting and offset lithography have largely rendered type casting obsolete, letterpress printing and type founding remains alive at Grabhorn.

What are the disadvantages of flexography?

On the downside, flexographic printing is not very advanced. It cannot produce complicated and extensive artwork as compared to that produced by rotogravure printing. The colors in the final product of flexographic printing are neither as bold nor as crisp as they are in rotogravure printing.

What is the difference between flexographic and lithographic printing?

Flexographic printing, or Flexo, is a technique for bulk printing using flexible relief plates. Lithographic printing or Litho is a method of printing, initially based on the unmixable materials of oil and water. Lithography is used for anything that needs vibrant colours and is printed in large quantities.

What is the difference between rotogravure and flexographic printing?

Rotogravure tends to be more efficient in shorter runs as the cost or cylinder making is lower. The flexographic process tends to be more efficient in longer runs as the speed of production is faster, cost less in inks, solvent, and energy consumption.

What kind of ink is used in flexography?

The two major types of fluid inks used in flexography are water-base and alcohol-base. Alcohol-base inks are most often used to print on nonabsorbent substrates such as film and foil. Water-base inks most often are used on absorbent substrates such as paper and paperboard.

Why is flexographic ink so liquidy?

The Reason Behind Water-Based Flexographic Ink

Additive: If a specialized product such as silicones or waxes is to be produced, a formulator may need to include additional chemicals or substances to make the ink work. Amine: The chemical(s) used to transform a resin into a liquid state.

When was offset printing invented?

In England in 1875, Robert Barclay patented the first rotary offset lithographic printing press. This machine, which printed on tin, combined the technologies of mid-19th-century transfer printing technology and Hoe's 1843 rotary printing press.

What causes the ink to be raised in thermographic?

Thermography is a specialized process that combines offset printing ink with a powdered resin which is baked so that the resin rises to give the ink a raised, textured effect.

What are flexographic labels?

Flexographic labels are a highly versatile label solution that can be applied on nearly all packages. They can be printed on a wide variety of materials, including metal films, plastics and papers.

What is Letterpressing?

letterpress printing, also called Relief Printing, or Typographic Printing, in commercial printing, process by which many copies of an image are produced by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper.

What is a photopolymer plate?

Photopolymer is photosensitive material in sheet form that is exposed to UV lights through a negative film. The light shines through the clear sections of the film and hardens the polymer. The plate is washed out with water. ... The plate is dried and exposed to UV one more time to complete the process.

What is a 3D printer?

3D printing uses computer-aided design (CAD) to create three-dimensional objects through a layering method. Sometimes referred to as additive manufacturing, 3D printing involves layering materials, like plastics, composites or bio-materials to create objects that range in shape, size, rigidity and color.