This paper mainly analyzes the main printing methods of corrugated board today, and compares the direct printing and pre-printing printing processes of corrugated board.
With the progress of society, the prosperity of the economy, the increasingly fierce market competition and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, people's requirements for commodity packaging are also increasing. The packaging of commodities, whether it is the inner packaging that directly faces consumers or the middle and outer packaging that may be discarded during the transportation, storage and transportation of products, plays a vital role in product promotion and brand building. The role of corrugated boxes originally used as product transport packaging to protect products has also been continuously enriched, which has directly led to the increase in the printing quality requirements of corrugated boxes, which has gradually diversified the printing methods of corrugated cardboard.
1. Corrugated cardboard printing process
At present, the printing of corrugated cardboard is mainly based on flexographic printing, which accounts for more than 70% of corrugated cardboard printing in China and more than 85% in Europe and the United States. The printing process can be divided into two categories: one is the direct printing process, which is to print directly on the corrugated cardboard that has been formed; the other is the pre-printing process, which is to print the corrugated paper first and then print the printed surface The paper and the corrugated liner are laminated to form corrugated board.
1. Direct printing process
The direct printing process is one of the main printing processes of corrugated board. The printing methods of direct printing mainly include two kinds, flexographic printing and offset printing, in which flexographic printing is absolutely dominant. The process flow of the direct flexographic printing process is as follows: corrugated cardboard production-cardboard direct printing-film slitting-adhesive nail box. Direct offset printing is mainly used for the printing of micro-corrugated cardboard. Its technological process is as follows: micro-corrugated cardboard production-mini-cardboard direct offset printing-film slitting-adhesive nail box.
(i) Flexographic printing uses flexographic printing plates. A printing technology that uses water-based inks or solvent-based volatile inks to transfer ink through an anilox roller. Flexographic printing has the characteristics of quick-drying ink, high-speed printing, and low cost. It is particularly suitable for the printing of corrugated cardboard that does not require high printing accuracy. Flexographic printing corrugated cardboard has the following characteristics:
â‘ Use water-based quick-drying ink to replace the past
A new EPN process in the field of product packaging. It is also an innovation of offset printing process. However, due to the large printing pressure of offset printing and the use of fountain solution in printing, the strength of corrugated cardboard will be reduced by pressure and water absorption. Therefore, at present, direct offset printing can only be printed on micro-corrugated cardboard with high strength and ultra-thin, and a special rubber blanket with strong compressibility and good ink absorption transfer performance should be used to prevent the decline of the strength of the corrugated cardboard and the washboard "Phenomenon.
(3) In addition to the above two main EPN methods, the direct printing method of corrugated cardboard also has a screen printing method. The printing area of ​​screen printing can be large or small, easy plate making, low printing cost, thick printing ink color, high color saturation. The visual effect is strong, but the resolution is not high, the image accuracy is low, and it is not suitable for the linkage production line. The production efficiency is low, so the screen printing corrugated board is only suitable for the production of corrugated board with a single machine and it is used when the batch is small.
2. Pre-printing process
Although flexographic printing, which is dominant in direct printing, has many advantages. However, there are many difficulties in printing patterns comparable to offset and gravure printing. In order to get beautifully printed corrugated cardboard. Many manufacturers use pre-printing process. The process flow of the pre-printing process is: pre-printed facial paper and corrugated composite bonding produced by the production line-computer slitting-computer cross-cutting-film slitting-adhesive slot. There are various printing methods for corrugated cardboard preprinting, including offset printing, gravure printing and flexographic printing.
(1) Offset pre-printing is to print corrugated box face paper with offset, and then use a single machine to laminate the corrugated paper. The process is: sheet paper for offset printing and single-sided corrugated cardboard-laminating machine made by single-sided machine rolls. One die-cut slot and one glue nail box.
Offset pre-printing can obtain a carton with beautiful patterns, but it also has other problems, such as complicated process, high production cost, long production cycle, low carton strength, limited printing materials, limited printing format, high carton scrap rate, production site Large, labor-intensive, etc., especially for printing large packaging cartons. Due to the high production cost and long cycle, it can not keep up with the customer's demand for products. From the perspective of the development trend of the foreign packaging industry, the method of offset printing pre-printing will gradually decrease in the production of corrugated cardboard.
(2) Gravure pre-printing is to use gravure printing technology in advance on a wide web
The required delicate patterns are pre-printed on the paper (carton face paper). Then, the corrugated cardboard production line is made into corrugated cardboard on the rolled printed facial paper. Then use the die-cutting machine to cut the indentation into a box shape. The characteristics of gravure pre-printing are:
â‘ The printing quality is the best and stable among various printing methods.
â‘¡ Use water-based ink. Green.
â‘¢ The printing plate has high durability. Suitable for carton mass printing production requirements.
â‘£ Suitable for printing continuous patterns.
⑤ The printing speed is fast. high productivity.
â‘¥ Complex plate making. And the printing plate price is higher. It is 8 to 10 times that of flexo.
⑦ The process technology is relatively complicated, the process is relatively many, and the printing cost is high.
(3) Flexo pre-printing is to use a flexo printing machine to print on the web. After printing, it is still collected into web. Then the printed roll paper is used as the corrugated cardboard production line on the carton face paper to make the corrugated cardboard box board. Then use the die-cutting machine to cut the indentation into a box shape. The characteristics of flexo pre-printing are:
â‘ Non-toxic and non-polluting, which is conducive to protecting the environment is a green and environmentally friendly printing method. It has great advantages in the printing of green cartons such as food boxes and medicine boxes.
â‘¡ Can print large-format, multi-color, high-quality color packaging boxes.
â‘¢ A wide range of printing materials can support EO30-700g /? Paper and cardboard.
â‘£ Different screen printing is used, the print pattern is fine, and the print consistency is good.
⑤ Laminating and bonding face paper and corrugated paper at once on the corrugated cardboard production line can improve and improve the strength and punching strength of corrugated cardboard.
â‘¥ Low printing cost, high speed and high output.
⑦ High light and dark tone dots are easy to lose, suitable for the reproduction of 8% ～ 85% tone area.
⑧ Can not copy too thin lines of text. Because the flexographic printing plate will be deformed during printing, the fine text and lines will expand and merge.
2. Comparison of direct printing process and pre-printing process
Although at present, direct printing is still one of the main printing processes in corrugated board printing at home and abroad, but the process is simple. In addition to the advantages of fast speed and short cycle, other aspects are not as good as the pre-printing process. Compared with the direct printing process, the pre-printing process has some obvious advantages: First, it can obtain higher printing quality and wider adaptability. The second is that pre-printing can perform richer printing. The printing quality is also more stable and reliable. The third is to make corrugated boxes get higher strength. This is because pre-printing does not need to imprint the cardboard after it is formed. Can avoid corrugated deformation and weaken the strength of cardboard. When using direct printing. Because each color printing will make corrugated cardboard more or less deformed. And the more the number of colors per day. The influence on the deformation of corrugated cardboard will be greater. therefore. Pre-printing has become an important development trend for corrugated board printing. Especially high-end fine carton. Pre-printing is more suitable for large and heavy cartons.
In short. There are many ways to print corrugated cardboard. And in order to meet various packaging requirements. Its printing methods will continue to increase. These printing methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Suitable for different requirements and uses. As a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard boxes, it should choose the appropriate printing method according to the characteristics and uses of the carton.
The designs of our modern benches come from the most famous designers in the world, it looks simple but nice and durable. When we produce modern benches, our skilled technicians take care of every details, so it looks in super quality and very close to the original.Our modern benches are not only suitable for your bedroom,but also suitable for hotel,villas,clubs. Welcome all the consumers from all over the world to buy the modern benches from us ,you can put it for own use, also can resell it to make some profit.
As a professional modern furniture manufacturer, we provide various types of benches, including the popular Barcelona bench, as well as other well-known designer works. If you want to experience the charm of modern bench, or want to provide some matching with your existing furniture, then you can take a look at our bench replica.
Modern Bench, leather bench, barcelona bench, bench
DELO SOFA , https://www.mcmdeco.com