What are flexographic printing plates?

Flexographic plates, like letterpress plates, are relief plates with image elements raised above open areas. They are elastomeric in nature in contrast with hard letterpress plates. They are used in rotary presses and with low viscosity inks.

How long do printing plates last?

A: There are 2 ways to answer this: time and quantity. From the perspective of time , usually printing plates will last 5 to 8 years depending on how they are cleaned (after use) and stored. To answer the question based on quantity, most printing plates will print 400,000 – 500,000 poly bags.

What is rotogravure printing used for?

The rotogravure printing process is primarily used for printing on wallpaper or gift wrapping paper. But it can also be used for printing labels, packaging, and other products that want a more unique print on it.

What are photopolymer printing plates?

Simply put, a photopolymer plate is a sheet of polymer with one side that is light sensitive. The digitally created design is transferred to a photo negative that is placed on top of the sheet of polymer. It is then exposed to light in a controlled exposing unit.

How many cutting surfaces does a plate cutter provide?

The knife blade contacts the cutting stick slightly off center, so each durable cutting stick provides eight new cutting surfaces before needing a replacement. Each Plate Cutter is shipped with one extra cutting stick.

How do you cut butt joints on reverse printing plates?

Perfect bevel cuts for butt joints on reverse printing plates are automatically produced by the unique design of the Plate Cutter blade. This bevel is produced without tilting the work table surface. These Plate Cutters are designed to be mounted on a bench or table top.

How does the plate Cutter work?

The Plate Cutter from Web Techniques, available in two models, will speed up your make-ready process and improve accuracy at all stages of production. Straight line copy or register marks on see-through photopolymer plates are easily aligned with the work table grid to produce straight and square cuts.

How much does it cost to print on a printing plate?

For reference, the printing plate above costs $350 for a box that’s 11″ × 9″ × 4″. The cutting die costs around $600. Most plates range between $300-600, and cutting dies between $500 and $1,500, depending on the size and complexity of the design.