With the emergence of new technologies and new products, there will be further demands for expanding the packaging market.
In this sense, packaging box printing is a printing industry that never declines.
There are majorly three technologies in packaging box printing:
1 Gravure Printing
Gravure printing is full of ink and has a three-dimensional effect. Among various printing methods, the printing quality is the best. And the printing quality is stable. Long printing plate life. Suitable for mass printing. Gravure printing can print fragile materials such as plastic films. However, gravure printing is complicated and expensive, and its benzene-containing ink pollutes the environment. These two issues have affected the development of gravure. In particular, the reduction of large plates, the short-run prints that require low prices at the same time have caused gravure printing to continue to lose the market.
2 Offset Printing
Offset printing is mainly applied for printing on paper-based materials. Printing on plastic film has many limitations. The format of the Sheet-fed offset printing machine can be changed, which is more flexible. With every development of technology, web offset printing presses are constantly improving. Now, web offset presses that can change the printing format have been successfully developed. At the same time, the web offset printing machine with a seamless roller was successfully developed. The printing roll of this offset press is seamless, which is the same as the web gravure press in this respect. Offset presses continue to improve in printing functions. With the improvement and installation of some accessories, it can also be applicable for corrugated cardboard printing. With a UV drying accessory, the machine can also do UV printing. Water-based inks for offset printing will soon enter practical applications.
3 Flexo Printing
The main advantages of flexo printing are:
1. The equipment structure is simple and easy to form a production line. Among the three printing equipment of offset printing, gravure printing, and flexo printing, the flexo printing machine has the simplest structure. So the flexo printing machine’s price is comparatively low, and the printing enterprise’s equipment investment is small. Simultaneously, because the equipment is simple, it is easy to use and operate, and it is easy to maintain. At present, most flexo printing machines are connected with processing technologies such as bronzing, glazing, cutting, slitting, die-cutting, creasing, perforating. Window opening to form a production line, which significantly improves labor productivity.
2. Wide range of applications and substrates. Flexo printing can print almost all prints and use all substrates. Corrugated paper printing in special packaging printing is unique here.
3. Water-based inks are widely used. Among the three printing methods of offset, gravure, and flexo, only flexo currently uses water-based inks widely. Non-toxic and non-polluting, it is good for protecting the environment, especially suitable for packaging and printing.
4. Lower cost. The low cost of flexo printing has formed a broad consensus abroad.
