Talk:Flexography

Discussion

A negative film is used n flexography, not a positive. TV —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.9.202.48 (talk) 11:42, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

This sounds a lot like how newspapers are printed (I went on a tour of a newspaper place a few years ago); Each page is rendered onto a plastic-y negative sheet and then rolled out as described in the article. Is this the same process? If it is, it should be mentioned. The current article says it's mostly used for packaging. -- Merphant

It's known as flexo outside of North America too; at the very least, the term is used in the printing industry in the UK. And, yes, it's used for newspapers; in the UK the Daily Mail (and I believe other Associated Newspapers papers, at the very least those printed in London) is Flexo printed, at Harmsworth Quays. However, most newspapers are offset litho, not flexo.

Flexo is arguably a better technology than offset litho; it can print onto a broader range of materials, produces better colours, and wastes less ink. Its printing plates are more expensive, however.

DrPizza 01:07, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

I once read somewhere that flexo is often used to print mass-market paperbacks. The paper is similar to newsprint, so this would make some sense, but I can't cite a reference. One advantage is that it can use water-based ink, which causes less air pollution than the solvent-based inks used for litho. Rbean 18:53, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

Lithographic (litho) inks are most often described as oil based inks. Solvent based inks are those composed of alcohols,acetates, ketones and the like, often used for some type of flexographic and rotogravure inks. Water based inks are not necessarily less polluting than oil based inks ; in many cases they contain significant quantities of alcohol, ammonia and other volatiles compounds. Litho inks generally have very low volatility with only small quantities of low boiling point solvents (exception would be heat set litho inks). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Inkman (talk • contribs) 14:19, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Fake history?

This Peter Balanger, "Jesus of Flexography" story about the origin of this printing system seems very weird, somehow. Is this true? Wikipedia is the only place I could find associating the history of flexography to him. There is a teacher with this name (living, currently) that teaches flexography. That Kelly Fotinos is also a teacher at Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, where both of them work. Maybe this whole thing is fake? --Henrique (talk) 16:07, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

That information is not currently in the article, so the problem has been fixed. Johnuniq (talk) 22:49, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Education section

The entire Education section should be cut. It contains no relevant information about the flexographic process, and a lot of irrelevant and gratuitous plugs for Carolina high schools and colleges. Flexographic printing is not a recondite practice requiring specialized education at a few elite schools: it is relatively straightforward, inexpensive, and in common use with small art and letterpress printers. Wabernat 04:38, 24 December 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wabernat (talk • contribs)

I agree and I removed the section. Johnuniq (talk) 22:49, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Looks like the same thing as offset

This article is very vague about what the specific differences are between flexo and litho processes. They are both applied using rollers, both use etched plates, they both use fountain solution, so... looks like pretty much the same thing? DMahalko (talk) 05:24, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Flexographic and Offset (Lithographic Printing) are not the same. Lithographic (Offset) printing is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. A lithographic plate is flat, where as a Flexo plate has a raised printing surface. A lithographic plate has non the printing area's sliliconized or "greasy" and the printing area's are electrostatic treated to attract ink. (water and oil don't mix). A flexo press with its raised plate uses a Doctor blade and Anilox Roll to meter the ink.A Lithograhic press uses a ink fountain with keys and a ductor roller to meter ink They are totally different printing techniques. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.3.45.141 (talk) 01:32, 23 September 2014 (UTC)

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