Is It Time For You to Consider Flexo Printing Options?

In today's world of packaged goods, be it food items, cleaning items, or any household product, one thing is common. The beauty of the product's packaging. 

This is the first thing that attracts consumers to a product's packaging. The beautiful printed design lures them to the product while they check to see how flexible the custom packaging is.

Manufacturers today are using flexible packaging on almost all their products and the reason is not far-fetched. The world of flexible packaging today allows you to choose from an almost infinite number of styles and closure options to best suit your goods. 

In this guide, we will discuss why flexible packaging is a goal, the advantages of using flexographic printing to other printing options, its pros and cons, and other reasons why flexo printing should be an option. 

Why Should Flexible Packaging Be Your Goal?

Flexible packaging is gaining more adaptability than it was a few years back. It also has several other advantages over more traditional packaging methods such as bottles, cans, andcustom folding cartons.

To begin with, it is substantially less expensive to manufacture. Flexible packaging costs between $0.10 and $0.20 per unit on average, depending on quantity and size. 

If compared to printed folding cartons, you'll notice the latter is twice the amount of the former, and glass jars or hard plastic containers might cost three to six times as much. Flexible packaging results in a higher profit margin for your business.

Secondly, it is eco-friendly. Flexible packaging requires less material to make, which means you're using fewer natural resources, diverting less waste to landfills, and emitting fewer hazardous emissions. 

And because it is lightweight and compact, it can be conveyed more readily, decreasing fossil fuel consumption and pollution. 

Over the last few years, the improvement in flexible packaging manufacturing techniques has resulted in the generation of less volatile organic compounds and a reduction in water and energy consumption. 

Finally, flexible packaging has advantages that traditional packaging methods do not, such as improved weather protection. We can all acknowledge the importance of food safety and quality.  

Flexible packaging provides defense protection and closure options for your products, extending their lifespan and reducing spoilage. 

It's also more durable than traditional packaging and less likely to be destroyed during shipment. All of these capabilities help you (and your customers and retailers) avoid unnecessary fees and worries.

Thanks to technological improvement, some flexible packaging now allows consumers to enjoy heated food directly in the bag. In the end, this decreases both preparation and cleanup time. 

Package design allows for the visibility of contents with a premium appearance that makes products stand out. It also gives greater printability, ensuring that your graphics shine and your labels are bold. 

Comparison Between Flexographic Printing and Roto-Gravure

Flexographic and rotogravure printing is the most common form of printing used in package manufacture. Both have benefits and drawbacks, just like anything else. 

Take a look at some of the significant distinctions between the two methods before deciding which is best for you.

Flexographic printing is a relief printing technique that uses soft polymer plates and quick-drying inks, comparable to letterpress printing. 

It is the most versatile of all printing options, as it can be utilized on a wide range of substrates, including plastic, cellophane, metallic films, shrink films, and paper.

For rotogravure printing, it uses a cylinder instead. Before printing, the image is carved (typically laser-carved) onto the cylinder, then ink is applied and cleaned down. It produces greater graphic reproduction but is more expensive than other printing techniques.

Flexo printers can reproduce a wide variety of colors thanks to expanded gamut and HD printing, and quick-dry inks are meant to be food-safe and boost production speed. 

Flexo printing polymer plates can print millions of designs in a fraction of the time it takes to manufacture rotogravure cylinders. 

This implies that it's more efficient for short or several runs, and it's also quicker to fix problems or improve the design. Finally, it is less expensive to manufacture, while rotogravure cylinders are far more expensive.

How to Know Which Flexographic Printer to Use

If the flexographic printer is your final decision, how then can you handpick the best flexographic printer for your job? It is simple! 

1 Know The Volume of Your Job

Before you consider using a flexographic printer, you have to know the volume of your job and the kind of package you want to produce. 

Ask the person in charge of your printing, if they can handle the run size or package scale you desire, because there are printing providers that can barely handle large volumes or the kind of package size you want. 

2 Know the Production's Capacity

Knowing the production's capacity will help your package get the market recognition it deserves at the stipulated time. 

You need to be sure that you can trust their supply chain as well. Delay, they say, is dangerous and can cost your business more money. 

3 The Graphics on Your Package 

What is the complexity and color scheme of your design? Ask the person in charge, if their printer can stick to the exact design on your package or only operate on a particular color. 

Manufacturers need to be aware of this before handing their products to printers. Your style of packaging is what draws customers and potential customers to you. You want to make a strong impression. 

4 Your Package's Quality

Manufacturers always want their products to be of a high standard. Ask your printer if they can offer you a high-quality standard and still maintain it. 

Your prospective printer should be able to offer you the latest quality and safety certifications. If not, go for one that can. 

How To Get The Best for Your Packaging

Flexographic printing, as demonstrated, is a state-of-the-art operation involving numerous phases and procedures. When considering such premium printing, your best choice would be to try industry leaders, such as Arka. You can check their custom shipping boxes and mailer boxes that have premium quality!

However, to ensure that your design goal is appropriately translated to a flexo-printed package, here is a list of questions to ponder on as you work on your design.

1. Are My Ideas Realistic?

Even if substantial developments in the printing industry, such as HD printing, have been made in recent years, designers still need to comprehend the feasible color space and resolution.

2. How does the Material Influence the Final Design?

Several factors determine how your final design will look. The most important one is the material you're using.

3. What Specifications Do I Require?

You must develop your design according to a precise layout and size to obtain your intended outcomes. 

4. Do I Need to Consider Color Plates?

You must apply each color in your design to its plate, so do have it at the back of your mind when creating your files. This is because a full-color spectrum may not be required to develop your design. Reducing the necessary number of color plates can significantly lower your design's overall cost.

5. Is My File Structure Correct?

The person handling your printing job should be able to communicate with your designer about color capabilities and the effective transformation from the computer to your final package. The quality of your final files must also be guaranteed to be certain it fits the printing criteria. 

Pros of Using Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing is known for printing large areas of solid color very quickly and effectively without pausing to make any changes. The pros of using flexographic printing is that:

• It is cheap and prints in large quantities
• It produces high-quality, long-lasting printing
• It can run at high press rates
• Ideal for lengthy, fast runs
• Printing on several substrates is possible

Cons of Using Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing isn’t the ideal printing option for you if you have variable data and expect a lot of changes to your printing. The cons for using flexographic printing is that:

• During the setup process, you frequently squander supplies
• Flexographic printing takes longer to set up than some other print methods
• Changing and updating the printing can be time-consuming and costly.
• Creating new flexo plates can be costly   

Conclusion 

The flexibility of your product's packaging is of utmost importance to your consumers just as the contents in it. So, it is right to choose the right printing option for your package graphics. 

To make a long-lasting impact on both new and existing customers with your package design, try the flexographic printing, and see how flexographic-friendly it will be on your packaging.